MF 30 issues

dr1

New User
Picked up this 'well used' MF 30 gas engine about 6 years ago. Really hammered, person I bought it from did a bunch of hoses and other things to get it functional, but still barely usable. Dug some massive boulders out of my yard with it for a year or two though. Started sputtering out one day in the field digging out a boulder, and I drove it back to the side of the garage and it sat since basically. I wanted to do a compression test on it before I kept messing with it, but it just so happened at the same time the key had gotten stuck while it was running and roasted my starter.

Back at it this year, new starter, compression is OK'ish, 1st cylinder worse than others but fine. Got it to run on a gas can, so decided to carry on. New water pump, old one leaked and now after sitting was just totally frozen. The new pump however is just different enough in thickness that my pulley will touch the pump when bolted up, so have to make myself a shim to deal with that. (Should have just ordered some seals and bearings probably). The radiator I did my best to confirm was not leaking while out of the tractor, apparently is leaking, so back out it will come. New alternator, the last ones Tach drive was trashed, and frankly the charging system didnt work right, I was actually "tuning" the voltage regulator trying to make it happy, I was only able to get it so do this sloppy like 1 second charge/no charge flapping back and forth. So ordered a 1 wire replacement. The gauge the tach drive connected to anyway was toast, so new gauges. The instrument panel itself is rotted away at the bottom and not even attached properly to the tractor.

This is all the exact escalation I feared would happen if I touched it in the first place :D

So while I'm ripping the radiator back out this week, Im thinking while I'm able to reach everything I should figure out the power steering. It has never worked. All my readings on this system, which I believe was all about the farm variant (of which I forget what model it is now), says its all pretty bad and unreliable. The previous owner clearly tried to get something going because the PS pump is the cleanest thing on the tractor. I remember trying to manual actuate it to see if I could get something to happen and having no luck. Sitting out here wrenching the wheel back and forth on non running machine I can certainly get it to pull/push on the actuator for the hydraulic ram. That specific part of the linkage doesnt seem like it has too bad of play to it. However the entire, i guess... pitman arm assembly? has play in it, quite a lot. Turning the wheel back and forth just has the entire assembly moving around, Im assuming if play is bad this is probably the play in question. I havent been able to properly see this stuff until I stripped the machine down and pressure washed everything.

- How should I verfiy my PS pump works? Am I crazy to think I should be able to just push/pull on the actuator while its running to test this? Because I did give that a best effort once upon a time years ago to no avail, but I had terrible access and couldnt reach anything properly.

- This wobbly shaft likely a reason for the system not actuating? I havent looked at parts manual yet but somehow I dont think this is going to be easily fixable.
 

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Can get bushings for steering shaft and yes if pump is working it should steer left or right when manually pushed
Check spindles make sure they are free if you have been using it I would imagine they are have seen the pins that go to cylinder rod broke. And also on to arm bolted in. for that steering to work really well everything g must be pretty tight and free
Also taking slop out of gear box and make sure it
Turns easy lifting front end off the ground makes checking things easier
When they were good and tight would steer with one finger funny guy right 😉🚜
 
Good advise above, kingpins will seize if not greased. Also make sure the steering box is full of oil. There is a pipe plug one the left side in front of the battery, fill to that level.
 
Picked up this 'well used' MF 30 gas engine about 6 years ago. Really hammered, person I bought it from did a bunch of hoses and other things to get it functional, but still barely usable. Dug some massive boulders out of my yard with it for a year or two though. Started sputtering out one day in the field digging out a boulder, and I drove it back to the side of the garage and it sat since basically. I wanted to do a compression test on it before I kept messing with it, but it just so happened at the same time the key had gotten stuck while it was running and roasted my starter.

Back at it this year, new starter, compression is OK'ish, 1st cylinder worse than others but fine. Got it to run on a gas can, so decided to carry on. New water pump, old one leaked and now after sitting was just totally frozen. The new pump however is just different enough in thickness that my pulley will touch the pump when bolted up, so have to make myself a shim to deal with that. (Should have just ordered some seals and bearings probably). The radiator I did my best to confirm was not leaking while out of the tractor, apparently is leaking, so back out it will come. New alternator, the last ones Tach drive was trashed, and frankly the charging system didnt work right, I was actually "tuning" the voltage regulator trying to make it happy, I was only able to get it so do this sloppy like 1 second charge/no charge flapping back and forth. So ordered a 1 wire replacement. The gauge the tach drive connected to anyway was toast, so new gauges. The instrument panel itself is rotted away at the bottom and not even attached properly to the tractor.

