Another Restoration Project

[aircommuter]

I haven't had time to be on the forum for a while. My last project was a Ford445A industrial.
I just bought a 1975 Massey Ferguson MF 400 loader/ripper. Not running. I am showing a bunch of before pictures this time. When I did the Ford, people were asking for before pictures and I did not have any.

 

[jaxs]

Is this a labor of love or do you plan making a profit on the restored machine? I wouldn't have a trailer heavy enough to haul one of those home even if I found a deal.

 

[EddieWalker]

This is going to be a fun project to follow. Do you have a good source for parts? Are they still available from the dealer?

 

[fried1765]

This is going to be a fun project to follow. Do you have a good source for parts? Are they still available from the dealer?

That is the BIG question......parts availability!

 

[aircommuter]

Is this a labor of love or do you plan making a profit on the restored machine? I wouldn't have a trailer heavy enough to haul one of those home even if I found a deal.

I bought it because I can use it around my place and it was just under 10 cents per pound delivered. I sold my Case 855D because it was too valuable to keep here for occasional jobs.
I don't know the whole story behind it. Someone knew about my shop and my past with my grading and underground business. They had some pictures from a site like Facebook, which I don't mess with.
The story is I bought it from a towing company, they were called to haul it from a roadside with the machine as payment. It was on a ranch and one of the family members pulled the injectors and put paper towels in the holes. He didn't get time to put them back right away. The ranch was leased land and the owner passed away. Then the family made him get the machine off the property. He got a trailer (too light) with a gooseneck, and tried to pull it with a 3/4t truck. One transmission later he got it off the property onto the roadside. Short move lot of money.
The under carriage is in very good shape, fairly new chains, sprockets and rollers. They added a piece of bar stock to every other shoe rather than spend $4k for new ones. The gear oil and hydraulic oils look clean. The damage is water in the holes after just using paper towels to plug them and not getting right back to it.

 

[aircommuter]

That is the BIG question......parts availability!

Parts for the Perkins 354 engine are readily available. Certain generic type parts, like bearings, seals, starters, alternators, etc. are available too. I am sure I won't wear out the under carriage around here. The under carriage is the same as a couple other crawlers also. If I come to a real parts situation I will make what I have to. Not sure what if any MF has but I have also contacted Landini in Italy as they are still owned by the same company that owns MF today. There are some missing parts like the hood and air cleaner, I can make the hood and I bought an air cleaner assy. from Donaldson. Right now the cylinders are soaking and the oil pan has been draining for a week. Next will be an inspection in each cylinder and the oil pan with my scope camera.
I pulled one belly pan and the snow came. But those are next then scrape and saturate dried oil areas with Diesel then fire up the steam cleaner. It will take several steam clean sessions to get like I want it.
I don't have my truck and trailer any more since I retired in 2005. In crooked CA it wouldn't be allowed today anyway. But I am not planning on moving it. I had a machine that was just under the weight of this one and 2 that were heavier. This one is 25K.

 

[jaxs]

What do you like to soak cylinders with when water intrusion/long term condensation is a possability? I have empty 1 gallon motor oil jugs with transmission fluid,acetone and diesel marked "cylinder soak". When spray penatrate/ lubricant loses pressure before empty(happening incrrasingly often),I punch a nail hole and add contents to the jugs. I transfer it to qt bottles with spout to make it eaiser to suqirt where I want it.

 

[aircommuter]

What do you like to soak cylinders with when water intrusion/long term condensation is a possability? I have empty 1 gallon motor oil jugs with transmission fluid,acetone and diesel marked "cylinder soak". When spray penatrate/ lubricant loses pressure before empty(happening incrrasingly often),I punch a nail hole and add contents to the jugs. I transfer it to qt bottles with spout to make it eaiser to suqirt where I want it.

In the past I have used Diesel and Marvel oil mix. I have also used Deep Creep by Sea Foam. I have heard of the acetone mix too. I dried the cylinders thoroughly first of course. Even if I decide to put an in frame kit in it I still need to have it free enough to disassemble it. I haven't tried to move it yet, so it may be free anyway. I will connect my oil pressure feed tank up first and get some pressure in the oil system. I will remove the starter and begin by turning with a bar on the ring gear.

