Massey 135 Barn Find

[zslnk]

Hi there,
I purchased the contents of a barn on a property that I purchased. There was a Massey 135 with a full set of implements and a new 8hp Massey lawn tractor. The 135 has 84hr on it and the size of the trees that we had to clear to get it out confirm this. Still has the flashing down the center of the tires.

The bad news is that the engine is seized, 3 cyl gas Perkins. I have let it soak for a couple of days and tried to rock it in high gear, it won't budge. I have removed the head and the bores look great. I have done some gentle tapping of the pistons with a soft blow mallet on a piece of softwood to no avail. What's the next step?

Is there something up front in the timing gear that might lock it up? The clutch is free and the front crank pulley doesn't budge with a large pipe wrench.

Thanks a lot!

 

[Mike476]

Wow! Look at you. I'm guessing you're not interested in selling it.

Seriously though, keep soaking it with penetrating oil and gentle tapping like you have been. With a little patience it should free up.

I'm in Ottawa, could be there pretty quick if you decide it's not worth the trouble.

 

[zslnk]

OK, patience is not the strong point but I'll forget about it for a while. I have diesel in the bores. I cut out the rad hoses because they were rotten but they still had the string hang tags from new!

A bit about the tractor. GAS Perkins, diff lock, no multipower, full gauges. 4speed with HI/LOW.
Implements:
NEW 6' Bush Hog
Stone boat
2 bottom plow
3 bottom plow
Nice set of discs
Cultivator
2 Driveway drags

I was a little pissed about buying a seized tractor (found out after the fact) but it should end well.

 

[Mike476]

I'm sure it will, you have what some of us would consider a real treasure there. Let us know how you're doing with it. Nice start on the implements too.

 

[vegaome]

I second that Wow! Good find. I have heard to soak them from everything from transmission fluid to coke a cola. Everyone has their special mix. I would try some of the different penetrating oils out there and some light tapping like mentioned already. Please keep us posted.

 

[murphy1244]

I use Kroil for old Harley rebuilds.

 

[MIKE R]

Wow. What a treasure. A needle in a hay stack. Do you have any history on it. It looks like a great tractor to use for show. At 84 hours everything gots to be original on it.

 

[Mike476]

You've probably already checked to make sure the starter drive isn't engaged against the flywheel and frozen there. If it is and the starter is seized it could cause your problem, I've seen it before.

 

[The kid]

Hi there,
I purchased the contents of a barn on a property that I purchased. There was a Massey 135 with a full set of implements and a new 8hp Massey lawn tractor. The 135 has 84hr on it and the size of the trees that we had to clear to get it out confirm this. Still has the flashing down the center of the tires.

The bad news is that the engine is seized, 3 cyl gas Perkins. I have let it soak for a couple of days and tried to rock it in high gear, it won't budge. I have removed the head and the bores look great. I have done some gentle tapping of the pistons with a soft blow mallet on a piece of softwood to no avail. What's the next step?

Is there something up front in the timing gear that might lock it up? The clutch is free and the front crank pulley doesn't budge with a large pipe wrench.

Thanks a lot!

If you haven't pulled the sheet metal off the front. Six bolts and the entire front hood comes off in one piece. Like Mike suggested, check the starter.

 

[the6shooter]

you can also use pb blaster, they sell it by the gallon also. pb blaster works wonders. It free'd anything I have used it on.
david

 

[zslnk]

I have not checked the starter, from the looks of the bores (very good) I can't imagine it being so solid from the rings. There is NO movement. The front pully had a bunch of aluminum oxide around it from the front case, I've been spraying this also. The problem is that the tractor was so new there was no oily residue to coat everything. It looks like one cylinder is now draining down, the other 2 are holding the diesel.

How do you know that you have not broken a ring in the process before you fire it up when the day comes? I'm thinking that the next step is some pressure on the ring gear simultanious with front pully pipe wrench tapping...

 

[MasseyWV]

That's a very nice find that most of us would love to be lucky enough to come across, siezed engine or not.

