Massey Ferguson 135 Wont Start

Hi Yall!Im new here and i created this account to see if y'all can help me. Im going to give y'all the whole back story with as much info as i know.My pawpaw had a Massey Ferguson 135 with the Perkins diesel,it was a great tractor and as far as i can remember it NEVER gave him any problems,however sadly my pawpaw was diagnosed with melanoma cancer in fall of 2013,sadly he passed away in early spring 2014.Up until his passing the tractor was running fine however it sat for a few months untouched after he passed.My uncle then decided to do some bushhogging with it and i cant remember exactly what all happened but after that it needed a new alternator....he put that on...then the worn out old starter finally gave out....got it rebuilt,TWICE the first guy didnt do it right.Well then everything seemed good the tractor had a new alternator a brand new battery and a freshly rebuilt starter.This was early spring 2015.My uncle then deiced to do some more bushhogging and while he was the tractor begin smoking from something electrical.He shut it down immediately and noticed some battery cables that he thought was the problem...that tractor sat a few months before he replaced the battery cables...after that he claimed the tractor wouldn't do anything which led him to believe it was locked up.The ole Massey has sat outside pretty much uncovered since then,the paint has begun to fade and chip the front tires are flat and i hate to see my pawpaws tractor get ruined.My mom wants me to try and get it back running....so yesterday i got the key and went to investigate myself,im only 18 but i love tinkering with small engines and what not so i do consider myself to know way more than most everything i have learned about engines i have taught myself,and i know like many that diesels rarely lock up that easy i mean this is a farm tractor not a cummins someone has modded for 600hp,anyways after i cleaned out the ignition from dirt daubers i stuck the key in and turned it,the tractor went click,i was excited to see it actually did something and showed some sign of life,after turning the key a few times quickly i noticed the fan was slowly moving with each click...so im pretty sure the engine is not locked up as the pulley on the bottom of the motor is turning,the battery voltage gauge needle is dead center between red and green when you try and turn it over it goes over into the negative half way.I tried jumping it off with my truck and after letting it charge for a min the tractor went rmmmmmp like it was trying to crank up and it turned over faster than before however the starter solenoid started smoking and the battery cables on the tractor were extremely hot even the negative,i quickly unhooked the jumpers from my truck lol.... so theres the story now i need yalls opinion,im thinking get a new battery because the other one has sat so long and been frozen and heated up by mother nature that its not any good after sitting for 3 years and get a brand new starter not a rebuilt one.What are yalls thoughts i need yalls help please.I really appericate it!!

Me and my pawpaw and his tractor many years back

Start with cleaning the terminal end of the cables. Put the battery on a charger for about 24-48 hours should then see a difference in the battery by then. If the battery does not respond to that it is probably done for. After the terminals and cables are clean and tight check the starter with a couple of cables on the bench to see if it even works with a known good battery. Hold it tight so it doesn't fall on the floor with the torque when you make contact. If this is all good since it turns with the starter try turning it over with a wrench on the front of the crank. If it will go completely around you could then try slowly pulling it. This would help get some oil pumped up into the engine in general.
Don't just change parts check things out.

It is a shame that the tractor set out side. I bet the paint was still pretty good until then. Do not let that tractor get away form you. You will treasure it as you get older. Having that picture of you being small on that tractor is priceless.

As for the tractor starting. I would not give up on the starter just yet. Like the other poster said, I would start by cleaning all the battery cable connections. Truthfully all the connections you can easily get to should be cleaned. Then get a good battery. Install it with clean connections. See if it will crank over that way. If it just clicks MAKE sure the tractor is in neutral first!!!!, then jump the starter solenoid and see if it cranks that way. You could easily have wiring issues down stream that are keeping it from cranking. This tractor does not have an electric shut off. So if you get it started you can at least drive it to the barn/garage. The trouble shoot any issues it has under cover.

If you want to talk shoot me an email and I will gladly give you my cell number to call. Be glad to talk you through getting it running.

Dylan, I have an excellent manual I'll give you, just email me your address if you want it ..

thank yall for the quick responses,i actually have a video of what the tractor is doing when you turn the key,i think if i could get that posted it would really help yall determine the problem.However im having trouble getting the video to actually upload.I will get some eletronics cleaner and give everything a good cleaning and then charge the battery and see if anything helps..

I sent you an email,thanks so much!

Welcome Dylan. I agree with the advice of working through this systematcticly one step at a time. Two things that have been said I especially agree with. Unless you know how to test the old battery after charging,try and temporarly install a known good battery and keep it charged until this is figured out. If you have something capaible of pulling the tractor (AND) you have experience with pull starting,pulling it to turn engine over a few times might lub the cylinders and make the starter's job easier. Be aware that a perfectly good starter can be quickly ruined by cranking for more than a few minutes. Let it cool after cranking a few minutes. DO NOT LET ANYONE TALK YOU INTO USING STARTING FLUID,,,,NOW OR EVER ON ANY DIESEL. Starting fluid can destroy a diesel engine in a heartbeat. Hopfully someone familiar with this engine will tell you how to drain old fuel,put in fresh fuel,bleed system and replace fuel filter because that should be done before going any farther.

Dylan, don't let anyone talk you into starting it by towing until you have established that all of the systems are healthy and it needs only more cranking. Very serious damage can be done to machines by towing. Many trucks and machines are built and shipped with ether injection systems. It is a legitimate tool for help in starting many diesel engines, but it must be done properly. When used correctly it can help to prevent other damage.

Welcome Dylan!

I bet we can talk you through this and have the old Ferguson running in a day or two!

You said the battery cables were replaced. Do you know what gauge wire they are? A common mistake is to put automotive cables on a diesel. They are too small. You need 1/0 or 0 gauge, typically available at a truck or equipment supply. They can custom make them to your length.

As for the battery, slow charge it overnight. Check the voltage off the charger. It should be 12.6 volts. If it didn't come up, or falls off after a few hours, it's probably bad. Take it in and have it load tested, they can tell you the condition quickly and accurately.

Same thing goes for a diesel battery, you need a high cranking amp battery, the higher the better as long as it will fit the battery box.

Be careful cranking on it with a low battery. Not good for the starter. The solenoid may be damaged if it was smoking. If it heats up with a good battery and cables, and still turns slow, replace it.

I would not replace the starter with a new one. The original is rebuildable and a better starter than a new import aftermarket.

Let us know...

That's A Great Picture. Dave F.54

Update!As we speak the battery is charging however I think the battery and battery cables could be playing a big part of the problem,I don?t think the battery has enough CCA the battery reads 700 CCA and I?ve heard and read online I may need a bigger battery,secondly I think the red(postive) battery cable is too small i noticed its significantly smaller than the negative I?ll let y?all see what you think...The positive cable reads 4AWG SAE J1127 I know the other cable is right for the tractor as it is very big and the serial number starts with aco I?m asumming stands for the AGCO company

Guys I got the tractor running today!and she runs good has great oil pressure...I rewired 70% of the tractor and is done right trust me I crimped and heat shrank everything and did everything one wire at a time,the starter and alternator have brand new wires and so does many other parts on the tractor,I put a 1 gauge battery cable for a ford tractor that I found at Napa the really friendly guys helped me out there I put all the wires on and that charged battery and she fired right up

Congratulations Dylan on getting it started, and for listening to suggestions, and not just buying expensive parts!!! Yes, that cable could have been the primary problem. It would be like trying to mow your lawn with a 1/4 inch hose. Thanks for posting back.

There was also some very badly damaged wires for
the alternator and starter that had rubbed up
against the streering column under the battery tray,it
was metal on metal they could have been grounding
out .....