 

[workinonit]

That's a heck of a good looking machine for that price. I bet you can hit the cyberweb and find the hood. To me a track loader is much more useful than a dozer. I could live 1000 years and never have something like that become available to me. How long were the cylinders open?

 

[aircommuter]

I am not sure, the information I got was second hand from the towing company. It is really well made. I went right over to look at it when I got the pictures. I started my business with a backhoe and a track loader (case 750). They are so universal. Especially with the 4 in 1 bucket. Book shows 8150lb lift to full height and 15400lb breakout force.

 

[aircommuter]

Here is the first update. I have removed more panels and pumped out the Diesel/ marvel oil mix and put in Deep Creep. I threw together a funky oven with 2 infrared propane heaters in hopes that heating and cooling might help with some expansion and contraction however minor amount. The block has been running a cold temperature of 35f in the morning and 105f after 12 hours of heating.
I have prepared the building of the new seats and armrests (picture). I re-attached the ripper that had the pins removed and chained up so they could get it on the trailer.
The engine is not budging so far.
I also cut off the poor job on the battery cables (picture), They are fairly new cables and were long enough for me to cut off their poor cable end installation. They soldered them on and got the way too hot allowing solder to go down in a portion of the cable making them very stiff.
I removed the instrument panel and discarded all the gauges.

 

[workinonit]

You rolled the crank yet?

 

[fried1765]

You rolled the crank yet?

"The engine is not budging so far",.... kinda explains it?

 

[aircommuter]

I have stripped down the machine further and spent some wet days in the shop cleaning up parts. I decided to pull the head so I could see the cylinders and tap on the pistons just enough to break loose the rings from the walls. It is a lot to try to brake loose 30 rusted rings at the same time. The walls all have a coating if soft rust. I ordered a cheap xmas tree hone to help clean them out. I didn't want to put my precision finishing hone in there. The rebuild kit is ordered along with many other parts Shipping is slow. Which is OK since I need to divide my time to finishing my house and other tasks.

 

[aircommuter]

I have been working on various components of the machine with some sand blasting and primer painting. I am just finishing up the cylinder head, I put all new valves and guides, springs and keepers, and of course ground the seats. I am waiting for the snow to melt off before I go under and drop the pan and see if I can drive the pistons out.

 

[arrow]

I used to have patience like this. If they can sell E.D. pills, would be hoping there'd be a P.D. pill as well.

 

[EddieWalker]

I like how you are doing this one step at a time and not rushing it.

 

[aircommuter]

My wife says I am too fussy. I say as long as everything is perfect no problem.
Here are more photos of the head all back together, all threaded holes (35) and all studs were chased and blown clean. I replaced the only 2 soft plugs in the head. Amazingly in my collection of 11 soft plugs left over from things in the past I three that were the correct ones.
I re-machined one of my homemade sleeve puller adapters to fit the sleeves on this one. Picture of the table with many sand or bead blasted parts either yellow primed or finished painted for smaller parts. Also the dash cleaned up a bit.

 

[fried1765]

My wife says I am too fussy. I say as long as everything is perfect no problem.
Here are more photos of the head all back together, all threaded holes (35) and all studs were chased and blown clean. I replaced the only 2 soft plugs in the head. Amazingly in my collection of 11 soft plugs left over from things in the past I three that were the correct ones.
I re-machined one of my homemade sleeve puller adapters to fit the sleeves on this one. Picture of the table with many sand or bead blasted parts either yellow primed or finished painted for smaller parts. Also the dash cleaned up a bit.

Nice progress report!

 

[aircommuter]

The snow is gone and I got time to remove the oil pan. Heavy cast iron model. The lower end looks great in side. I removed the oil pickup and pump. I took off the number 3 rod cap planning to start removing those pistons first since they were near TDC. I used a large punch and managed to drive it up about 3/8" then it locked. I tapped it down and back up again but it stopped there again. I drilled the piston and threaded the hole 5/8" coarse thread. Using my sleeve puller that I made 45 years ago. Started pulling it up and it came up about an inch but the rod was catching on the block since it near TDC but not able to clear the block. So since I could not rotate the crank until I got the others out. I did the same the same thing to number one and it pulled very hard and solid. Keeping the puller tight I went back under and tried to punch it out. It only moved about 1/32 and I did that again it moved only slightly, no wonder I could not turn the crank before. Well time to go start dinner. Stay tuned.