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We are often asked how the multi power system on models such as the Massey Ferguson 65, 135, 165 etc. works. What really seems to intrigue people is that the engine braking system works when in high multi-power, but there is no engine braking when in low multi-power………
With the multi-power system there is one hydraulic clutch pack and also a ratchet type assembly. When in low multi the hydraulic clutch is dissengaged and the drive goes through a pair of gears into a ratchet clutch which takes the drive to the gearbox. There is no engine breaking in low multi because of the ratchet clutch. When you move the transmission to high multi it locks up the hydraulic clutch and the hydraulic clutch gear drives another gear. Because the drive is now turning faster than through the low-multi ratchet clutch, this now becomes a free-wheeling device. It is for this reason that there is engine braking in high multi power, but no engine braking in low multi power.
This is also why if you are in high multi going up a hill and you depress the clutch pedal that whilst in gear no roll-back can occur because of the ratchet clutch. ie. both systems are locked together. The hydraulic multi-power clutch is not torque converter, but is merely a multi-plate hydraulically operated clutch pack. The good thing about this is that there is no loss of power through to the gearbox.
The clutch is a conventional clutch and so is the 3 speed gearbox.
I have a MF1250 articulated tractor (1982) with the multipower feature. It is advisable to operate in high for all work and only change to low when the going suddenly gets tougher, such as having to turn up a hill or strike a bit of hard ground while ploughing. The reason for this is that when in high, some of the oil that operates the clutch is used to lubricate several parts of the gearbox internally. When low is selected, this lubrication ceases, but it is OK to stay in low for short periods of time. The most common reason for the multipower to stay in low is a loss of the pressure necessary to operate the clutch. The clutch is spring loaded to the low setting by default and it is the pressure being applied that changes it to high. If the clutch is slipping, this could also be lack of pressure, but just as likely, worn clutch plates.
Gary
I have a Massey 135 66′ with a perkins diesel engine, my multi power doesn’t work ( it stuck in low position ( no engien braking ) I inspect all my linkage and all working properly exept the rod getting the trans. seems to be loose. There is a place where i can take a oil pressure reading before disassemble all
Have recently purchased a restored, french built (’59) 35x. Can you advise me on the correct way to engage the diff-lock ?
Hi Robin,
I’m not entirely certain. However, the multi-power gearboxes are 3 gears (x 2 with the multi-power) whereas the standard gearbox tractors have 4 gears. As a result I think the standard gearbox tractors tend to be lower geared.
I was going to suggest looking for a tractor with creeperbox in the Lincolnshire region (England), but see you are in Canada!
Steve.
Hi, I am looking at a 165 high clearance with multipower for my vegetable operation. I am wondering if multipower in low would be slower than the regular gear speed. I could really use a tractor with creeper for pulling a transplanter, but if the multipower allows for slower speeds it might do the trick. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Robin Turner
Any specs you need on Tractors can be found at http://www.tractordata.com.
Hope this helps
Hi Steve
I have been looking at 245-255 M-F tractors andd the question is your opinion on multipower.At the local deler they cringe at multi power on a used tractor,saying if it was not maintained it will cost $$$ to repair.Would you be afraid of multipower and how would you test it out on the tractor to know its condition.
thanks
I am trying to confirm if 1st gear on a Massey 65 will be slow enough for running my tiller. Where can I find the rated speeds for various gears of the Massey 65? Thanks.
Hi, a friend brought over his Massey 135 to try on my corn picker/sheller unit i recently bought. When we hooked the PTO Shaft up the tractor would not engage, when it finally did engage it shut the tractor down, we unhooked it restarted the tractor and everything ran and turned as normal, re hooked the PTO and same thing, couldnt get it too engage. Since it wasnt my tractor i was unfamiliar how it works. Any ideas? does it have to do with a dual stage clutch? Now that i think of it i am unsure if we had it in high or low range, but we were trying to engage into engine speed, for a live pto. What do you think?
Hi have multipower 165 notice that its slipping when in high up hill along road also that it takes time to engage would like to know is it in clutch pack or in multipower in gearbox thanks for any help mark
Hello
I have bought a MF 135 with the multi power.
The multi power is not working, and there is no brake from the motor.
Is it possible to disconect the multi power pump, and use it without?
Thanks in advance.
I have a 72 MF 135 with MP. Tractor lurches a little bit when I put it into gear. Also tends to grind gears on occasion. Just curious if this sounds like a clutch out of adjustment or clutch on way out?
Thanks Steve
Dave
Ontario Canada
I just was meaning that the tractor speed will change when you shift from low up to high (in which ever gear you are in).
Steve.
Thanks Steve, but I’m still a little unsure about multi-power. As mentioned, it’s clear the benefits and application of multi-power high. I’m assuming since Multi-power has a low option as well, their must be benefits to it as well. Right now, I really can’t see where someone would want to use low. Are you saying that in Low, I can shift gears without the clutch as one potential benefit? Or are you saying when I swing from multi high to multi low the tractor speed will change? Or am I wrong on both counts?
I really appreciate your help on this.
Hi Scott,
As you point out, there are certain characteristics that are useful when in high multi, and these benefits are not available to the driver when in low multi.
