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Anyone good with tractors or know someone who is?

Posted: Wed 09 Aug 2017 20:36
by dsd
Hi. I bought an ancient Massey Ferguson to cut the grass in my horses' field. Paid a guy to cut the grass, who mistreated it somewhat and ran it dry of diesel. Now it won't start, despite the efforts of a friend who knows what he's doing.He says it needs bleeding (!?)

Does anyone have any tractor mechanic experience (long shot, I know!) or know someone who does, please? I don't need the person to speak English; fluent French, smattering of German, even!

Many thanks in advance for any help you can give

Posted: Thu 10 Aug 2017 07:49
by Lostweekend
Hi I could possibly talk you through it, if you want a chat pm your number
Steve

Posted: Thu 10 Aug 2017 10:08
by dsd
Thank you so much for the offer but I'm not sure I would be capable of doing it: I'm really not mechanically-minded at all. I found something on Youtube, showing how to do it but on a much more recent model. They said it took 2 people, one to crank the engine and the other to work their way down the various 'bits', unscrewing to let the air out and rescrewing after.
I'm going to try and find someone today. If I can't, I'll come back to you.
Thank you again

Posted: Thu 10 Aug 2017 10:24
by martyn94
Lostweekend wrote:Hi I could possibly talk you through it, if you want a chat pm your number
Steve
Older members will remember the TV show "The Golden Shot" ("up a bit, left a bit...."). If you don't know your way round old diesel fuel systems, trying to bleed one over the phone seems like the cue for a world of frustration. It's taken me fifty years to get the message, but sometimes it's just easier to pay a pro.

Though a Google search on, eg "bleed Diesel engine" will give you endless results, including instructional YouTube videos: they should be enough to put you off the idea, unless you have a good toolkit and are double-jointed.

Posted: Thu 10 Aug 2017 10:33
by jethro
This may help:

http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewc ... ion_curall

The same thing happened to me many years ago and a passing farmer did it for me.

Posted: Thu 10 Aug 2017 10:37
by martyn94
dsd wrote:Thank you so much for the offer but I'm not sure I would be capable of doing it: I'm really not mechanically-minded at all. I found something on Youtube, showing how to do it but on a much more recent model. They said it took 2 people, one to crank the engine and the other to work their way down the various 'bits', unscrewing to let the air out and rescrewing after.
I'm going to try and find someone today. If I can't, I'll come back to you.
Thank you again
You'll have guessed that I missed your post just before mine.

Posted: Fri 11 Aug 2017 22:10
by tia
Where are you. Husband does everything on our old tractor so might know what to do

Posted: Sat 12 Aug 2017 09:31
by dsd
Hi Tia,
I'm in St Genis des Fontaines. Spoke to a local agricultural worker yesterday (the one who ran it dry!) and he says he'll come with their mechanic, but no details as to when. I'll contact him again on Monday and depending on the result, I would be very grateful indeed for your husband's help.
Thank you