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Fordson Power Major 1960 Starter
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George
Jan 3, 2013, 1:19:17 PM1/3/13
to
Hi there, I am sure that a lot of you will have come across this
problem, or at least heard about what can be done.
Several years ago I had a problem with my tractor, above with start
motor not engaging. I took it all apart and discovered that the
interior housing holding the support bearing and forming the stop
plate for the bendix drive had cracked. It all came out with the
starter so I had all the bits, so I preheated it and welded along the
crack with some suitable stick welding rods. I was not 100% happy
with the job, but it did last for about 5 years.
Today however, it started to play up again so I whipped it out,
expecting that the same thing had happened. It had, but this time it
is much more serious, the broken end of the casting and the bendix
drive and gear have all come off and are nowhere to be seen!
This time the starter body is probably a write-off, but what about
the bits that have come off? It was dark when I finished and so I
have no idea if there is any access to the area below the flywheel.
Is it an engine out job, or can I maybe get the bigger bits out with a
magnet, or can I just leave them in the housing? I am resigned to
buying another starter, from where ? I looked on Ebay with no luck.
Has anyone had this problem, - if it can happen to me, it can happen
to anyone and probably has!
Any comments will be welcome. Thanks George.
problem, or at least heard about what can be done.
Several years ago I had a problem with my tractor, above with start
motor not engaging. I took it all apart and discovered that the
interior housing holding the support bearing and forming the stop
plate for the bendix drive had cracked. It all came out with the
starter so I had all the bits, so I preheated it and welded along the
crack with some suitable stick welding rods. I was not 100% happy
with the job, but it did last for about 5 years.
Today however, it started to play up again so I whipped it out,
expecting that the same thing had happened. It had, but this time it
is much more serious, the broken end of the casting and the bendix
drive and gear have all come off and are nowhere to be seen!
This time the starter body is probably a write-off, but what about
the bits that have come off? It was dark when I finished and so I
have no idea if there is any access to the area below the flywheel.
Is it an engine out job, or can I maybe get the bigger bits out with a
magnet, or can I just leave them in the housing? I am resigned to
buying another starter, from where ? I looked on Ebay with no luck.
Has anyone had this problem, - if it can happen to me, it can happen
to anyone and probably has!
Any comments will be welcome. Thanks George.
Howard Neil
Jan 3, 2013, 2:32:19 PM1/3/13
to
Tim Lamb
Jan 3, 2013, 4:00:21 PM1/3/13
to
In message <b4-dndGpH85DQXjN...@brightview.co.uk>, Howard
Neil <inv...@invalid.co.uk> writes
I don't suppose Ford made the starter. Perhaps Lucas?
Their agent in Luton used to be LSUK on 01582 507001 Long while since I
was last there though.
>
--
Tim Lamb
Neil <inv...@invalid.co.uk> writes
Their agent in Luton used to be LSUK on 01582 507001 Long while since I
was last there though.
>
--
Tim Lamb
greymaus
Jan 4, 2013, 5:07:05 AM1/4/13
to
will have to `split' the engine, no problem with older tractors with
bare engines (MF135), bigger problem with ones with cabs and a lot of
plastic crufft to remove.
about 21Dec, our yard tractor gave starter trouble, it was 31st before
the starter could be replaced, silage moved with the main tractor and
a buckrake, so it was a urgent job.Given more tme, the starter could be
reconditioned, but we hadn't time.
(Magnet?.. That engine block is a massive lump of iron)
George
Jan 5, 2013, 4:48:08 AM1/5/13
to
On 4 Jan, 10:07, greymaus <greyma...@mail.com> wrote:
> (Magnet?.. That engine block is a massive lump of iron)- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Yes Greymaus, I had already considered that. I do have a quite small
strong magnet on a long piece of welding wire and today I shall rig up
a light and mirror and see if I can see down the bottom. I may be
able to move it into a position where I can hook through the hole in
the broken housing bit that the shaft went through. the gear, etc did
not come off as I first throught, so there will only be a washer in
the bottom of the housing. The magnet might pick this up. I found
another starter on line quite easily, it was not cheap but it is on
it's way.
The tractor has a front end loader and this is what I use most.
Because of the danger of smashing into the light bodywork, I removed
all this except for the mudguards, so there is not very much to remove
to actually separate the engine/gearbox if necessary. As I said, the
clutch has been slipping a bit for decades. I bought it for £400
about 30 years ago and this is the first major expense, so it owes me
nothing. If anyone has the instructions on how to remove the engine,
I would be glad to hear from them. When -(if), the weather improves
and the soil dries out I will be busy cutting grass, I have a big
triangular frame I can set up over it to lift the engine and shift it
along the frame, which is how it looks as if it comes off, and a JCB.
