Vintage Massey Ferguson 135 .com

Restoring A Massey Ferguson 135

Webmaster — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:38:20 +0000

Restoring an old tractor is a long process which starts with the mechanical aspects. This may be a full engine rebuild, hydraulic refurbishment, or it could just be a case of replacing a few oil seals. All these jobs need to be done first, as there is no point in making all the paintwork good to then have either oil running down the new paintwork or having to go back and undertake repairs which then damage the paint.

Preparation and painting is done as the tractor is re-assembled. I was reminded of this as I watched this MF135 restoration from youtube…

A Detailed Look At A Massey Ferguson 135 Tractor

Webmaster — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:16:24 +0000

This vide (bottom of page) gives a detailed look at a Massey Ferguson 135 tractor. It has a Mill loader fitted with a bucket level indicator. The bucket used to be a trip loader but now it has been converted to hydraulic crowd operated by spool valves. There is a diverter valve on top of the hydraulic cover so that the oil supply can either be routed towards the loader or the rear linkage.

It has a solid cab with rubber trim but the tractor is in need of foot plates. It also has the delux seat and the gentleman has a sales brochure to use as a reference.

And with 4241 genuine hours on the clock the engine should be good for many years yet. Unfortunately, although the tin work is straight, there is a lot of rust and rot on the cab.

Like many 135′s it has a T-bar fitted for the pick up hitch and the owner has made a concrete weight to balance the loader (to the same dimensions as an original one). The tractor is used for the usual sort of jobs such as topping grass and running a sawbench.

The owner has made a nice little video which talks through the tractor at a nice pace. Worth a little watch.

Massey Ferguson 135 Restoration Video

Webmaster — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 09:58:40 +0000

This video shows the restoration of a Massey Ferguson 135. Stripping down, painting and reassembling.

Anyone who has undertaken the task of a full tractor restoration will know the time involved. Many, many nights and weekends are taken up in sheds all over the world for tractor restoration projects. But it’s worth it!

For anyone who want to see a full length double disc DVD on restoring a MF135 then the Reborn Tractor 135 Restoration DVD is well worth a look.

Massey Ferguson 135 Serial Numbers

Webmaster — Thu, 13 May 2010 10:16:47 +0000

YEAR	SERIAL NUMBER
1964	641000001
1965	641001909
1966	641014871
1967	9A10001
1968	9A39836
1969	9A63158
1970	9A87325
1971	9A107519
1972	9A128141
1973	9A152025
1974	9A182761
1975	9A207681

These are the starting serial numbers for the Massey Ferguson 135 for each year of build. Production ran for 11 years between 1964 and 1975, with many of the tractors still in use on farm today. The tractor identification plate that has the serial number stamped on is located on the instrument panel, just below the steering wheel.

The majority of tractos built for the UK and market used the Perkins AD3.152 engine which was well liked for its good starting performance. There is no mistaking the noise of the 45.5hp engine as it is working around the farm yard.

Ferguson 135

Webmaster — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:27:42 +0000

The Massey Ferguson 135 is a popular tractor. In fact it is one of the most popular tractors for vintage and classic enthusiasts. So today I did a bit of research into what people are searching for on the internet when they are looking for information on this tractor. Here are some of the terms people are typing in…

ferguson 135
massey ferguson 135
MF135
MF 135
ferguson 135 tractor
ferguson MF 135
massey ferguson MF135
135 MF
massey furguson 135
massey 135
tractor 135
135 tractors
perkins 135
massey ferusson 135
massey ferguson tractor 135
masey ferguson 135

…and a whole host of other spellings of the tractor name!!!

People are also searching for spares, second hand, for sale, cabs, loaders, 4WD, parts, tyres, etc. etc. One thing that’s for certain is that lots of people are searching the internet for these tractor – and no wonder, they are great little tractors. They are still in use on thousands of farms as a daily workhorse, starting on the coldest of days and really proving their worth.

If you have a 135 then please leave a comment in the box below, tell us what you use your tractor for and if you like the fergie.

