Pt. 2/3: Splitting an Old Tractor - 1955 Massey Ferguson TO35

In this video, we split the engine from the transmission on our '55 TO35.
Unfortunately, while doing some brush hogging last year, the tractor would no longer disengage the clutch when the clutch pedal was pressed. After exhausting my options with pedal adjustment, etc., I decided it was time to bite the bullet and open the old girl up. While we had the tractor apart, we ended up doing a lot more work "while we were in there".
By the end of this 3-part series, this old tractor is back to work and looking better than ever :)
The music in this video was kindly provided by: Caffeine Creek Band, Alex MakeMusic, Creaddeman, EvgenyBardyuzha, John Sib, and Kinemesis Music. All artists can be found at www.pixabay.com
Farm & Equipment Playlist:
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[@corydillon5724]

Yeah I’m struggling to support the from axel/suspension with 2x4s is still wanting to teater

[@StaySlyh]

I really had to hammer them in there. I would turn the wheel out of the way, then blast the 2x4 until it was really wedged in there. It deformed the 2x4 as it slid between the leaf spring looking thing and the bottom of the radiator support doodad (sorry for all the technical terms haha!). I'm not sure if that is helpful, but that is what we did.

[@StaySlyh]

I pinned your comment in case someone else comes along and can offer any additional advise!!

[@swampfox5856]

mice got in through timing sight hole below the starter, noticed your cap was missing.

[@StaySlyh]

Nice eye! So there should be a cap/plate on that?? I feel like these old tractors aren't exactly Alcatraz, the mice are probably getting in from every which way LOL

[@jamesward8244]

Change the drive end starter bushing, cheap fix to save an armature.

[@StaySlyh]

@jamesward8244 thanks for the suggestion!

[@dawsonmcintosh4446]

I Have a '55 TO-35 and when changing the oil in the air filter, we found a mouse! It was the worst smell you could ever imagine!!!!

[@StaySlyh]

Hahaha they seem to show up everywhere you don't want them lol

[@timothymilam732]

Had the exhaust flange gasket blow out on me the other day. So I soaked the nuts good with PBB, every few hours for several days thinking i was doing myself a favor. Well first one on the outside left took a little extra with a breaker bar, and cheater pipe nudging it back n forth, but came off easily once I backed back tight couple times to clear the threads. Outside right took good bit of heat and shocking it with cold water four or five times, and the rest finally went like first one. That back blanken blank, I had to remove fuel line the fresh air tube, both ends of the steering arm, and the peg running board, and the strut at the foot peg then swing it away from tractor. Still couldn't get on it good, because pipe has offset back towards engine. BTW, 17mm is what fit mine. Anyway I went through most of a bottle of Mep gas, half of a big can of PBB, and couple trips to fill gallon bucket up with water. When I thought it had broken loose finally, I went to tighten it up to clean the trash even though it'd barely moved. Bout time I put just little nudge into it backing it up, Snap! Shiny metal all the way across the dam thing, because it snapped clean off with just a tit sticking above the surface of the flange. I popped it with snap punch about 5 times in a tight little circle around the very center of the broken stud as best as I could. Got brand new 1/8" drill bit, and got nice hole started about 1/4" deep, and went up two sizes. That one kept pushing off to the outside of flange till I gave up and went inside the house for glass of tea, and didn't go back for couple hours, because I knew it was frustrating me. Went back, and after hour of trying to get the next few sizes up from first bit . I gave up in total disgust, then next morning, got back of note book tablet cardboard, and used the flange on the exhaust pipe side to make a template, and went to my scrape iron plie, and pulled a piece of galvanized 4 x 4 x 1/2" about 18" long. Whacked piece off in band saw, then used death wheel to cut angle off one side. Made my pattern out of that put two nuts on top of one another tacked them together, and welded them onto one of the three holes. Attached it to the two good studs tight as I thought I could get away with without snapping those off. Spent bout hour doing that, got me the proper drill bit to tap it with 1/2" x 16 thread, and that took another 45 minutes by time everything was done. 9 hours for one 7/16" broken stud is beyond my reasonable amount of time dicking with that, but it is what it is . Bad part when I went to put it back together, I didn't have anything to make proper stud with, and so I was going to temporarily use a harden bolt of proper size. The first two went on fine, but at the screwy angle that back one is at, and I physically couldn't get either hand where I could reach it, hell I could just barely get a finger on each hand to it from either side. 45 minutes to get one bolt started, and yes I tried putting that one in first second last every way I could think of to do it. I finally went down the road to neighbors house, and asked him and his 6 year old daughter to come give me a hand. I gave her $20.00, and a trip to Dairy Queen for her rescuing me, because I was fixing to burn that blankity blank to the ground any minute if I hadn't thought about her being home from school on Saturday.