This is all the exact escalation I feared would happen if I touched it in the first place :D

So while I'm ripping the radiator back out this week, Im thinking while I'm able to reach everything I should figure out the power steering. It has never worked. All my readings on this system, which I believe was all about the farm variant (of which I forget what model it is now), says its all pretty bad and unreliable. The previous owner clearly tried to get something going because the PS pump is the cleanest thing on the tractor. I remember trying to manual actuate it to see if I could get something to happen and having no luck. Sitting out here wrenching the wheel back and forth on non running machine I can certainly get it to pull/push on the actuator for the hydraulic ram. That specific part of the linkage doesnt seem like it has too bad of play to it. However the entire, i guess... pitman arm assembly? has play in it, quite a lot. Turning the wheel back and forth just has the entire assembly moving around, Im assuming if play is bad this is probably the play in question. I havent been able to properly see this stuff until I stripped the machine down and pressure washed everything.

- How should I verfiy my PS pump works? Am I crazy to think I should be able to just push/pull on the actuator while its running to test this? Because I did give that a best effort once upon a time years ago to no avail, but I had terrible access and couldnt reach anything properly.

- This wobbly shaft likely a reason for the system not actuating? I havent looked at parts manual yet but somehow I dont think this is going to be easily fixable.
I fought that steering system for several years on my 30 B.
Got sick of working on it and sold the tractor.
 
Cut
My teeth on all industrial equipment Massey ford
From the eighties it's easy if
You know but can be frustrating for owner
 
Got the shaft out, have to hope I can repair the threads on the ball joints now :rolleyes: Anyone know what the diameter of the shaft at the bushing area is supposed to measure? Ive seen a few mentions elsewhere of people doing bushings and then not being able to get the shaft back in place.
In your 3rd pic, is that ram bent, or the photo just makes it look that way? steve

Theres a dent in the cover for the actuator rod, I think thats making it look bent.
 

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Beat on side of steering arm to get ball joints loose not top of threads and if you warm it a a bit usually pop right out
As long as you don't mushroom bushings shaft should slip in some had to be cut but I don't remember doing those
 
Beat on side of steering arm to get ball joints loose not top of threads and if you warm it a a bit usually pop right out
As long as you don't mushroom bushings shaft should slip in some had to be cut but I don't remember doing those
Yeah I warmed it as much as I can with a propane torch. I really need an acetylene torch. Beat the hell out of the arm with an 8lb sledge. Didnt come out without a double hammering with a pickle fork and beating the nut on top. Which then still ruined the threads and forced me to cut the nut off once it was finally free, lol. Typical new england rust belt bs experience, I've never got a ball joint apart peacefully unless it was replaced recently.

Actually I have a balljoint tool that might have 'slightly' helped but was missing parts :unsure:
 
Any suggestions on my leaky hydraulic cooler? Its like 3 or 4 layers deep I don't think I'm cut out to find/repair the leaks on this. I can't even find it in the parts book so I dont know what to search for as a direct replacement, although I'm guessing I wont want to pay for it.

Perhaps a generic cooler thats affordable I can stuff in here?
 

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Is it just the cooler for the backhoe or is it also for trans or do have a clutch?
If you have a clutch you could throw the cooler away for the hydraulics unless you think you will be using it for eight hours a day you are not going to get it that hot or just get a generic cooler and plumb it In
 
Cooler is just for the loader/backhoe. I've thought about just removing it, but have no idea how necessary it is or not.

It doesnt look too bad right now because I degreased/pressure washed the engine bay out like 5 times before I began, lol. But there is probably 3 or 4 stains that make it look like theres multiple leaks in that cooler.
 
Like I said if you don't use it with throttle wide open
And up against the relief and live in phoenix or Las Vegas going to be fine holds around seven gallons of oil loader frame will act as a small cooler
If you really want one, I can put out a feeler to my parts guy
 

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