The advantage of having the choice of low and high multi-power is simply the clutchless gear change. For example if you are harvesting potatoes and the soil conditions change in a different area of the field then it is likely that you would wish to pull the harvester faster that part of the field. Multi-power gives the driver the ability to change speed without depressing the clutch pedal.
Steve
I tried to ask this earlier, but it did not appear page. I hope I’m not asking twice. Regardless–the benefits of multi-power in high seem very apparent. Under what conditions would a person want to run multi- power low?
I’m still at little confused (imagine that). I have multi-power in my MF 1085, and in “high”, it’s crazy how well it maintains speed down VERY steel inclines and also how it holds the tractor when the clutch is depressed. My question is, when would I want to use the “low” multi-power setting.
Thanks!!!
hi i fixed my massey 65, i took off the hydraulic pump cover, and there is the main drive shaft, this shaft is connected together with a sliding connector and has a split pin through it, the split pin was broken and the shaft connector had slid forward and was just spinning! this could be the answer to canrads problem! if the multi power on my tractor has gone what exactly needs to be replaced and roughly how much? is the rod that goes into the transmission just a valve for the hydraulic hose that goes to the pump or is it a machanical system? the tractor drives very well in all gears hi and low but when i slide the multi power lever up or down it doesnt do anything? thanks mark.
hi i have just bought a MF 65 not sure of the year but it has multi-power, how do you tell the mk1 from the mk2? anyway, it runs fine, but when you put it into gear it wont drive, it will go in gear with with a little grinding without the clutch while it is running, but im sure the clutch is ok because you can engage the pto, and when you release the clutch the pto fires up, ive been told it has a double clutch in it though. ive also been told that if the multi power has gone, it will still drive in low, so it cant be this, i have started to remove the plate that has the gear levers on it to see if i can find the problem, has anybody got any advise, many thanks, mark.
Re: MF 165 Multipower.
Please can you give me some guidance on troubleshooting my Multipower Trans without first having to split the tractor? It is permanently in LOW and therefore unsafe on hills (my farm is VERY hilly!). Thanks very much.
Sincerely,
John Balcomb
Forestville, Ca.
707 321 4264
MF165
I have gear oil leaking from the outside axle on to the rear tire. How hard is this to fix and what should I look for doing it or how much should I expect to pay if someone else does it?
ED
MF165 Multi power shift.
Can someone tell me what posistion I should leave the shift selector in for normal useage. This was my dads tractor and he told me to leave it in one or the other due to something not getting the proper oiling if left out for long time. I don’t remember if he said in H or L. I don’t want to tear it up because it works great. I would assume he said leave it in H because it runs the pump. Any help on this? Also when is the perfect time or use that I would need to shift it?
Thanks in advance,
ED
HI Steve..
hope u can help me here…. iam looking for a multi power pump for a mark2 massey 65…proving very hard to find in ireland…can u help in any way …
thank u ..
Hi conrad – I saw your post and said i’d reply, im more familiar with the 65’s / 165’s, im guessing one of 2 possible issues causing this
1. is your tractor going into neutral ok – can you select all the gears? if not you may have a selector issue
2. with the tractor in neutral and the brake off, roll the machine back and fourth – if it wont roll there is an issue with one of the torque converters (big lumps just inside the back hubs)
Best of luck
Hi Steve
Hope you can help me…
I live in South Africa and bought a MF35 a couple of years ago from a friend. It is a very old model, not sure what year, but it has an H/S/L gearlever and R/1/2/3 gearlever. PTO is engaged by a lever on the left side of the seat.
The tractor worked fine until recently, now it does not want to move even if I put it into gear, the PTO however does turn when engaged. Any idea what can be wrong?
Your help will be appreciated.
Thanks
Conrad
Hi Terry, good to hear from you,
Hmmm, well I’m not quite sure but there are a couple of things I can think of.
Constant tapping of the engine components (particularly if the shells have been worn and loose) can cause magnetism, so that could be the most likely reason.
Also machining of components during manufacture can also cause magnetism. Although if you are experiencing this an several of the engine components then I would guess at the former reason.
If anyone else has other views then let us know here in the comments.
Steve (VTE)
Hello Steve
I recently overhauled a Fordson Power major engine and when I was fitting the bearing shells I noticed there was magnetism between the con rods and the back of the shells as they are steel backed shells.When I checked on other parts of the engine ie crankshaft main bearing caps I noticed these parts had some degree of magnetism also. Any explanation why
Dromonedog
Moe and others,
This isn’t a major problem scrap the heap of complications and invest in a fordson major, problem solved!!
I have a Massey 165 with a Perkins engine. The multipower was working great and has for years…but one day I was using the tractor and it stopped working. I have looked at the linkage and it appears to be working properly as it enters the top of the transmission. What can I do? Is this a major problem? THANKS for you help.
Hello,
I’ve looked in the belly of the tractor, and there was no MP pump! No wonder it didn’t work. So now I want to buy a MP pump for the 35x, but does anybody know the serial number of that pump? And are there any differences between a mp pump for a 35- 65-135?
