Tractorshite - 1957 Massey Furguson with a broken gearbox

[steve_earwig]

In the time honoured tradition of "you'll never know if you don't ask"...

 

I appears I need to try and source some parts for the gearbox on a vintage tractor. Earlier on I was just leaving my mate's gaff when the old boy who runs the local guest house pulled up in front of me. I just thought he wanted to see my mate but no, he needs me - huh?

 

It turns out the tractor he's been using has eaten it's gearbox. Ok, yes, and? And it's this:

Apparently this is the aforementioned 1557 Massey-Furguson but I have to admit to almost total ignorance.

 

I was fairly surprised to see this on the engine:

 

And this is the bit that's meant to be full of gears and whatnot:

 

What's happened is the selector shaft's broke, dropped into the gears and...ARGH!

 

This appears to be gears, with the hub sliding on the splines to engage the gear.

 

There are some marks in the casting but I can't make them out

 

The reason he's asking me is I'm the only person he knows with links to GB, so I'd be well placed to find these parts for him. I guess he doesn't realise I don't own a time machine. I don't have clue one where to start asking, so I thought I'd start with you guys, because you're such good folk. Anyone got any ideas? If it helps the guy's name is Nutsack (well, Nacek, but that's how it sounds to me)

 

There should be some more details on the tractor to follow but I'm not sure if they'll be much help because I reckon the chances of finding transmission parts for a 58 year old tractor are less than that for the proverbial papal handjob, but you never know.

 

 

 

 

 

[Six-cylinder]

There are a couple of old tractor parts supplies in the UK. One is only 20 miles from me and I have been there because we have a 1958 MF FE35 but Mrs cyl has always researched the parts for me so when she gets home latter this evening if nobody else has posted the links I will ask her to find them for me.

[Six-cylinder]

One name came to mind here is the link:

 

http://old20tractorparts.com/

[Junkman]

http://bfy.tw/3IZx

 

http://www.ssbtractor.com/Massey-Ferguson-tractor-parts/transmission-parts.html

[Six-cylinder]

This is the company we use 20 miles from us.

 

http://www.thevintagetractorcompany.co.uk/

[Six-cylinder]

I found this one as well.

 

http://www.vintagetractorspares.co.uk/

[barefoot]

And there's http://www.fergiland.co.uk

About five miles away from me.

[John F]

I'd say that's a Ferguson TE 20.

 

 

... which might make it a bit earlier than 1957, they were built from 1946.

 

See http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/002/9/6/2965-massey-ferguson-20.html for more details.

 

Also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferguson_TE20

[MarvinsMom]

i'm no tractorist sadly but i'd think there will be several specialists that can help, as listed earlier cos it's a little grey fergie, and they are the TOPS!

[Jim Bell]

I cant help, but its awesome!

[Junkman]

I think it's a FE35 and thus needs this gearbox:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Massey-Ferguson-FE35-Tractor-6-Speed-Transmission-Gearbox-/181959854015

[320touring]

My mum and dads neighbour has 30+ vintage tractors-will ask if I'm there at the weekend

[steve_earwig]

Crikey, thanks folks! Hopefully I should have some more details tomorrow which might help with a search. I had a quick Google earlier but it doesn't look like there are much gearbox spares about.

 

I forgot to say, he says it's a 4 speed single gearbox (eh? Something lost in translation perhaps) unlike the MF someone else has local to him with 2 gearboxes (what the? Possibly 2 ranges? I've no idea).

 

I'm off to look at some of those links...

[artdjones]

Looks more like an FE35 to me.TheTheyy were what Ferguson were building in 1957 and had grey tinwork with the castings painted a coppery gold which still seems to be there in patches on the side of the gearbox. It shouldn't be too difficult to get secondhand parts for it(or a second hand gearbox).

[John F]

You think so? The engine cowl looks more like the earlier TE20 to me, although after 60 years it might not be original I suppose...

 

Pic of the FE 35:

 

[steve_earwig]

Let's see what Nacek comes up with, remember this is Croatia so there could be parts from all sorts of things in there, including cement mixers...

[hairnet]

buy irish vintage scene and tractor and machinery magazines

 

agriline are good for spares

 

http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/006/0/4/6042-ferguson-fe-35.html

 

its an fe as its late (between 56-60)

[twosmoke300]

Agriline are the britpart of tractor parts . It's available but quality questionable

[STUNO]

Maybe it is time for a rebuild and some retro badge engineering

 

[twosmoke300]

Is that a ford -fergie that someone has ruined with a v8 ?

[STUNO]

yes, but I'm not sure about the ruined bit

[John F]

hairnet, on 15 Dec 2015 - 6:31 PM, said:hairnet, on 15 Dec 2015 - 6:31 PM, said:hairnet, on 15 Dec 2015 - 6:31 PM, said:hairnet, on 15 Dec 2015 - 6:31 PM, said:hairnet, on 15 Dec 2015 - 6:31 PM, said:

buy irish vintage scene and tractor and machinery magazines

 

agriline are good for spares

 

http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/006/0/4/6042-ferguson-fe-35.html

 

its an fe as its late (between 56-60)

 

It could be a Ferguson FF30...

 

 

Here's a 1957 FF30 in action on youtube:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYJihONoP60

[steve_earwig]

That's a damn fine looking tractor! "Slightly" better condition, I'd think this one has spent the last 40 years being repaired on a shoestring...

 

I reckon you're right, so Nacek probably has the year of manufacture wrong. Oh, and the actual manufacturer wrong too...

 

www.gralleklubben.se/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Gr%C3%A5lleManual.pdf page 36

 

Sadly, according to that parts manual if this is a TO20 the gearbox will be different to anything in the UK, although I think TO implies made in the US. E-England, O-Overseas.

 

Also http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141851097487?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&fromMakeTrack=true

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Yarp, looks like a Fergie TE20 to me. Several local to me in sunny Cornwall and pretty much the only tractor I recognise! Just Wikipedia'deded Harry Ferguson; didn't realise what a legend the bloke actually was. Race car alone looks fantastic.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferguson_Research_Ltd.

[John F]

See my last post above... the Ferguson FF30 looks very similar to the TE20 but the year is correct & the red paint on the engine & transmission match the fragments that are still visible on Nutsack's one.

[cort1977]

Now I want a tractor.   This place...

[STUNO]

I notice the rear wings are not the standard Ferguson items. Could they be a local production item or replacements from whatever was about ?

No idea if they were sold in whatever Croatia was at the time.

[Junkman]

Agriline has a lot of bits, but sadly not the gearbox internals required.

I thus refer to the link to the septic supplier I posted earlier.

[PhillipM]

They're not bad to find parts for, but most of it is chinese crap that has to be fettled/checked carefully - in fact there's one in our workshop having the exact same issue repaired atm!

[castros_bro]

Here's one I used to fettle. TE20

 

 

Some parts are reasonably easy to source but you need to get it's identity correct and TE20s are probably the easiest old tractor to get parts for and they are still used as working tools. Try one of the "ole Fergie" forumz there's a lot of ole blokes (other sexes are available) with a vast well of knowledge waiting for someone new to bore.   I still have some manuals on CD if you want them.