We shall see. Thanks for all the comments. Nice to hear that a few
"regulars" are still there. I am in the slow process of
resurrecting Maribelecosystems as the service provider did not renew
the domain registration and before I knew about it the domain name had
expired and gone into limbo and I will not be able to recover it for
about a year, I am told. I have rented maribelecosystems.co.uk
instead of maribelecosystems.com and transferring everything is not
half as easy as I hoped. there is always something!
Regards George.
>
> - Show quoted text -
Yes Greymaus, I had already considered that. I do have a quite small
strong magnet on a long piece of welding wire and today I shall rig up
a light and mirror and see if I can see down the bottom. I may be
able to move it into a position where I can hook through the hole in
the broken housing bit that the shaft went through. the gear, etc did
not come off as I first throught, so there will only be a washer in
the bottom of the housing. The magnet might pick this up. I found
another starter on line quite easily, it was not cheap but it is on
it's way.
The tractor has a front end loader and this is what I use most.
Because of the danger of smashing into the light bodywork, I removed
all this except for the mudguards, so there is not very much to remove
to actually separate the engine/gearbox if necessary. As I said, the
clutch has been slipping a bit for decades. I bought it for £400
about 30 years ago and this is the first major expense, so it owes me
nothing. If anyone has the instructions on how to remove the engine,
I would be glad to hear from them. When -(if), the weather improves
and the soil dries out I will be busy cutting grass, I have a big
triangular frame I can set up over it to lift the engine and shift it
along the frame, which is how it looks as if it comes off, and a JCB.
We shall see. Thanks for all the comments. Nice to hear that a few
"regulars" are still there. I am in the slow process of
resurrecting Maribelecosystems as the service provider did not renew
the domain registration and before I knew about it the domain name had
expired and gone into limbo and I will not be able to recover it for
about a year, I am told. I have rented maribelecosystems.co.uk
instead of maribelecosystems.com and transferring everything is not
half as easy as I hoped. there is always something!
Regards George.
Tim Lamb
Jan 5, 2013, 5:20:55 AM1/5/13
to
In message
<4430f0c8-5671-4d11...@u19g2000yqj.googlegroups.com>,
George <georg...@hotmail.com> writes
second hand. I have FO-42 which covers series 5000 and up. I think you
may need FO-201 which includes the Fordson Power Major.
I can copy off the engine clutch section from my manual if you think it
might help.
--
Tim Lamb
<4430f0c8-5671-4d11...@u19g2000yqj.googlegroups.com>,
George <georg...@hotmail.com> writes
>
>The tractor has a front end loader and this is what I use most.
>Because of the danger of smashing into the light bodywork, I removed
>all this except for the mudguards, so there is not very much to remove
>to actually separate the engine/gearbox if necessary. As I said, the
>clutch has been slipping a bit for decades. I bought it for £400
>about 30 years ago and this is the first major expense, so it owes me
>nothing. If anyone has the instructions on how to remove the engine,
>I would be glad to hear from them. When -(if), the weather improves
>and the soil dries out I will be busy cutting grass, I have a big
>triangular frame I can set up over it to lift the engine and shift it
>along the frame, which is how it looks as if it comes off, and a JCB.
I&T shop service manual is one way to go. Amazon might have something
>The tractor has a front end loader and this is what I use most.
>Because of the danger of smashing into the light bodywork, I removed
>all this except for the mudguards, so there is not very much to remove
>to actually separate the engine/gearbox if necessary. As I said, the
>clutch has been slipping a bit for decades. I bought it for £400
>about 30 years ago and this is the first major expense, so it owes me
>nothing. If anyone has the instructions on how to remove the engine,
>I would be glad to hear from them. When -(if), the weather improves
>and the soil dries out I will be busy cutting grass, I have a big
>triangular frame I can set up over it to lift the engine and shift it
>along the frame, which is how it looks as if it comes off, and a JCB.
second hand. I have FO-42 which covers series 5000 and up. I think you
may need FO-201 which includes the Fordson Power Major.
I can copy off the engine clutch section from my manual if you think it
might help.
--
Tim Lamb
grey...@mail.com
Jan 6, 2013, 6:25:35 AM1/6/13
to
or that smallish David Brown, forget the number. 991?.. I would make
the effort to get them going, as for the `owe me nothing', they will
be expensive to replace. A neighbour recently replaced a 18year old
tractor with a 23yearold one, and I agree with him.
