Ferguson 35 won't lift

muddle84

Hi Folks,
I have a Massey ferguson 35 that I use for general duties around my fathers small farm. It runs well and is regularly serviced.
Lately the lift has started giving trouble. It lifts fine when she starts but when the tractor warms up it struggles to lift any weight without revving it flat out.
Has anyone any ideas what could be the problem?
Oh I also changed the o-rings on the stand pipe so its not that!!

Thelostcountry

have you changed your backend oil recently??


Sound like your hydraulic pump needs a rebuild.

muddle84

Thelostcountry wrote: »

have you changed your backend oil recently??


Sound like your hydraulic pump needs a rebuild.

Yes about three months ago. I change it every year!. Is it a big job to rebuild the pump??

case956tom

muddle84 wrote: »

Yes about three months ago. I change it every year!. Is it a big job to rebuild the pump??

pumps are handy enough to rebuild any mf dealer will have the parts.

muddle84

Thats good to hear. I will have a look around and online too. So onto my next question, is it difficult to remove the pump? I'm guessing you life the top plate under the seat and it should be there? or is it in the bottom of the gearbox,in which case will I have to drain the oil?

case956tom

muddle84 wrote: »

Thats good to hear. I will have a look around and online too. So onto my next question, is it difficult to remove the pump? I'm guessing you life the top plate under the seat and it should be there? or is it in the bottom of the gearbox,in which case will I have to drain the oil?

hyd top cover off, the top shaft that drives the pinion has to come out just pull out the split pin or nail as i have seen in themjust pull the solid shaft towards the back it will come out easly,you will have to drain the oil cause the pto shaft has to come out,theres two dowels holding the pump with two 13mm nust each have to come out.heres a pic of them.

muddle84

Right sounds like it will take a while so I better clean out the shed and make space. Is there anything else that could be causing this problem? I dont want to buy the repair kit and open it up to find its something else.
Or am I better off opening it up and see whats what before I buy anything

case956tom

muddle84 wrote: »

Right sounds like it will take a while so I better clean out the shed and make space. Is there anything else that could be causing this problem? I dont want to buy the repair kit and open it up to find its something else.
Or am I better off opening it up and see whats what before I buy anything

it would be better to pulling the lift cover first,also when your in there check the lift ram piston seals its cylinder is bolted to the underside of the lift cover and change any o rings on anything that has been removed but you prob know that anyway,ive seen pumps blow uot the valves in the pump chambers even when spot welded in but this is very unusual.heres pump kits on e bay i just found they are in the uk though.
http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/271078465547?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&adtype=pla&crdt=0#

Thelostcountry

muddle84 wrote: »

Right sounds like it will take a while so I better clean out the shed and make space. Is there anything else that could be causing this problem? I dont want to buy the repair kit and open it up to find its something else.
Or am I better off opening it up and see whats what before I buy anything

I pm'd you about workshop manual.

mf690

Look up Vintage Tractor Engineer on the internet. They sell a dvd that takes you step by step through the whole job. Rebuilt the lift on my 35 and had never looked inside one before.

101sean

Like many jobs these days I bet someone has posted a Youtube video on how to do it!

muddle84

Hi Folks,
I've been thinking about this problem. Surely if it was just down to the pump being nackered it would not lift easily when the tractor starts. It only struggles after the tractor has been running for a while...
Could this be down to a clogged filter? I have never managed to find the filter on the pump so could it be possible that this is the problem and the needs changing/cleaning?

Avns1s

The hydraulic sustem is losing oil somewhere, and obviously this increases as the oil thins by getting warmer.

There are only a number of places that this may happen:
- the pump chambers and rings,
- the height control valve on the side of the pump,
- the relief valve.
- The standpipe and o rings.
- The ram.



You can check the ram by removing the plate on the right side where the dipstick goes and lifting the hydraulic arms - watch for oil coming from the ram.

The rest in the list above, you're as well to open up and check as you go along. Check the relief valve first, it could be stuck partially open.

Its a relatively simple job to sort and get right.

9935452

muddle84 wrote: »

Hi Folks,
I've been thinking about this problem. Surely if it was just down to the pump being nackered it would not lift easily when the tractor starts. It only struggles after the tractor has been running for a while...
Could this be down to a clogged filter? I have never managed to find the filter on the pump so could it be possible that this is the problem and the needs changing/cleaning?

To get to the filter either drain the back end oil or drive the left hand back wheel onto a few blocks. take off the cover for the pto lever.
In side this you will find the filter held on with a bufferfly nut .
take it out and clean it .
It can make a big difference to lift performance

muddle84

Hi folks. I started stripping it tonight got the top cover off and drained the oil. The ram looks in good nick but all the linkage is very dirty and covered in crunge.
Found the pump too but there is no filter present. I know they werent on the older models but im wondering is it possible or a good idea to fit a filter?

muddle84

I think I have found the problem....pistons are screwed. Their cylinders are well screwed too. Does the rebuild kit come with all these parts??

case956tom

muddle84 wrote: »

I think I have found the problem....pistons are screwed. Their cylinders are well screwed too. Does the rebuild kit come with all these parts??

the pistons and valve chambers are the main part of the repair kit from looking online the rapair kits differ some have less parts,
http://www.farmingparts.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=388 http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/271078468603?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&adtype=pla&crdt=0

muddle84

Well got it all back together this weekend. The improvement is just unbelievable. Very straight forward task once you have the manual and the parts. But time consuming.
Thanks to you all for your help and thanks to the lostcountry for the manual. And thanks to tractorspares.ie for the parts.

Thelostcountry

Fair play too You Martin. Thats your hydraulics sorted for an other 50 years!!:)

John.

Avns1s

muddle84 wrote: »

Well got it all back together this weekend. The improvement is just unbelievable. Very straight forward task once you have the manual and the parts. But time consuming.
Thanks to you all for your help and thanks to the lostcountry for the manual. And thanks to tractorspares.ie for the parts.

Well done!

Is that your original pump rebuilt or a full new pump. I replaced the full pump in a restore I did a few years back. Cost about €380 from menory.

Did you replace the control valve parts and is she holding up with a bit of weight on?

muddle84

Avns1s wrote: »

Well done!

Is that your original pump rebuilt or a full new pump. I replaced the full pump in a restore I did a few years back. Cost about €380 from menory.

Did you replace the control valve parts and is she holding up with a bit of weight on?

Thats the original completely rebuilt. The control valve was fine when I stripped it.
Rebuild kit, gaskets, pto seal and oil for 200


spend today filling the box with the heaviest things I could find around the land and not a bother to it

Avns1s

Well done. I hope you got the great sense of achievement and satisfaction from doing it successfully.