Did massey ferguson ever build a tractor with a 3 cylinder gas engine?

Matt Shade

Matt Shade

Joined
Nov 24, 1999
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Alright, I know there's a few guys here into tractors. I've been workin on an old massey at work lately. Spent about 4 hours tuning it up this week after a few idiots gave it a once over and it went from running badly, to hardly running. They claim it was "running like a sewing machine" when they were done, but all the same I had my work cut out for me :rolleyes:
I got curios about exactly what I was dealing with and if there was anything I could do to make things a little better. So I got to looking around at some stuff online and now I'm really puzzled.
The tractor appears to be a Massey Ferguson 135, several people are in agreement on this. The puzzler is that it has a 3 cylinder engine that runs on gasoline. I've been told (yelled at even) that its a perkins engine.
Well from what I saw on www.tractordata.com ....massey never built a tractor with a 3 cylinder gas engine. All the 3 cylinders were perkins motors and they were diesels . All the gas engines were made by contintental(also a couple chrysler)and were 4 cylinders.
So I'm wondering what the hell I'm even working on now, and whether a guy could even get distributor points or anything for it if he wanted to (this tractor has 5000 hours on it, and needs a little TLC!)
The fact that it doesn't appear to be a factory configuration becomes even more suspect when you look at some parts on the motor. The air cleaner and carburator are hooked together with a length of (2" or so diameter) rubber hose, held on with strap type pipe clamps (like you use with plastic push together pipe fittings) The fuel line coming from the tank to the carburator is peiced together..... metal line from tank, and metal line from carburator, hooked together with a hunk of rubber hose, and more clamps. Intake manifold and all appear to be a perfrect match though. And knowing the way things have been done around this place, it really wouldn't surprise me if some ******* cobbled something together.

So I guess my main questions are, did massey ever use a 3 cylinder gas engine? and if so, was it made by perkins?
Anyone have any idea whats going on here?
 
Maybe you're pouring gas into a diesel engine. That would explain why it's not running well.
 
Chuck, it wouldn't have a carb if it was a Diesel.

I wonder if its an old boat engine, a lot of them are weird numbers like 3 or 5 cylinders.
 
We have had one of the three cylinder diesels around here since about 1968, so I have just naturally been aware of these little Masseys for a while, and have never seen a three cylinder gas engine in one. FWIW
 
Matt, I have no idea, the only thing I know about Massey Ferguson is how to start one up and drive it. My father however has an old Massey Ferguson that he has just finished rebuilding. Do you know where I could get an old manual for him? I got a Tractor Supply Company reprint, but he says its lacking some of the information he needs. Any ideas?
 
If you know the model number you can order a reprint of the original manual at www.tractordata.com . They list some of the nebraska test info, and basic specs on just about every tractor ever made on their site, and sell manuals for them all as well :D
 
First of all, what I know about rebuilding tractors wouldn't go too far, so I don't know what is REALLY going on.

I googled "3 cylinder gas perkins MF 135" and came up with a good bit of info.
http://www.tractorpartsinc.com/engine_short_block_r1198951_3050_prd1.htm
http://www.dwsmotormachine.biz/mfhtfp.htm

http://www.classicag.com/muff/mfmf.html
About halfway down the page "135 early model with perkins 3 cylinder gas & diesel engine exhaust pipe. For hortizonal exhaust. Used with 180364M91 & 505545M92 mufflers
A 507518M92"


So I would say yes there is such a creature, what to do with it is getting beyond me without being there to really mess it up.:D
 
Thanks guys :cool:
Guess I needed to do more googling, the link from thatmguy cinches it. Its apparently a late model 135 with the perkins gas engine.I'm surprised they didn't show that on tractordata.com ....seems to be a pretty detailed site Really sucks that my boss was right on it being a perkins :grumpy: Course if he's that smart he might have known better then to turn the fuel line clear open on the carburator to make it idle better :rolleyes: :mad: .
It had been running too rich to begin with and fouled the plugs out in no time. I had to pull them, and clean them, then I also adjusted the linkage on the throttle lever so it would consistently pull the throttle back (had a lot of play in it), adjusted the choke cable so that it wasn't choked permanently (some ******* thinks they have to pull the damn thing out 6 inches to choke it :mad: ), and adjusted the idle screw so that the thing would idle.

It runs great now aside from getting a little rough as you change rpms. I think cleaning the carburetor and putting a new set of distibutor points, and maybe a condenser on it would make it seem like a new tractor. I guess only time will tell on how long until it fouls the plugs, or some idiot messes with it though :grumpy:
 
I own a 1968 Massey That has a 3 cylinder Perkins gas motor.
I have had it for over 15 years it stars ever time and it is a great little tractor
Keep good plugs in it and don’t leave the key on when it stops running, the points will weld together
And then it will start running ruff and popping. I am changing mine out now because of that.
Good luck
 
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