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Last week we got called out to a Massey Ferguson 230, which works as a scraper tractor on a large dairy farm. The tractor gets used daily, and it’s very much a working machine.

The cross shaft had worn through its bushes and into the casting of the hydraulic top cover. Seemingly it had been like this for some time!

Eventually, the internal hydraulic control linkages and draft control became so worn that the whole system stopped functioning.

Although the cross shaft had worn through the bushes, it was still possible to locate the original positioning of the bushes, so it was milled out, a sleeve fitted and new bushes fitted. The cross shaft was a slightly too tight fit, so a small amount was honed off the bushes, debris blown out with airline, then the cross shaft fitted back in. The cross shaft needs to be able to rotate freely enough so the linkage arms can drop under their own weight.

A simple home-made puller helped to pull the bushes into their correct position.

This happened to be a Massey Ferguson 230 tractor, but the top cover is very similar on the MF35, 100 series, 200 series, 300 series, 500 series and even the TE20 tractors.

After renovating the control linkages – the tractor was back to work.

Here’s a few photos of the top cover…

Using a puller to gently pull the bushes into position
Gently easing in the new bushes using a home-made puller.
Close up of the puller working on the bushes
Puller fitted against the top cover
‘Fixed’ end of the puller, against the casting.
Massey Ferguson 230 or 240 hydraulic top cover, undergoing refurbishment
Bushes fitted.
Sleeve fitted to worn hydraulic top cover of MF230 or 240 tractor
Close up photo of the standard bush fitted inside the sleeve – that had been pressed into the casting to take up the wear.
Honing the new bushes, so the cross shaft rotated freely, MF 230 or 240 tractor
The sleeves and bushes needed to be a good tight fit. We’d just slightly over done it, so the cross shaft was just a little too tight. A quick hone, and blow out with an airline to remove the debris, then it was just right!
Cross shaft, to fit linkage arms to. MF tractor
Remember there is a master spline.
Inserting cross shaft back into hydraulic top cover of MF230 or MF240 tractor

More Resources:-

Massey Ferguson 35 Hydraulics, Troubleshooting and Repair Video

Ferguson TE-20 Hydraulics Video

Tractor Link Arms Will Not Lower

Bracket For Hydraulic Top Cover Removal