The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Last year I noticed a squeaking in the clutch when I changed gear so knew the time had come to split her and check out the clutch. On splitting her I found a faulty thrust bearing and this had worn the buttons from the clutch release forks. So it means I have to fit a new clutch and bearings. I also had a grinding in the starter occasionally so there was another reason for splitting her.

This is where the problems started!



The ring gear is badly worn.



The pinion is toast!

This called for a visit to Malcolm Hipperson at Downham Market and he had most of the parts I needed except for the ring gear, off the shelf. The price of a complete clutch was very reasonable from him too.

The ring gear is different to the normal diesel Dexta as it is an inertia starter and comes in from the back. I was hoping that it was the same as the Ferguson petrol ones but it is a lot larger.

Width .. 1/2"
No.Teeth .. 155
Pitch .. 4 per inch.
ID .. 14 5/16", OD 15 5/16th"

Have checked a couple of suppliers of ring gear but no luck yet.

If anyone out there has a Petrol Dexta Starter Ring in their attic or outhouse Dotty would be very grateful, she looks a bit sorry for herself as she sits in the yard in two pieces.

Oh dear Brian,

That looks like a serious ouch. Hopefully you find what the ring gear originally may have come from. The numbers you have given for the O/D are only a shade smaller than the P6 ring gear behind me. Have you checked crazy things like E27N?

Good luck with the search.

Regards, Frank.

P.S. No the P6 is not in the crawler yet. Been too busy fixing the back hoe after every time it breaks getting the next stump out of the shed site.

You have not been bending that lovely digger have you Frank? Thought all those stumps would have been burnt out with the fire. A dozer on the CFT would be a great, useful addition!

Hi Brian,

Unfortunately yes on the bending the digger. The pins keep breaking and then the welds let go and then I have a big bend to deal with. I should replace them all as the new ones I get made are so much stronger. Fortunately the last stump is out now, so the digger might get a bit of an easier life now. The last stump took full throttle in first to move after I got it out. It took forever to get the bent pins out of the D shackles that I used to pull it out with afterwards too. The first shifting spanner I tried to get the D shackle pins out with broke too.

That was only half of what broke or blew out that weekend, but I am now at the stage of leveling a clear site which is a great feeling. Glad I wasn't using the County I probably would have broken that too.

Regards, Frank.

P.S. I will have a look in the container over in Snake Valley and if I can get to it I will measure the E27N ring gear I have there and I will check any others I can find for you too.

Hi Brian
Sorry to hear of your problems .
I was wondering if somebody like Donald Parkinson, the British tractor wrecker in Unity, Saskatchewan, Canada might be breaking one, maybe fire him an email I don't have his info handy but he has a good site and ships world wide.
Hes a pretty useful guy that moved out from England and I think worked for ford dealers in the u.k.
Do the later gas or to you petrol 2000 series use a similar starter ring, Im wondering as they are pretty much the same tractor aren't they . I tried the North America CNH online parts page, it lists 2 rings for gas but not the sizes . Donald may know or have them used so could even tell you if they match .
I hope this may be useful info.
Regards Robert

Hi Robert,

Thanks for that, will see if I can find him on the web. The ring gear/flywheel is not the same as the later series, I am pretty sure its the same as the petrol MF135/35 and I can get one of these off the shelf but no-one can give me the details before I spend £50/£80.00. I have got feelers out to see what I can do to find these details. Just wondered if someone in Norway, Sweden or Denmark had one in the shed.

Hi Mark,

Had a few health problems and lots of work so do not have the time to spend on the board these days. What brain cells I have left are fully commited to designing and building electronics for agriculture so that I can get back to Australia in October 2014.

Hi Brian
lifes never simple with this odd ball petrol stuff I just brought a spare gas new major incase I ever need parts for my good one . the info you need is on the A&I parts store online catalogue through http://www.harvestsalvage.ca . I just looked there now it looks like the tooth count is lower and so are the Diameters I tried 87 mm petrol and continental in gas for fergy and mf 135. If you want to look go to the H/S web site. click the A&I parts link. when on their page select Massey Ferguson tractor. Next page select model, Next page engine or maybe motor parts, the next page has ring gear and flywheel listed click that and it should bring up 3 or 4 ring gears and info when you click the pics.
They also should do the same for other makes as well if you want to check any other possible tractor leads you might pick up.
I was looking for a ring gear for a MF 2135 and found all the info for that listed .
Regards Robert

the ring gear does look unhealthy. would it be possible to dress the worst of the damage of the ring gear and fit it the opposite way round? this would let you use the unworn non pressure flanks for a whilst you find a replacement.
Regards,
John

Hi Robert,

Thanks for that, I had found that info on another site but they only list the Continental Engine, the MF 35 we had over here had the same Standard engine as the Dexta but with the starter on the other side. Wonder if that was for Europe only. Still hopeful about British Tractor Wreckers if I can ever get an e-mail to them, keeps coming back as "Not able to deliver at this time".

Another subject, I know someone who needs a Petrol Super Major inlet/exhaust manifold as well! Talk about hens teeth at the moment. Might as well ask for the Holy Graile at the same time!!!

John,

Good idea but I have not got enough of a tooth left in some places. May have to get the welder and angle grinder out.

There are some petrol goldbellys for sale locally, but I dont think anyone are breaking one now. I have a flywheel from a standard 23 diesel, so no luck there...

