Vintage Tractor Engineer

The hydraulic top cover is a heavy and difficult piece of metal to handle.  It takes 2 people to remove the top cover and then it needs turning upside-down to work on it.

This bracket, in conjunction with a handle, makes removal of the hydraulic cover a one-man operation.  Not only can the cover be both removed and replaced in a controlled manner, but it also provides a method of turning the cover upside-down in order to work on it.

We cut the sides from 12mm steel plate, but a slightly thinner plate should be strong enough.  A length of 25mm X 115mm box is used to fasten the plates together.

You don’t need to be too precise with the 115mm or 140mm dimensions, as there is plenty of margin for error.

Click on this link ” bracket001 ” to open a plan drawing of the side plates of the bracket.  This is drawn to scale so you should be able to copy the shape straight onto your steel plate.  We drilled both holes 3/4″, but it would give more flexibility if the hole marked on the diagram is drilled to 1″ (or even slightly larger).  A scale is indicated on the drawing so you can make sure your printer has printed it off to the correct size.

Once the bracket is attached by the 2 pins and the handle is fixed to the top cover (on the seat fastening bolts) then you can flip over the top cover as shown in the video.

 

Hello,

I am having a problem with a Massey 35 4cyl. When I bought it I was told that the Hydraulic pump had been totally reconditioned, however the lift didnt work. I removed the lift cover and found that the hydraulic cylinder was cracked. I replaced it and the piston. I started the tractor with the lift cover off and moved the control valve by hand, the pump seemed to be working ok and pumped oil out the outlet hole of the pump. I replaced the lift cover.

When I started the tractor the lift raised to the top and went into `constant pumping`. I removed the side plate on the right hand side ath the dipstick. When you move the lift lever it seems to be working ok but in the wrong direction. The lever pushes the control valve lever back, when you raise it. This seems to be the wrong way. When I move it by band, back, seems to be to lower the lift rather than raise it. Could the wrong control valve have been fitted? Which way is the control valve lever supposed to move to raise the lift arms? Any help you can provide me with would be gratefully appreciated.

Richard Trench.

Hi Richard,

When you look through the side cover you can see the control valve actuating lever fixed to the pump (the vertical lever with the rollers on either end). That is operated by the two levers that come down from the top cover. The two levers should be in front of the control valve actuating lever, so when you have lowered the top cover into position you will have needed to have held the control valve actuating lever backwards towards the rear of the tractor so that the levers would locate to the correct side of the control valve actuating lever.

If the levers are in the correct place then possibly the control valve has been assembled and fitted incorrectly.

Also we have found that it is always advisable to use a genuine Massey Ferguson control valve, the other brands of valve that we have fitted have not been manufactured accurately enough (it is an extremely precision component).

The control valve should move forwards towards to raise the lift (i.e. the top of the control valve actuating lever should move backwards).

Let us know how you get on with the above suggestions.

Regards,

Steve Ridsdale