[@StaySlyh]

Man I'm sorry to hear it was a struggle for you too ... why is nothing ever easy? Lol Hats off to your perserverence, and thank goodness for helpers with smaller hands! Lol

[@the-papaw]

This is a great video, but to me the title needs to be changed to Preparing to Split. 46:45 min video but no split until 46 min??? It is filled with very useful info though. Thanks for sharing it!

[@StaySlyh]

Thank you for the feedback. Yes, this video got WAYYY too long. I never meant for it to be split into 2 videos. However, I just couldn't justify making an hour and a half long video. I have a difficult time trying to be informative AND entertaining ... sometimes the videos get away from me as I try to show every detail (just in the off case that there is someone trying to follow along). Regardless, thanks for the view and comment! I hope you'll give some of our other videos a try. I promise they aren't all this long and boring haha!

[@the-papaw]

@@StaySlyh I thought you did a great job, the length wasn't the issue for me, it was the Title itself. It is a VERY good video, but doesn't show HOW to split the tractor, but more how to prepare to do so. I hope you keep 'em coming, as they are very helpful. Maybe there was a part 2 that I missed, if so, maybe you could link them together. Thanks for replying!

[@StaySlyh]

@@the-papaw This video is part of a playlist along with all the associated videos (that's typically how I organize all videos on the channel). There should be a link to this playlist shown at the end of this video. It can also be found here: kzbin.info/aero/PLDRLlH5PDllJ51v_2BmlsWz2whaWLeyb0 Thanks again for the feedback! I always enjoy the interaction!!

[@jimmeroniuk8266]

Hi Cory Jim here just watching your struggles from 11 months ago. My question is did you do any research? ie internet, forums, actual manual (free on the net) etc? I have a 58 TO35 so thats how I stumbled on your site. Just remember knowledge is power and life is to short to learn everything the hard way. Thanks for the entertainment. Jim

[@StaySlyh]

Thanks for the comment, Jim! I did limited "research" (might be too generous haha) mainly on the Yesterday's Tractor forum. You're correct, there is a plethora of incredibly knowledgable people out there who are willing to help and I did NOT utilize that to it's fullest potential. With projects like these, I try to walk the line of perfection vs productivity. I didn't think the end product warranted the amount of time I would have to spend reading/resesrching to gain 100% confidence in my understanding of the repair. Instead, I tried to spend just enough time researching to gain just enough understanding to complete the project as quickly as possible with an acceptable level of confidence in my repair (much lower than 100% haha) I apologize for the long-winded response, but I enjoy the engagement and can't thank you enough for the comment! I hope my struggling was at least entertaining haha!! Edit: Just realized this was directed to Cory ... so I may have tossed in my 2 cents unwarranted, sorry! Thanks, regardless of who the comment was aimed at :)

[@jimmeroniuk8266]

@@StaySlyh Dude you still did a great job. I'm having a blast watching the third episode. For your first time it was quite the learning experience. Sorry for second guessing you on your approach, just that its totally alien to me as I go the other way. It saves me a lot of head scratching by watching/learning from others, but hey thats me. You do you, cause thats what works for you. Just think how easy the next one will be.

[@StaySlyh]

@@jimmeroniuk8266 that's awesome, I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the series (despite these videos getting WAYY too long haha) I hope you'll check out some of the other projects on the channel. I'm trying to cut the video lengths down into more manageable chunks ... sometimes they just get away from me lol Edit: And thank you for the kind words!

[@corydillon5724]

I need this video thank u

[@StaySlyh]

I hope it helps! Or maybe it'll at least show you what NOT to do haha! Good luck on your project 👍

[@corydillon5724]

I’m in the same process right now working then coming back to the video lol I got lost on the linkage part now I’m trying to figure out how I want to balance before I split

[@StaySlyh]

@@corydillon5724 we eneded up placing a CMU and some scrap wood under the transmission to support the back half. Then wedged some 2x4 into the front "axle" (not sure what to call the front suspension parts) just to keep the tractor from wanting to teeter back and forth. After that, it slid apart without much fuss using a floor jack under the front half. I think I put the jack under the bottom/center of the oil pan. Good luck!