MF 35 4 cylinder diesel trouble starting. Any advice would be much appreciated

[Phil24]

Hi everyone.

I have just found this forum and thought I’d ask for some advice.

We have a 4 cylinder diesel MF35 and it is a real pain to start. We end up having too jump it from another tractor 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. Can anyone help as i really want to get this going.

Thanks

 

[Grandad Pig]

Could be lots of things mate. Smoke suggests incomplete combustion could be the issue. Borrow a compression tester maybe. Low oil pressure suggests a worn engine.

not much help

 

[Enfoff]

I know little about these engines but I believe they where fitted with an ether starting aid from new - ky gas? A mate had one which his father bought new and it was relegated to spraying duties in the 80s and I remember him towing it up the village every time he used it because they could never get it to start on the key from cold.
I was at a sale the other week and got talking to chap about exactly this. He said he fully restored one and did everything to the engine but it still wouldn't start without a tiny sniff of easy start which he was most upset about.

 

[agrimax]

The ki-gas starting system was fitted to the Fergie TEF 20. Not an original fitment to the FE35, which had the later style glow plug with it's own diesel pipe feed.

 

[davidroberts30]

does the glow plug actually work properly then??
take the rubber pipe off between the air filter and the manifold and you can see the plug,try it on heat see if it gets red then spits fire

 

[Phil24]

Hi everyone

Thanks for your reply’s. Yes the Glow plug works It has a separate diesel feed and ignites the fuel. I can get flames at the plug if i leave it long enough. Ideally i would like to stay away from easy start as i think this is a one way ticket to a knackered engine. Although i may have that already as I’ve just found out the previous owner used to use easy start all the time.

Why would Ferguson make a tractor which wont start. Its just like buying a new car and pushing it to get it started. Surely there’s got to be some upgrades to this which can be done.


I appreciate everyone’s advice so thank you.

 

[Roy_H]

Hi everyone

Thanks for your reply’s. Yes the Glow plug works It has a separate diesel feed and ignites the fuel. I can get flames at the plug if i leave it long enough. Ideally i would like to stay away from easy start as i think this is a one way ticket to a knackered engine. Although i may have that already as I’ve just found out the previous owner used to use easy start all the time.

Why would Ferguson make a tractor which wont start. Its just like buying a new car and pushing it to get it started. Surely there’s got to be some upgrades to this which can be done.


I appreciate everyone’s advice so thank you.

Ferguson didn't make the engine part, Standard did. The same engine was used in other tractors too e.g. The Allis -Chalmers ED40. The engine itself was a notorious bad starter but l think someone a lot cleverer than me may be able to help you as l think there are some modifications you can do to improve the situation. I think seeing all these older TE 20s with Perkins P3 conversions convinced MF that there were better engines out there than the Standard 23C.

 

[curlietailz]

Notoriously bad starters the 4 cylinder
On the other hand the 3 cylinder starts like a dream
Our old 4 cylinder needed a “sniff” to get her to go

 

[Roy_H]

Notoriously bad starters the 4 cylinder
On the other hand the 3 cylinder starts like a dream
Our old 4 cylinder needed a “sniff” to get her to go

Really good engines those 3 cylinder Perkins, especially the later direct injection ones as fitted to the MF 135 etc.

 

[Still Farming]

Firm around here that drills and puts glowplugs in each pot .
Better job.
Check pump filters etc too

 

[agrimax]

Surely there’s got to be some upgrades to this which can be done.

But other posters have mentioned these in the other thread that's running.......
You need to address the oil pressure issue..... crankshaft, bearings, oil pump, relief valve, possibly camshaft bearings, first, as the timing chain tensioner is reliant on good oil pressure to maintain the correct tension. Then the injection pump timing must be spot on.... There's a bush that wears in the pump drive train and even the slightest wear can throw out the timing. Pistons, rings and liners will need replaced too. Constant easy start will have caused broken rings.Valves and seats must be made to be sealed perfect and then it's well advised to open out the pre-combustion chambers. Even with all that sorted, a geared starter might still be needed....

 

[Phil24]

Hi

Thanks again for your reply’s. I already have a geared starter on the tractor but it might be looking like it’s either going to be have to be rebuilt or sold..

Are the engines easy to rebuild or can anyone recommend someone and any idea of cost?

thanks again.

 

[Goweresque]

Firm around here that drills and puts glowplugs in each pot .
Better job.
Check pump filters etc too

I've just had that done as part of a complete engine rebuild on my 4 cylinder 35. Combined with an Iskra starter its a dream to start now - 10 seconds heat, turn the key, fires up with a revolution or two, even in the coldest weather.

 

[Goweresque]

Hi

Thanks again for your reply’s. I already have a geared starter on the tractor but it might be looking like it’s either going to be have to be rebuilt or sold..

Are the engines easy to rebuild or can anyone recommend someone and any idea of cost?

thanks again.

Just looked at my invoice, MF35 4 cylinder complete engine rebuild, new head, split for new clutch, fitting heater plugs to each cylinder, all parts and labour £3k+vat.

 

[690 multi-power]

I have just rebuilt one of these for a customer in my machine shop. Split the tractor to get the crankshaft out for re-grinding, new engine kit with liners, total was £2200 plus vat. the head was reconditioned

 

[manhill]

Electric Hot air gun into the inlet port with firter removed might work.
Reducing the cold air coming in by covering the intake has worked for me as well.

 

[davidroberts30]

Electric Hot air gun into the inlet port with firter removed might work.
Reducing the cold air coming in by covering the intake has worked for me as well.

The usual trick is a pocket full of blue paper....
wrap a bit of paper up on the end of a wire and dunk it in the diesel tank,light it and hold that in the intake

 

[Scribus]

I was once told that the problem lay in the timing gears which were not produced to the finest tolerances. It's a question of remounting the driven sprocket in another of the four positions I believe, but it was all a long time ago.

 

[multi power]

Mine starts first time, every time, no easy start or anything, just a good bit of heat

 

[Phil24]

Mine starts first time, every time, no easy start or anything, just a good bit of heat

Hi

yea we have another one which starts every time with a bit of heat. It just frustrates me that they are the same but one starts and the other is a pain.

thanks for your reply though.