Is this a 30B?

[jimduchek]

So I just purchased what was supposedly a 1979 30B. I am not so sure now. It has a mf-32a loader on the front, and the _loader_ has a faded "30B" decal. The hood clearly does not fit correctly and Agco's part manuals have the exhaust for a gasser 30B being on the _right_, but mine is on the _left_. Attached is the tag on the tractor itself (which offers very little help). Is there any chance this is some other tractor than a 30B? It _almost_ matches many things, but there's just some oddities. Can take any pictures if it would help.

 

[Jim.ME]

Welcome to the Forums.

A dealer or someone with access to dealer info, might be able to track the serial number back to the actual tractor, however the commonly published lists available use serial number ranges for build years. In the case of the Massey Fergusons the 9A serial numbers were used across many models, industrial and agricultural. 9A300644 falls in the 1979 build year range for several MF tractors.

Is it a 3- or 4-cylinder gas engine?

I would expect the tractor model decal or badge to be on the tractor hood. A decal on the loader was likely done as part of a repaint. You noted the loader is a 32-A.

Pictures of the entire tractor, front axle, nose/grill, controls, etc. can help identify the model in this case better than the serial number.

 

[jimduchek]

It's a 4-cylinder gas. I'm going over pictures from auctions and it probably is a 30B, but I think may have a hood off something else. Agco's parts book seems to have the gas/diesel hoods mislabeled, as well -- I found a couple auctions for gas 30B's and the exhaust is definitely on the left on them. I will get some better pics later today.

 

[TractorTech]

What make/model of engine? Should be a Continental if it is a 30B.

 

[Jim.ME]

It's a 4-cylinder gas. I'm going over pictures from auctions and it probably is a 30B, but I think may have a hood off something else. Agco's parts book seems to have the gas/diesel hoods mislabeled, as well -- I found a couple auctions for gas 30B's and the exhaust is definitely on the left on them. I will get some better pics later today.

The 4 cylinder is a Continental gas engine and the exhaust and carburetor are on the right side, distributor on the left. Sides are given as setting in the seat.

#1 hood on the parts page you posted is a gas hood for a vertical exhaust, #2 is the diesel hod for a vertical exhaust as they are labelled in the descriptions.

Pictures?

 

[TractorTech]

To add to @Jim.ME, the front of the hoods are the lower right of the illustration. That might be part of the confusion. And, I don't know why I asked about engine make/model, the Perkins gas is only 3 cylinder.

 

[jimduchek]

Interesting. I _thought_ it was the Continental Z-145. The exhaust is definitely on the left, so I guess not. Will get some pics here shortly.

 

[TractorTech]

Interesting. I _thought_ it was the Continental Z-145. The exhaust is definitely on the left, so I guess not. Will get some pics here shortly.

Then you have something else. Verify engine model and give us some pictures!

 

[jimduchek]

Oof. Just got out to take a closer look and pics for y'all. So the lady I bought this from didn't know too much about it and her husband kinda has Alzheimer's and was not much help, but told me it was gas. And I guess I was paying more attention to the condition of the hydraulics and transmission. So I'm pretty sure it's a 30b... With the Perkins diesel. Now I'm confused how it made it 8 miles home after putting gas in the tank. Still a little curious about the hood. It's got some odd fittings I'm not sure what they're for. Looks like maybe at some point there was some kind of weather cap over the fuel and coolant caps?

 

[TractorTech]

Yup, that's a 30B. Drain the fuel and refill with diesel. Those fuel systems are pretty forgiving.
The cover over the fuel was probably an anti-theft cover so that it could be padlocked.

 

[MKinON]

I highly doubt that's a 4 cylinder. Looks like 3.152D. I see only 3 injection lines and it sure looks short compared to the 4 cylinder Perkins. I doubt the 30 even came with a 4 cylinder diesel. We have the same tractor and it's damn tight under that hood with just 3 cylinders.

 

[Jim.ME]

Interesting. I _thought_ it was the Continental Z-145. The exhaust is definitely on the left, so I guess not. Will get some pics here shortly.

I see an injection pump on the left side of the engine with 3 high pressure lines that go to the injectors. You have a 3-cylinder Perkins 3.152 DIESEL. That explains the exhaust on the left. It does not have 4-cylinders and it is not a gasoline engine.

Not knowing how much gas you put in it or the condition of the fuel that was in it, you need to drain the tank and service the fuel filter to get the gas out of it.

No fair blaming the lady for saying it was gas. A good check over of oil, coolant, etc. before putting gas in and driving it home should have caught her error. JMHO on this one.

Did you get any manuals with it? Operator's, Service, and Parts?

 

[jimduchek]

I see an injection pump on the left side of the engine with 3 high pressure lines that go to the injectors. You have a 3-cylinder Perkins 3.152 DIESEL. That explains the exhaust on the left. It does not have 4-cylinders and it is not a gasoline engine.

Not knowing how much gas you put in it or the condition of the fuel that was in it, you need to drain the tank and service the fuel filter to get the gas out of it.

No fair blaming the lady for saying it was gas. A good check over of oil, coolant, etc. before putting gas in and driving it home should have caught her error. JMHO on this one.

Did you get any manuals with it? Operator's, Service, and Parts?

Yeah, I didn't even hardly look at the engine that closely past checking the fan belt, absolutely my bad, and there's nothing on the right side that screams diesel (to me anyway, not being familiar with these motors). The loader arms really block the view casually - when I looked closer today the first thing I saw what was obviously an injection pump and I was just like dang, I'm an idiot. Not the first dumb thing I've done this year, won't be the last. How I missed seeing it when I checked the oil I don't know. At least I preferred the diesel in the first place. Probably about 4-5 gallons of gas and the rest diesel (less whatever got burned in the half hour or so after leaving the station), I believe the tank is 14 gallons? I grabbed another 5 gal diesel can, I think I'll drain 5 gallons, add some lubricant, top it up with diesel and just run it - that should leave it maybe 10-15% gas which is ok, and then change the fuel filter once I'm sure I'm back to pure diesel.

Anybody need a pile of z-145 tune-up parts that I ordered? Haha.

I've also got a bit of a bad leak from the rear axle that wasn't there a few days ago. Hard to tell exactly where it's coming from. Looks like just below where the right footplate attaches to the axle. Going to check out the parts diagram there.

 

[jimduchek]

The cover over the fuel was probably an anti-theft cover so that it could be padlocked.

That's probably it. There's a couple holes drilled forward of the coolant cap too. And any idea on that circular thing right in the middle?

 

[Jim.ME]

That's probably it. There's a couple holes drilled forward of the coolant cap too. And any idea on that circular thing right in the middle?

I would say the thing in the middle is just a mount for something a previous owner put there. I do not believe it is a Massey Ferguson item.

 

[jimduchek]

I would say the thing in the middle is just a mount for something a previous owner put there. I do not believe it is a Massey Ferguson item.

Likely. Maybe a little flag holder or something? It's hard to tell what's stock and not with a couple coats of paint all over everything. POs did a number on this thing. There's _no_ wiring south of the pedestal, the rear lights have the wiring just snipped off and the headlights are just gone. Was planning to rewire everything anyway, but would have been nice to see the stock routing (maybe down the right side? There's some metal clamp-things that look like they might have secured wiring). Bones are good tho and the price was right.