The bad news is that the engine is seized, 3 cyl gas Perkins. I have let it soak for a couple of days and tried to rock it in high gear, it won't budge. I have removed the head and the bores look great. I have done some gentle tapping of the pistons with a soft blow mallet on a piece of softwood to no avail. What's the next step?

Is there something up front in the timing gear that might lock it up? The clutch is free and the front crank pulley doesn't budge with a large pipe wrench.

In addition to the suggestions posted by others, you might try using heat. The thermal expansion and contraction created by using heat usually helps to break the bond rust forms between the rings and the cylinder wall.

Carefully use a propane torch around the inner part of each cylinder, just above the pistons, to heat the cylinder walls to approximately 200-300 degrees, then allow each cylinder to completely cool before applying more penetrating oil and tapping each piston with the wood block and mallet. Note that it may take several attempts to get the piston and rings to break free, repeat as necessary. Having a fire extinguisher handy is also a good idea because any oil residue left in the cylinders can catch fire while heating them.

How do you know that you have not broken a ring in the process before you fire it up when the day comes? I'm thinking that the next step is some pressure on the ring gear simultanious with front pully pipe wrench tapping...

There's really no sure way of knowing if you've broken a ring without tearing the engine down to inspect it. It's possible that a cylinder with a broken ring would show up as having reduced compression, but not always. I wouldn't try forcing the engine using pipe wrenches or pressure on the ring gear because you're only likely to break something that way. If the rings are siezed, using a combination of heat, penetrating oil, and tapping the pistons is the best way to free them. IMO

 

[murphy1244]

One must ask "Why is this in the barn with such low hours" Nice find by the way. I made a offer on a 5000 hour machine for 2 k delivered.

 

[Mike476]

If the diesel isn't yielding results I'd switch to one of the penetrating solutions listed in previous threads. I appreciate patience is a hard thing to muster when looking to get something running but it would be a shame to cause any damage trying to force the issue at this point. With penetrating fluids in the cylinder (wouldn't recommend chemically abrasive products) you may see results much quicker.

Once it is turning over by hand inspect the cylinder walls for any damage where the rings were setting, some scotch brite and engine oil to remove any ridges will help prevent damaging any rings. If any of the pistons are at full stroke I wouln't tap too much on the piston, concentrate on the others.

In the mean time you'll need new gaskets prior to re-assembly, with any luck that's all you'll need to do.

Keep us posted.

 

[2458n]

Soaking will work. You have a down flow exhaust so it is not like it has been full of water. Walk away and come back later. Most of my mistakes are made in a hurry.. Did you drain any oil out of it? How did it look? Again you did very well with this tractor. Alot of knowledge on here, take the time to learn alittle about your find.

 

[JoeBuyer]

Do these have the shaft where you can use an old fashioned crank to start the engine? If so, insert a crank and put a bottle jack under it on the upswing. Put a little pressure on the crank overnight with the jack. Not too much, just enough to keep pressure on the parts that are sticking. I have done this and come out in the morning to find a freed up engine. BTW, what did the oil look like and what level was it?

 

[zslnk]

The oil was clean and full, no water, no residue on dipstick. I have evacuated the diesel and cleaned them out with compressed air and applied liquid wrench around the rings. I also confirmed that the starter was not stuck. I also found the matching 8hp tractor in the barn. Here's hoping the liquid wrench does something...

 

[Mike476]

Sweet! What else can you tell us about it, substantial looking frame, heavy cast front axle, deck looks to be in good shape. Have you been able to determine the year of manufacture? How are the lift mechanism linkages etc, doesn't appear to have been used much but hard to tell by the picture, with the rims corroded a little in one area it would appear it too has sat idle for a bit, great shape!

I think the liquid wrench will work its wonders with time.

 

[vegaome]

They are both beautiful. You won't have any trouble selling either one.

 

[Don87]

Best of luck on the restore.

As was mentioned in a previous post, PB Blaster is the best I've found for loosening stuck parts. Although Kerosene mixed with ATF works very well also.