MF165 Project

**Old Farang** · 21st November 2019, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

pull a couple of the bolts out that hold it together for sizing and buy a 4 really long studs/bolts so you can keep it aligned/together while apart.... its the only way I can line up the lt230 transfer to get it back together. as well.

seeya,
Shane L.

All those years ago my new MF165 has a sticking clutch. It was split under warranty, on the farm in the car garage, as that was the only concrete bit of floor that we had. Cannot recall any problem doing it, and did not take long. That was when I learned to use a bit of grease of anti-seize on the splines.

In another life I worked as the leading hand fitter in a brickworks. (I am actually an electrical fitter by trade). We had a bit of everything; 5 or 6 road trucks, all different, caterpillar frontend loaders, both wheeled and tracked, roller crushing plant, the actual brick extruder, oil fired Scotch kilns and various pumps and such like.

But the killer was the assorted Fergy TE20 and petrol MF35's all fitted with a rear fork lift for moving the pallets of bricks around. These were all driven around the plant at breakneck speed by frustrated young speedway drivers. It was a bit of a rabbit warren, so many stops, starts and general slipping the clutch during use. It was not unusual to have to replace a clutch on one of them 1 or 2 times a month. I also made up a small jig and carrier to move the front end. With the forks down the back half only needed a jack under it and just wheeled the front half away. Don't recall having any problem lining them up again, and I think that I only had a rough clutch plate alignment tool, probably made up in the ancient old lathe we had.

Don't recall much about the brakes, but they were also a regular replacement job. I was there about 18 months and I think that experience taught we a great deal later carried over to marine engineering.

**Ancient Mariner** · 2nd December 2019, 10:08 AM

Bought the original about 30 years ago .Handy but hard to steer ,unable to inch or slew so rebuilt with a Cummins diesei ,Holden hydromatic Gearbox ,Articulated frame ,new longer jib with hydraulic extension.A vast improvement

Noel

**DoubleChevron** · 3rd December 2019, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by Ancient Mariner

Bought the original about 30 years ago .Handy but hard to steer ,unable to inch or slew so rebuilt with a Cummins diesei ,Holden hydromatic Gearbox ,Articulated frame ,new longer jib with hydraulic extension.A vast improvement

Noel

Ok, I'll bite

.... What on earth is it LOL. It looks like an old cropmaster tractor in the first photo.

MF165 Project-crane.jpg

a huge number of weird and wonderful cranes popup on the facebook farming group. Old blitz truck conversions etc...

**Old Farang** · 3rd December 2019, 11:44 AM

There were many of those old cranes around the south west of WA used in timber mills. They were mostly built up on agricultural tractors. Another popular choice was an old army blitz buggy as mentioned.

**Ancient Mariner** · 3rd December 2019, 07:21 PM

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

Ok, I'll bite

.... What on earth is it LOL. It looks like an old cropmaster tractor in the first photo.

a huge number of weird and wonderful cranes popup on the facebook farming group. Old blitz truck conversions etc...

The name plate says The Fowler Hydraulic Jib Crane .Its based on a massy harris Inter with the seat and pedals facing the rear with the steering shaft passing under your left arm

.Its main pro is that it is small and manoeuvrable compared to Blitz and other tractor cranes allowing it to work in side buildings

Noel

**DoubleChevron** · 27th December 2019, 08:48 AM

How is the knee going ? I keep checking here to see if there is any updates ...

...

**Homestar** · 27th December 2019, 10:12 AM

Hi mate, knee is coming along fine thanks. So is the tractor but due to the Christmas rush, etc I haven't posted any more updates - will try and get some pics up in the new year - I'm working right through so not much of a chance to get back to it for a few weeks. Latest is that I have made some adaptors up for the rear wheels so I can fit the only pressed wheel centres I can get these days - there is nothing new nor second hand I can find anywhere that will fit the heavy duty reduction drive hubs it has - the pressed centres were designed for a standard hub - the huge weighted centres only run on the HD hubs.

Once I have these fitted and it back on all 4 wheels, I only have one more guard to paint and some wiring. Still deciding if my OCD will let me leave the oil leak alone and use it as it or if I'll split it while I have the chance...

Will post some pics when I get some time.

**Pedro_The_Swift** · 28th December 2019, 06:02 AM

my money is on the split...

**DoubleChevron** · 28th December 2019, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

my money is on the split...

Depends if he needs to use it .............. I never amazed at what I'll use/do if something is needed .... eg: pouring 5litres of oil in the top (even though it'll leak back out the bottom within a couple of hours) would seem more than acceptable if I had 5acres of grass to cut ................

especially if the boss women was starting to get vocal about the grass

**DoubleChevron** · 13th January 2020, 03:26 PM

How is the wiring on your old 165 ? I thought I'd fit a new tachometer to mine ... so figured I'd better fix up the wiring. I thought the wiring was red. Its only red where there is paint. Every scrap of wiring on the damn tractor is yellow. Oh well, after unwrapping the dash I've found not only dodgy wiring, but someone has plugged it all back together incorrecty at some point in the past. Fortunately the users manual has a wiring diagram in it!

So now I have charge light, dashlight, oil pressure light ..... I wonder if the battery will now charge when I start it as well

seeya,
Shane L.

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