MF 135 Stopped Charging Battery

Webmaster — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:55:18 +0000

We’ve had a question from Gary, who asks about his Massey Ferguson 135 dynamo, as the electrical system isn’t charging the tractor battery. Here is what Gary says…

I have a MF135 with a diesel engine.It has stopped charging the battery and wondered if you could tell me how to check to see if the dynamo and other components are working correctly to find out what is wrong.The tractor is used on a working farm daily as it is ideal to get in the small byres.

Thank you

Gary W.

Hi Gary,

We have written a page on how to test the dynamo on the Vintage Tractor Engineer Site…

Testing a 12V Dynamo

…also from there you can see a link to the MF35 wiring diagram, which is similar to yours (but positive earth instead of negative).

Just a few questions for you to think about

Do the lights work? When you turn on the lights does this show a minus current? Because if the ampmeter does not show a discharge during electricuse (eg lights on) then it is likely that the charging does not work for the same reason – the reason been that it is possible that the ampmeter has gone faulty. When this happens the battery cannot charge.
Are your battery leads and wiring loom OK. If it is turning the starter
motor over OK then battery leads should be OK.
Is the wiring loom OK. Often the earth lead comes off the regulator box (or breaking through at some point).

Hope this helps.

Kind Regards,

The MF135 Team.

Wheels And Grill Paint Colour, Massey Ferguson 135

Webmaster — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:49:35 +0000

People are often asking which colour the wheels and grill should be on the Massey Ferguson 135 tractor.

All the 100 series tractors used silver mist for the wheels and grill. Both the wheel centres and the rims were painted silver mist, but not the hub cap on the front axle or the axle end of the rear axle.

There does seem to be an increasing number of tractors been restored and having the wheel centres painted red. This colour scheme does look good and this colour scheme is on one of the original brochures I have seen for the 135. Red wheel centres does seem to be common on the tractors exported to Canada and Austrlia (to name two countries where a reasonably large number of these tractors went to).

Which Grade Of Engine Oil, Massey Ferguson 135?

Webmaster — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:31:27 +0000

When changing the engine oil in the Massey 135 with a Perkins AD3-152 engine, it is essential to use the correct oil. The type of oil chosen does depend on the climate, but the modern multi-grade oils make this much easier.

For normal temperate climates (0 to 25 degrees C) most people use a 15W40 multigrade oil. If however, the tractor is in a cold climate, then 10W30 is more common. In climates such as Canada, where the summer and winter temperature extremes are so wide, it is often necessary to change the oil between summer and winter.

Radiator, Massey Ferguson 135

Webmaster — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:52:05 +0000

If your radiator is damaged then there are three options.

You can simply try a radiator sealer which you just follow the manufacturers instructions and pour into your system. These chemicals tend to have mixed results and will certainly not work with a large leak. Personally my experience of these products is one of dissapointment.
Re-core. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having your radiator re-cored. Other than the cost!! You can ring for a quote, but this tends to be an expensive process and usually only worthwhile with a large or expensive radiator.
Replace with a new radiator. The radiators for the MF135 are produced in sufficiently large numbers to make them quite cheap to buy in comparrison with a re-core. Compare radiator prices.

Water Temperature Gauge, Massey Ferguson 135

Webmaster — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:17:47 +0000

The water temperature gauges can sometimes go wrong and a replacement is necessary. If you are looking to maintain originallity then you will probaby need to look for a second hand gauge, as the outer detailing is often different to the original.

New gauges are not expensive at approximately £12. If yours in broken then replacing it is definately a good idea, as a boiling engine can warp the head and create a lot of expense. Check to make sure your radiator is clean. If it is clogged with dirt then it will need blowing out with an airline. If an airline will not move the dirt then you may need to remove the radiator and pressure hose the dirt out. Just be careful if you are pressure hosing the radiator. The fins are very delicate and you do not want to damage the core.

Other things to check are the thermostat, water pump and the flow of water through the radiator. If you take off the bottom hose and fill the top from a hosepipe then the flow of water through the radiator whould be able to take the water from the hosepipe without it backing up and spilling out of the filler (that’s an approximate guide). Also check the radiator cap – the rubber seal should be intact and serviceable, otherwise the presure (and hence temperature of the water) will be incorrect.