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Just wondering if the Massey Ferguson 35 in the DVD is yours and if you still have it? What sort of money does a tractor like the one you rebuilt make? Will the 35 start in the summer and winter without any heat? What size is the swirl chamber in the head bored to, is this bored bigger to let more diesel in? Is there any difference in the diesel pump of the Gold Belly and the red/grey 4 cylinder? One last question, did you get the injector pump of the tractor on DVD refurbished.
Regards,N M.
Hi there,
Thanks for your questions.
Grinding out the inlet hole doesn’t let any more diesel in. Fuel supply is controlled by the injection pump.
Yes the inlet hole to the swirl chamber has been ground slightly bigger on the tractor we used for the DVD. The thing to watch is that the hole is not ground too large so that the head gasket does not seal around it. Grinding the hole larger has the effect of allowing the compression gasses to enter the chamber with more ease, therefore making it easier for the starter motor to turn the engine over. Hopefully the starter can turn the engine over more quickly and thus start the engine easier. Once the cylinder has fired the larger swirl chamber inlet hole allows the gas mixture to explode and exit into the cylinder more efficiently – making for a smoother running engine.
The tractor in the DVD starts without any heat when it is warm. From a cold start in winter the tractor requires about 25 seconds of heat to start. The tractor then starts well.
We had the injectors serviced, but not the pump. The pumps are the same on the Gold Belly as on the Red/Grey. Saying that, we have one reader on the website (with a vineyard model I think) that owns a ‘35 with a Lavalette Brevete pump.
The tractor wasn’t our own, but belonged to a customer/neighbour. The owner of the tractor did all the tin and paint work, while we were doing the engine and clutch. The bonnet was very straight, was resprayed and came up looking superb. The mudguards needed new skins and the owner insisted on having the extension type, but to my mind the tractor should have had the original type – maybe he was thinking of the safety aspect.
The tractor in the DVD was a great little project to be involved in and we really enjoyed doing it. As you will be able to see from the DVD cover, the tractor now looks superb – difficult to believe it is the same machine. We have a 3 cylinder ‘35 of our own which we have owned since new (1962). You can’t fault the 3 cylinder Perkins engine, but after completing the rebuild on the 4 cylinder Standard engine the 4 cylinder sounds so sweet.
As for the value of the tractor now – I would have thought somewhere between £3,500 and £4,000. Actually it could be worth towards the top of that range (or even over), as it has had the clutch and engine rebuilt (and there’s video evidence to prove it!). I believe that the tractor stood the owner at about £3,000 after all the costs – although credit due to the gentleman, because he didn’t skimp on anything. We rebuilt the engine for free for him in return for been able to film it.
Regards,
Steve.
Hi ive run mf35s with 23c engines for 40 years,what most people seem to forget,like any machine they do require proper maintenance,also origanaly mf35s had 2 batteries.2 6 volt 650 amp hr coupled in series,ie 1300 amps,when new these spun the engines over well and they started.
My present 35 with 23c engine is used regulary and has 10346 hrs on the original untouched engine,the starter was rebuilt about 15 years ago,but with 8 volt windings ,it never fails to start.This cured starting problems with commer walk throughs and bantams with 23c engines.
Best regards George.