Brian wrote:Hi Robert,

Thanks for that, I had found that info on another site but they only list the Continental Engine, the MF 35 we had over here had the same Standard engine as the Dexta but with the starter on the other side. Wonder if that was for Europe only. Still hopeful about British Tractor Wreckers if I can ever get an e-mail to them, keeps coming back as "Not able to deliver at this time".

Another subject, I know someone who needs a Petrol Super Major inlet/exhaust manifold as well! Talk about hens teeth at the moment. Might as well ask for the Holy Graile at the same time!!!

Hi Brian
Hows the battle going. Did you ever get hold of British tractor wreckers, or find anything else. I just had a look on an internet sale site thats Canada wide called Kijiji.
On the Ontario farm equipment page there is a whole petrol Dexta for $2450 . It looks like the same motor as the standard Fergie like yours has to me.
we have both types of Fergie standard and continental engine here. my friend up the roads got a standard T20. They are rare in Manitoba with not many around and the ones that are usually have continentals , but hundreds of them in Ontario with the U.K motor
That super Manifold you are looking for would not happen to be the same as the 52/3 straight petrol by any chance. I might be able to find that on my spares tractor or in a wreckers But never seen a petrol super out here only the first new majors .
There was a guy on U.K ebay selling a petrol Major engine from a Matbro, I wonder if that has the manifold you need if it's still listed, I've seen it twice in the last few months. It might get cheap if it comes around again .
If you have had no luck on your parts, I have a couple of leads on wreckers in Ontario I could try for you. I could call Donald if you have had no luck contacting him. We have a very good long distance Phone plan so it would only be pocket change for me to try these guys for you

Regards Robert

Hi Robert,
No, the manifold on the earlier petrols had offset ports like the diesel, this one has the ports in a line like the Power/Super Majors. I will keep an eye on e-bay and see if that one reappears. Think it will have to come from a petrol Thames Trader.

No luck on the Dexta ring gear yet, I have tried companies in New Zealand and in England and MF dealers who tell me the flywheel is smaller on the petrol 35 and 135, not too much smaller but 145 teeth against the 155 that I need. I am trying a contact in Australia who I know has a complete spare scrap engine in his workshop but have not had a reply yet.

I am looking to see if I can rebuild and recut the teeth in case I cannot lay my hands on one. This would also give me time to look for one and possibly bring one back from Australia on my next trip if I cannot get one in a week or so. The grass in the woodland is growing fast now and Dotty is the only one that can get under the low branches.

Have had no response from British Tractor Wreckers but I do not think my e-mails got through, I kept getting "Still attempting to deliver" from Mailer Demon. Could you possibly e-mail him and see if thinks get through from your side please.

Hi Brian
We have a long weekend holiday over here this weekend so ill send Donald an Email after and see what happens for you . I'll try those other 2 guys as well just to see what they have, as back up plan 4f if nothing else works out for you .
was just thinking about what you said about the low branches on trees. Here in Canada we don't get a smaller tractor. We adjust the size of the tree/ branches with a Chain saw
Regards Robert

Brian,

Good to see you back!

I had called Donald Parkinson a month of so ago and he had no Dextas in recently.

Saw an Petrol Dexta engine for sale in BC that might still be there!!??.... and Donald Provost from Quebec with the nicely restored '64 Petrol Dexta had an extra block advertised but I don't know if it included the starter ring.

Shipping cost back to UK though?

Les

Shipping the ring gear back should be no problem Les, although you do have to be careful not to put the correct cost on it! The last item I had shipped back cost an extra 75% for import duties and it was only a few tools.

It does not look as if one is available here in England so I will have to pay what it costs to get a good one from elsewhere.

could you go down the route of getting one machined locally or try getting one profile cut?
or could you possibly fit an mf35 flywheel, clutch cover and ring gear? or is the starter going to be in the wrong place?
Regards,
John

Hi Brian
Just thought I'd give ya a bit of an update on my search. I haven't had any luck so far with that ring gear. The yard I found with a petrol Dexta in said 90% of that one had gone and usually if they don't return calls the parts you want aren't there or are scrap .
I'm not dead in the water yet I will call 2 other yards I know tomorrow and see what they say
Regards Robert

Thanks Robert,
I am on the trail of one from Canada, Les found engine parts on an "e-bay type" site, the seller used to post on here. I contacted him and he is prepared to sell it to me depending on condition so I am waiting for him to report back.

The rebuilt one is working OK at the moment but I would not want to rely on it for too long.

hi brian, might have someone locally who may have what you need, pm me for his details if you need. cheers, rich.

Rich,
Send me an e-mail at bhe at bt.connect.com, its far easier for me to pick up, please.

hi brian, keep getting failure at your ad. try mine -richard.jones810@btinternet.com

Was about to quote a Sparex P/N, but realised it was for the diesel engine.

Chris

That is the problem Chris, you can get diesel ones but they are totally different. Even the petrol MF one for the same engine is smaller

Details are as follows:
Width .. 1/2"
No.Teeth .. 155
Pitch .. 4 to the inch
OD .. 15 5/16th", ID .. 14 5/16th"
Pinion .. Rear Entry.

Hi Brian
I hope the Canada contact works for you or you can get one through Rich .
I tried all the guys I deal on used parts with regularly across Canada.
I got the last of the possible polite responses you can from tractor wreckers ,other than yes or no . They are the sound of air being sucked through teeth, through out the whole conversation, Been doing this X years and never had one, gas what and never heard of a gas Dexta, They are all Perkins diesels aren't they . .
Good luck
Regards Robert