Best regards,
Davy DC
I bought a 135 this time last year and the multipower was going well on it. On the road it was like giving it another 20% speed. Now it’s stopped working. I put it in Hi and it makes no difference. But I don’t notice any problems with descending hills. Could it be stuck in multipower Hi?
The transmission in my 135 appears to be working fine, but I must have the clutch in for the engine to start-if the clutch is engaged there’s a load on the engine and it won’t turn over. Once it’s started and I engage the clutch the engine bogs down under load, but I’m in neutral and not going anywhere! Suggestions?
Hi,
I have a massey 135 model year 1974.Sometimes it will get stuck in gear. I shown to take the sae plug out on the top and knock the shifter coller back. This gets to be a pain and wondering if there is a fix for it. I just traded our 1955 TO-35 to a friend for the tractor.He was the one that showed me trick to get it unstuck.
Thanks.
Craig
Hi Stephen,
Would you be interested in selling the MF135 multipower, if so call me 0035386 2413707.
hello i have 1979 135 mp it is in the low at all times the linkage is working and i have changed the outside filter regulary it only has 2200 hrs what could be the problem thanks
Hello,
I have a 35x with Multi Power, but the Multi Power doesn’t work anymore. I’ve bought the tractor 5 years ago,and I’ve never saw it work, It was broken down before I bought it. What can be wrong,an what can I do to fix it, without seperating the belly of the tractor? On the annatefka site, they said the MP filter could be dirty. But can you clean this through the inspection holes on the side of the tractor? And what are the other possible things that I could do?
Thank you.
Best regards,
Davy
My 65 has multipower, but has a fault, when under load ie going up hill it drops into
low ,any one know the problem
Phil.
i have a massey 135 with mulipower that is stuck in reverse any idea on how to get it unstuck. have tried rocking back and forth and towing in forward and reverse?
steve i sent you a email at the last email adress .i have gone back out and looked the m/power .the likage looks like it moves under the dash but moves real easy like ti is not hooked up .does it go into the side of the trans? need to look closer and if i couled please see if you can send me pic of a lay out . or a webb site that shows this.thanks once more for all of your time . paul
Hi Paul,
Sorry, have been away for a couple of days and only just seen your message. Obviously I have missed the Thursday ‘deadline’ when you were travelling to the farm.
How did you get on? Was it just a problem with the linkage, or did all the linikage appear to be working fine and therefore is it an internal problem with the mechanics of the system?
We have sometimes seen tractors that have had a replacement dash panel with a multi-power lever fitted, but no multi-power fitted to the original transmisssion. However, this has usually been on older tractors like the MF35X, which don’t have a cab and have been left outside and the dash has rotted.
Let us know if the lever + linkage are all working OK and if it is therefore an internal problem. It is a long time since we have been inside a 165 (as we mainly work on 35’s), but we may be able to advise.
Kind Regards (and apollogies for not getting back to you before you went ot the farm on Thursday),
Steve.
steve i emailed you last week abouta 2nd question i understand that you have other work on plate. if you can get back to me be for this thursday for i plan to go to the farm and work on the tractor . sorry for pushing you on this but its 80 miles and i like to have more info before i make the trip thanks once more for your time paul noel
thanks steve i have one more question. last week first let me back up the tractor is 80 miles from where i live . but last week i tried to use it and i put the tractor in 2nd gear and then moved the lever up and down no change in rpm or speed did i not do this right also this tractor only has 1,600 hrs it is like new could the cable not be hooked up ? i will go out to the farm in the next few days . any thing i should look for? thank you for geting back with me so fast any help with this prob is appreciated thanks paul noel
Hi Paul,
You can basically use it as and when you wish in any gear. There are a few things to look out for though.
If the system is old and becoming worn then the multi-power can slip. It will only slip in High, so if there is a problem then (happens as soon as the oil gets warm) just shift back down into Low as it can not slip in low.
Sometimes it is difficult to change gear (main gear stick) when in High, so you need to change down into Low multi in order to change gear.
There is NO ENGINE BREAKING WHEN IN LOW MULTI. If you are descending a hill then select High and an appropriate gear before descent.
If the system is all working OK then there is no reason why you should not be in either Low or High when pulling hard such as when ploughing.
Steve VTE.
i have a 1966 m/f 165 with the multi-power shift lever on the dash please get me up to speed on when and how to use it thanks for any help paul
Hi,
If your tractor has multi power then it will have a lever on the dash. When you move the lever the tractor changes gear (up or down). You do not need to depress the clutch pedal for this gear shift to work.
Steve VTE.
what exactly is Multipower and how do you know you have it on your tractor? I have a MF 165 and am intrigued by the multipower and i want to know more about it
Hi Herb,
Multi-power was an option.
Hi Steve,
My dashboard has the holes and slits, but no levers or cables. Was multi-power an option, or was it standard on all 135’s?
Thanks
Herb
Hi Herb,
Multi-power is the change-on-the-move gear shift operated by the handle on the dashboard. So if you can select a ‘half’ gear without clutching then you have got multi-power.
Beware, there is no engine braking when in low-multi. So take care when descending hills etc.
Steve.
How do I know if my 135 has multi-power? It is a 3 cylinder Perkins gas.