How do you make a MF35 a better starter?

[REStracTORATION]

The 23c engine is a good engine just people don't know how to fettle them.

They make a 35 a better tractor for being a touch longer,quieter, and pull really well.
I've done 9 up I think and a good majority of them got them to start without the need of heat.
It takes time to set them up correctly and as @Pennine Ploughing says don't cut corners and you will be rewarded a cracking little sweet starting tractor
Colourwise I was only asking....for a restoration figure purposes

 

[mixed breed]

Ours had taken the easy start battering from my father.
Two years back we overhauled the engine as it had become a pig to start even with a squirt. Everyone said we should put heaters in it, We didn't bother. IMO grinding the new valves in is the most important job, Spent ages at it until I got a petrol tight seal. Then put a new timing chain on and got a book and set the timing up tidy, Put a 100ah battery on it and a new standard starter. It starts everyday without heat in mild weather but does need about 15 seconds of heat in the winter

Easy start should be banned

 

[Hilly]

Park it at the top of a steeper hill.

 

[multi power]

Is it the same starter as a FE35? if so I can do a 4.2kw Iskra for it. that spins them over well

It's the same tractor !

 

[ACEngineering]

It's the same tractor !

well in that case I have done a couple of 4.2kw starters for FE35 to members on here. This is a starter normally found on much bigger 6 cylinder modern engines so is well on top of a little old 4 pot.

till crank it fast all day long

 

[multi power]

well in that case I have done a couple of 4.2kw starters for FE35 to members on here. This is a starter normally found on much bigger 6 cylinder modern engines so is well on top of a little old 4 pot.

till crank it fast all day long

Yes I know, I have one of your starters on my 35 it fly's over now

 

[multi power]

But he will be back on with hydraulic issues then

Hydraulics will be the least of his worries !

 

[ACEngineering]

Yes I know, I have one of your starters on my 35 it fly's over now

I forget who I sell what too, all these user names just a bur

 

[REStracTORATION]

I forget who I sell what too, all these user names just a bur

Be the best 160£ ISH anyone could ever spend

 

[mikep]

Get a B414, better starter, better gears, better hydraulics only down side with them is fall in fall out driving position.

 

[MF 135 Man]

well in that case I have done a couple of 4.2kw starters for FE35 to members on here. This is a starter normally found on much bigger 6 cylinder modern engines so is well on top of a little old 4 pot.

till crank it fast all day long

How much are these, I've got a FE35 4 cylinder as mention in my other thread that i bought as i non runner. waiting for the injection pump and injectors to come back from the specialist after a service. Might need a new starter then if the current one doesn't spin it fast enough.

 

[REStracTORATION]

How much are these, I've got a FE35 4 cylinder as mention in my other thread that i bought as i non runner. waiting for the injection pump and injectors to come back from the specialist after a service. Might need a new starter then if the current one doesn't spin it fast enough.

Should be around £150 -£160

 

[ACEngineering]

How much are these, I've got a FE35 4 cylinder as mention in my other thread that i bought as i non runner. waiting for the injection pump and injectors to come back from the specialist after a service. Might need a new starter then if the current one doesn't spin it fast enough.

Cant remember i will look it up later for you.

 

[REStracTORATION]

Should be around £150 -£160

Sorry thought I was replying to something else

 

[Goweresque]

I forget who I sell what too, all these user names just a bur

I've got one of your Iskras on my 4 cylinder 35, transformed the machine from one that would start on warm days with a tip top battery to one that'll fire up in any weather.

 

[Ley253]

friends grey and gold starts instantly without heat. Only mod was opening out the combustion chamber throats. One thing to watch, there are head gaskets about with the wrong bore, these dont seal on the liner top, allowing compression to leak down past the outside of the liners! The above mentioned beast had been fitted with one of these when rebuilt by the previous owner, There were more fumes from the crankcase than the exhaust!

 

[Phil24]

check the simple things first, is the battery a good one, or is it a little down, good should show about 14volts when fully charged ,
is the battery cables good and got good clean contact to starter and earth,
Is the heater plug good? Also don't heat and try to start it at same time, heat first, then turn key other way to start, reason for this is, as the heater glows and burns fuel it eats the oxygen, this makes air less dence, thus little oxygen to fire to start,
is the fuel system clean and free running, and getting plenty to pump,
if all the above is correct and right, and it still won't start, and you say its been done up 4 years ago, and to assume it is ok, then I would look at the timing, they need to be right, biggest problem is timing chain, as the chain drives the cam, that drives the fuel pump,
to do it right you need a dial gauge, put this on the valve rocker, and adjust timing accordingly, will go into greater depth on this if none of the above fixes it,
it won't matter if it's red or grey, they are both the same,

bloody good Engine if they are right, but in most cases them that say they are no good, just don't know how to fix them,

other thing is, most try to fix on a shoe string budget, if you cut corners, you might waste your money, as it will be no better,

Hi Pennine Ploughing.

I am interested in your advice. We have two MF35’s. One is really easy to start and the other is a real pain. We end up having too jump it from the good working one as it ends up killing the battery. However once its been running and is hot, it will stop and start all day long.

Ive replaced the heater plug, upgraded the starter to a 3.2kW one, replaced the fuel lines, even had the fuel pump and injectors refurbished just to eliminate them. However i still can not get it to start properly. It happily cranks but just wont fire until its been cranking for about 2-3 minutes, then It coughs and splutters in to life.

The only other thing is that once it starts the oil pressure on the dash gauge is about half way, but once its been running and at operating temperature, the oil pressure on the gauge drops to almost minimum. It does smoke a bit but then again what tractor doesn’t. I know this has been sitting for about the last 5 years so I’ve even changed all the fluids just to try and help but still no joy.

I think it might be something to do with the timing as I’ve never set this up but if I’m honest I’m not sure how to. So i was wondering if you can give me some advice on how to set this correctly with a dial gauge and also your opinion as i feel I’m missing something.

Thanks

 

[SMID]

Over to you @Pennine Ploughing

 

[davidroberts30]

does it smoke while cranking?

 

[Mursal]

Timing chain may well be stretched, but hold tight for better/simpler fix advice.