mf 135 help please

bassy · 26-03-2026 07:22PM

emaherx · 26-03-2026 08:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124343031#Comment_124343031

Are you going at this your self?

You'll need to split the tractor at the tombstone, take off pully and timing cover, I think you need to unbolt the injector pump too so need to be careful about the timing. It could be just the crank seal, but it might be worth dropping the sump and replacing the cork seals as well.

Your front axel and pivot pin look like they need attention too, but it looks like the pin might have been welded in place at some stage. Not sure if you want to replace the whole tombstone or take it to a machine shop.

bassy · 26-03-2026 08:23PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124343145#Comment_124343145

god no won,t be doing the work myself as its my first tractor i bought last year and mainly used for the log splitter and probaly get a mower for the back of it as i have a big garden.

bassy · 26-03-2026 08:51PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124343145#Comment_124343145

@emaherx you say the tombstone is that the centre part of the front axel where you say the pivot pin is missing or welded.

Gorteen · 26-03-2026 09:13PM

Following with interest. Any idea how much a rebuild should cost? I've got a 135 and whilst it's starting fine and seems to be running ok, a local man who's a mechanic says it doesn't sound right. No more enlightening that that though, saying it could be this and it could beaked be that. He suggests for the limited amount of work it will get with me, I should "just leave it alone… trying to resolve the problem could run into thousands fairly quickly"! 😫

emaherx · 26-03-2026 09:51PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124343215#Comment_124343215

Yes, the casting that's bolted to front of engine and carries the front axel with the center pin.

CramCycle · 26-03-2026 09:59PM

My father bought a 135 many moons ago, he spent years showing me all the tricks, including how to start it with a. 50p when you don't have a key. Having driven that thing like I hated it, I'd say once it's running, just do maintenance, not a full rebuild.

emaherx · 26-03-2026 10:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124343339#Comment_124343339

A complete new engine can be got for around 3.5k, complete recons will cost less with your own engine exchanged. Rebuild kits start from a few hundred depending how deep you need to go. This excludes labour of course.

But a vague it doesn't sound right, is probably not enough to start worrying about costs, a damaged exhaust baffle could make an engine sound wrong, or even a new cheap spurious one.

Jb1989 · 26-03-2026 10:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124343554#Comment_124343554

Most of them 135s that's used lightly should be left alone unless the oil is running out of them. If they had a disc mower like you then fair enough. But otherwise most are not worked hard enough to be any advantage in spending thousands on engine

emaherx · 26-03-2026 10:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124343596#Comment_124343596

True enough,

Just giving an idea of what costs might be for someone who was enquiring.

But given the current price of oil, seal kits are definitely worth considering for leaky engines.

bassy · 26-03-2026 11:43PM

i reckon for my one to do as @emaherx has said in regards to the seal and crank seal etc

and full respray on the engine and then i will put a brand new cab on it with mudguards etc

any recommendations on what cab to go for or kit etc

emaherx · 27-03-2026 08:41AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124344132#Comment_124344132

The cab is probably a tougher question than the engine.

New cabs advertised on DoneDeal don't look right for the age of your tractor. The metal may be questionable too.

C&G cabs made a nice cab but don't know if they are still available.

The best option for a cab may be restore your own or look for a better secondhand one, but that may be hit/miss.

Personally I don't like most Cabs at all as they usually are uncomfortable noisy and have poor vision. But then again I have a more modern tractor to use when weather is poor too. Others will probably rightly say that no cab is not right either as so few would have been sold here without one.

hopeso · 27-03-2026 10:54AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124344614#Comment_124344614

Someone has taken over the manufacturing of C&G cabs. I can't remember what they're called, but they had them up on Facebook.

bamayang · 29-03-2026 05:03PM

What would lads say would be the best machine to try and work on, in terms of engineering simplicity.
I do a lot different types of tinkering in the shed and would love to work on a tractor restoration project in next few years. Would a 135 or something similar be best bet in terms available parts and available info/tutorial online?

divillybit · 29-03-2026 11:00PM

Depends on your budget but alot of people restore smaller tractor but which is grand but they rarely get worked hard post restoration. No disrespect to massey 135's but y'know it wouldnt agitate a slurry tank for you so Id be inclined to fix up something that would be a good addition on a farm if you decided to sell it. A ford 7610 perhaps?

emaherx · 30-03-2026 07:49PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124349967#Comment_124349967

A 7610 could be a great project if you have the time, but you'd nut and bolt restore a 135 or similar footplate tractor in the time it could take to do a good job of just the cab of the 7610.

A 135 is a handy tractor and given the current cost of diesel many lighter jobs could be better suited to smaller machines. Makes me laugh to see 6ft toppers on 100hp+ tractors.

divillybit · 30-03-2026 09:18PM

I suppose it depends on @bamayang and his budget... 135's are grand but are they a challenge? There's restoration to a good safe order to put a machine back into earning its keep which is what im doing but a nut and bolt concours restoration wouldn't interest me personally. Ive over 10k spent on 'restoring' my tractor 8150 valtra that was fit for the breakers yard to good working order and I've not done any rust repairs yet on the half rotten cab but ive the brakes, pto pack, radiators, head gasket, injectors, starter and hitch unit all refurbished or repaired. There's good satisfaction getting it back to be able to work hard again and earn its keep now.

bamayang · 30-03-2026 09:36PM

thanks for replies and apologies to OP for derailing thread (I’m still laughing at the “not helpful” comment 😀)
Budget would be on the lower side and definitely wouldn’t be trying to get anything back to show room condition. I’d like to take something in poor shape, strip it down, rebuild it and hopefully really understand the engine in doing so. And finish with some basic cosmetic rust repair.
it won’t have much work to do at the end of it, but I’d love to take into it over a year or two.
Probably a small MF or Ford might be a good call.
I was reared on a Zetor 6211, front wheels would tip up with a bale on the back and used to fodder with a back-grab, which had its hydraulic controls on the grab, so used to have to hang out the back window to open and close it. Great oil memories.
Maybe I’ll keep an eye out for one of them.

31-03-2026 02:01AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124351903#Comment_124351903

135 is perfect for what you want but you wont make money from it. Rough 135 is 4 to 5 k. Tidy 6 to 8k.

You can put 6 k into a 5 k machine and its worth 9.

Full set of tyres n wheels in primer is 1250 euro.

Engine rebuild is 1500 to 2k.

New bonnet and mudguards at a guess a grand plus paint.

Rollbar new 700 ish. New cab is about 2 grand. Plus anything else that needs replacing along the way.

Buy as good as you can get. There will always be something to tidy up on it.

I bought one a year ago in relative good nick for 3500. 2nd hand rollbar was 300. Needs a back tyre as one is cracked.. needs welding to mudguards or new mudguards at 200 a piece. And paint them. Ive about 500 spent on parts fixing things you cant see. It wont ever do much work again but i will use it for logsplitter, wood chipper, saw bench, power washer and vintage runs .

Hopefully get a fingerbar hedge trimmer for it too

divillybit · 31-03-2026 10:59PM

@bamayang needs a challenge and the country is full of 135's... you could buy this oul girl for probably under 4k.. You'd almost certainly be the only man with a 595 at the local tractor run but with the price of green diesel no too many are enthusiastic about tractor runs anymore

https://www.donedeal.ie/tractors-for-sale/massey-ferguson/41539210

mf 135 help please

Comments