Massey 135 Fuel Gauge

[MAGICEDD]

Hi,
The fuel gauge on my Massey 135 is not working - just shows empty all the time. It’s probably not economical to repair.

Is there a device that I can just check the approx amount of fuel that is in the tank via the fuel cap? Maybe an electronic tool or some kind of dipstick tool?

Thanks,
Ed

 

[Cowabunga]

Your eyes. Up to the 135, no fuel gauges were fitted. If you must know to the centimetre, but lord knows why you would, any clean metal rod about six inches longer than the depth of the tank could be used.

Replacing the sender unit/float [which has always been cheaply made crap] and the gauge itself is a very cheap repair with easily sourced parts. A look into the open tank is as good as anything and you will soon get to know how often you need to check depending on the work it does.

 

[Dry Rot]

Now you are getting into the realms of hi-tech!

Go to your local builder's merchants or timber yard and ask for 500mm of smooth 25mm birch dowel. You can insert this into the filler of your fuel tank. The length of the dowel that is wet will indicate how much fuel is left in the tank. This is a cunning security measure by Massey Ferguson to prevent tractor theft. The fuel gauges never work and are designed that way. You can drill a hole in the dowel and hang it from the throttle lever of your tractor with a piece of baler twine. Or you could cut a piece a hazel wand out of your hedge to perform the same purpose.

 

[betweenthelines]

Just top it up after a couple of day's use.

You'd have to be working it very hard to use more than half a tank a day!

 

[Steevo]

99% sure it’s the sender not the gauge.

Easy and cheap to replace.

 

[Campbell]

A simple way to check if it's the sender in the tank or the gauge at fault.
With engine running, pull the wire off the tank sender and touch it to earth somewhere. If the gauge goes to full scale it's usually a sender problem, Note, if the tractor has a dynamo, you'll need high engine revs to power the gauge properly.

 

[Pushdyke]

There should be a Ferguson spanner with the 135, just wipe the dust off then dip the tank graduation marks will give an accurate reading

 

[MAGICEDD]

I bought a sender as it looked like an easy change but the hole cutout in the bonnet is a bit too small to feed the old sender unit out so the whole bonnet has to come off.

I removed 3 screws either side which was ok. The problem came with the two front bolts - I think they must be the 2 huge bolts at the bottom front on the side but they are partially covered by the bumper trim (below the front grill) - I will have to buy a massive spanner to fit them (too tight for my adjustable) but wanted to check they are the correct bolts first? It is the 13” grill model - nothing on line actually shows a picture of those bolts. My largest spanner market 18/18 was a bit too small.

 

[MAGICEDD]

I bought a sender as it looked like an easy change but the hole cutout in the bonnet is a bit too small to feed the old sender unit out so the whole bonnet has to come off.

I removed 3 screws either side which was ok. The problem came with the two front bolts - I think they must be the 2 huge bolts at the bottom front on the side but they are partially covered by the bumper trim (below the front grill) - I will have to buy a massive spanner to fit them (too tight for my adjustable) but wanted to check they are the correct bolts first? It is the 13” grill model - nothing on line actually shows a picture of those bolts. My largest spanner market 18/18 was a bit too small.

 

[Netherfield]

Now you are getting into the realms of hi-tech!

Go to your local builder's merchants or timber yard and ask for 500mm of smooth 25mm birch dowel. You can insert this into the filler of your fuel tank. The length of the dowel that is wet will indicate how much fuel is left in the tank. This is a cunning security measure by Massey Ferguson to prevent tractor theft. The fuel gauges never work and are designed that way. You can drill a hole in the dowel and hang it from the throttle lever of your tractor with a piece of baler twine. Or you could cut a piece a hazel wand out of your hedge to perform the same purpose.

Next time you use it, it will have a lot of dust and muck stuck to it, before you know it the tank's full of crap.

 

[MAGICEDD]

I bought a sender as it looked like an easy change but the hole cutout in the bonnet is a bit too small to feed the old sender unit out so the whole bonnet has to come off.

I removed 3 screws either side which was ok. The problem came with the two front bolts - I think they must be the 2 huge bolts at the bottom front on the side but they are partially covered by the bumper trim (below the front grill) - I will have to buy a massive spanner to fit them (too tight for my adjustable) but wanted to check they are the correct bolts first? It is the 13” grill model - nothing on line actually shows a picture of those bolts. My largest spanner market 18/18 was a bit too small.

 

[MAGICEDD]

 

[Dry Rot]

Next time you use it, it will have a lot of dust and muck stuck to it, before you know it the tank's full of crap.

That will just be collected with the fuel filter and in the tank. Cleaning those is all part of the MF 135 owning experience!

 

[agrimax]

These are the original type pivot bolts for the 13" grille models. 11/16" AF spanner size.Same as a 35 or TE20 and different on 14" grille models.

Pair Bonnet Pivot Bolt for Massey Ferguson 35 135 TE TEA TEF TO 20 FE35 Tractor

Pack of 2 Thread: 7/16" Inch UNF Length: 1 1/4" Inch

www.apukonline.com

The bolts should be in line with the holes in the side panels to allow you to use a socket.... Something not right with yours...
Originally, they screwed into a either a threaded hole or a nut welded to the inside. Yours may have been drilled out and alternative larger bolts and nuts fitted??
The gauge sender unit will lift out of my bonnet hole with room to spare... Might yours have an aftermarket bonnet fitted?

 

[MAGICEDD]

Thanks for your help - makes sense, the tractor was refurbished a few years ago so bonnet likely not the original. It has rusted as well so maybe replace in the future when I have some money - they seem to be around £600.

Managed to loosen the bolts, tile cover and replace sender unit. Fuel gauge kicks into life when revvved now although seems to go higher proportional to the revs. Will have to see how it works when I screw everything back together and take it out.

 

[Cowabunga]

Was the replacement sender made in Turkey, Poland, india or Pakistan?

 

[MAGICEDD]

Fuel Tank Sender Unit 5 Hole for Massey Ferguson 20D 40 133 135 140 Tractors

For 13 Inch Grille models up to serial no. 40000 Resistor: 6-35ohm 12V See image for detailed dimensions For 14 Inch Grille Models please see p/n 12810

www.apukonline.com

Impossible to tell as it just came in a white box.

 

[MAGICEDD]

All fixed up and fuel gauge works perfectly - bonnet not quite in the same position it was when it came off … but I’m not a mechanic!