There is a video online somewhere froma German company www.magneta.de
(from memory) showing off their magnets, impressive, specially as
their factory has markings keeping the magnets away from computers.
Keep in touch with progress.
--
maus
.
.
...
greymausg
Jan 8, 2013, 8:01:56 AM1/8/13
to
George
Jan 18, 2013, 12:50:14 PM1/18/13
to
On 8 Jan, 13:01, greymausg <m...@mail.com> wrote:
> On 2013-01-06, greyma...@mail.com <greyma...@mail.com> wrote:
> ...- Hide quoted text -
few conversations that I think were fruitful and one was that I should
look for a shuftiscope and see if the broken-off bit is visible as
there is a hole in it for hooking it out and it must be down there
somewhere. I found a camera which plugs into the USB connection on my
laptop with a 5 metre lead and is only £15. I have ordered it and we
will see if it can see the broken off end of the starter. I also
found out that it will be almost impossible to work on the tractor
where it is, parked on some uneven muddy ground near my concrete
drive. It is all far too muddy to allow me to tow it into place
without turning the whole area into a quagmire, - the JCB is like
that! so if I can get the broken bit(s) out I shall be able to bolt
the new starter on and drive it around, long enough just to get it
onto the drive, where I can get it properly jacked up and the engine
supported on a moveable stand..
With temperatures around -6 and snow blowing about I am not going to
even consider doing anything outside and the break will alow the
shuftiscope thing to get here and when the weather improves, - if it
ever does, I can make a start. I have lots of bits already that I can
start cleaning up and painting. I may even just get it going, knowing
that it will be a lot nicer to do a job like this in the spring. I do
not really need it at the moment. I may even make room in my
workshop, it would be a lot nicer in there.
Any hints/tips will be welcome, as I have not done this before and
although I have picked up the basic procedure from various sources, a
detailed description would really help. Someone suggested that there
may be an inspection panel, or some way into the bottom of the clutch
housing, but the thought of laying in the mud under it to find out has
put me off trying, does anyone know if there is?
Once again, any comments will be welcome.
Thanks George.
> On 2013-01-06, greyma...@mail.com <greyma...@mail.com> wrote:
>
> - Show quoted text -
Weather has brought things to a complete halt, however I have had a
> - Show quoted text -
few conversations that I think were fruitful and one was that I should
look for a shuftiscope and see if the broken-off bit is visible as
there is a hole in it for hooking it out and it must be down there
somewhere. I found a camera which plugs into the USB connection on my
laptop with a 5 metre lead and is only £15. I have ordered it and we
will see if it can see the broken off end of the starter. I also
found out that it will be almost impossible to work on the tractor
where it is, parked on some uneven muddy ground near my concrete
drive. It is all far too muddy to allow me to tow it into place
without turning the whole area into a quagmire, - the JCB is like
that! so if I can get the broken bit(s) out I shall be able to bolt
the new starter on and drive it around, long enough just to get it
onto the drive, where I can get it properly jacked up and the engine
supported on a moveable stand..
With temperatures around -6 and snow blowing about I am not going to
even consider doing anything outside and the break will alow the
shuftiscope thing to get here and when the weather improves, - if it
ever does, I can make a start. I have lots of bits already that I can
start cleaning up and painting. I may even just get it going, knowing
that it will be a lot nicer to do a job like this in the spring. I do
not really need it at the moment. I may even make room in my
workshop, it would be a lot nicer in there.
Any hints/tips will be welcome, as I have not done this before and
although I have picked up the basic procedure from various sources, a
detailed description would really help. Someone suggested that there
may be an inspection panel, or some way into the bottom of the clutch
housing, but the thought of laying in the mud under it to find out has
put me off trying, does anyone know if there is?
Once again, any comments will be welcome.
Thanks George.
grey...@mail.com
Jan 18, 2013, 1:55:01 PM1/18/13
to
moving the 4x4 means water squeezing up. Is `Shuftiscope' a trade name?
. Or, has the usb camera an integral light?. We had aa medical 'scope here
years ago, one for keyhole surgery, a family member had it for practice,
an incredible gadget, but I doubt if one would be available for civies,
and the person involved gets very uptight at such a suggestion now :).
Our yard tractor continuing to give `some' trouble, I met a man who
did a MF some years ago, and asked how much (He dosn't farm, but enjoys
driving it to rallys, etc),.. He started to mutter about 10,000 (cost 5,000
and abot 30000 for parts). There was a plate under the bell housing on
Fergusons, from memory. I drove a Fordson Major years ago, great machine.
(As far as I know, the man who owned it has it put up in a shed in case
of need.)
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