Vintage Thursday. Massey Ferguson 178 link arm change and check chain upgrade.

In this video the MF 178 gets replacement link arms and shiny new check chains.
Follow me on Instagram / cowfarmerdan

[@LiamClark02]

Honestly mate I do not know how you don’t have more subscribers than you do. And views. You videos are informative and always interesting. Shows the every day life of a farmer and how they used to use the old tackle back in the day I totally understand your videos Awesome mate they get better every time

[@CowfarmerDan]

Thanks.

[@paulf2529]

I enjoyed this Dan. Im always envious of your lathe, I've had quite a few tasks were a lathe would have saved me a lot of problems.

[@IFarmWeFarm]

That’s a great video lad, very enjoyable. Keep up the good work

[@upthereds4939]

Great stuff Dan. Cant beat a bit of lathe / milling machine work 👍🏻👌🏻

[@laytonphillips6667]

Great video dan, good that you keep the classics going.

[@aidanquinn5498]

Wasn’t aware the 178s had square axels, it’s a 248 engine, rare enough machine.

[@CowfarmerDan]

The British ones were round axles, this one is French built but has dry brakes in a square axle.

[@antonyfarming]

Great job 👍

[@claesmansson9070]

Just cut the corner of brackets,you had the grinder allready connected.If I have a broken arm,not my own,I just cut out a bit and weld in a new bit of flat iron and drill a hole.Keep safe,dont weld if you dont know how to! I only have one chain per arm on my tractors,maybe you have implement which need two.May your grass grow fast!

[@johnsheahan7914]

Great video as always dan

[@paulancill3872]

The balls came loose on mine and eventually fell out so I got a pair of new ones but the steel was to soft and the armies bent under load so eventuly I had new balls welded on to the originals!

[@OutofTownwithRobinBell]

👍

[@philipoconnor2236]

They look a lovely new set of lift arms! Great video! Love the vintage and workshop stuff! The old outside chains look strange being bolted to lift arms that far out. I'm only going by a 135. Perhaps there was a reason why bigger tractors needed them like that? I prefer the newer check chains you installed. To be fair to the previous guy, it would have been very difficult to have plated that lift arm on the top because there more than likely wouldn't have been enough clearance in the fork. Did you go with imperial or metric bolts?

[@CowfarmerDan]

Chains that go to the end of the link arms are supposed to be better as they take the side forces away from the arms better, but I prefer what I fitted. The bolts are 3/4 unf.

[@philipoconnor2236]

@@CowfarmerDan Tks for explaining that Dan👍

[@greggroome2791]

👌🇨🇮🇨🇮🇨🇮👍👍🙏🙏

[@farmer7229]

its side to side slap that snaps link arms like that

[@roberthiggins6401]

Lovely vid Dan. As you said, it's great to have a well equipped workshop. I'd love to have a metal turning lathe. Do you know how many 178s were made and how many had conversions? Did Massey Ferguson do their own conversions or was it another company? If so what was the company name?

[@CowfarmerDan]

It's not a conversation, MF made them in their French factory.

[@siertluimes9333]

do you now were the extra oil pump is fitted and how many oil it gives ?

[@CowfarmerDan]

It's bolted to the back of the linkage pump in the transmission. 6 gallons a minute flow rate.

[@bobpaterson1845]

Nice video Dan 👍 now that she has a strong linkage any chance o seein her on the reversible 🤔👍👍

[@CowfarmerDan]

I think our Dowdeswell would be a bit much for it, I am on the lookout for a 3 furrow reversible though.

[@rogerquenault7207]

I saw on your last 178 video you had a HYD leak on a spool valve, you said it had a trailer brake does this work when you apply the foot brakes or through the pressure control? And can you use the lift arms when using the external spools?

[@CowfarmerDan]

The brakes are controlled by the foot brake. The spool valves have a separate pump to the linkage.

[@rogerquenault7207]

CowfarmerDan Thanks, I’m doing a 188 up and like the trailer bakes and spools I will have to talk to our local MF dealer and see what they can come up with.

[@rogerquenault7207]

CowfarmerDan Thanks

[@garrabostcrofter]

Very impressive, I'm assuming you've had some form of engineering training at some point to be able to do these jobs.

[@CowfarmerDan]

No, just a self taught backyard bodger.

[@garrabostcrofter]

Really, I am seriously impressed.

[@andyhutch8262]

By turning the pin down to fit in the link ball, it is now slack in the rear axle, which to me makes it worse.

[@CowfarmerDan]

I turned the pin to the size of the original, so it is smaller than it was but still within factory specifications.

[@gregflaugher9363]

i see its been fliped over why the weld is on bottom

[@josephlockhart8338]

I've never seen a square axle 178.

[@TractorTen]

Not many 4x4 versions i guess?

[@CowfarmerDan]

Pretty rare in the UK, lots in France.

[@malcolmtyler2565]

Is that a metric adjustable or af 😁

[@CowfarmerDan]

Metric

[@JonDingle]

Great video. The original break should as you correctly state have been bevelled and braced over the top. Also I believe that the welding procedure was wrong too. I would cut the bottom brace off, break into two pieces, clean, bevel all the edges and ends, stick weld with 7019 rods after pre-heating the pieces, peen each weld run and then cover with sand to allow it cool slowly. In other words, treat it a bit like it is cast iron. If you were near to me, I would offer to repair the arm for now't but do a video for KZbin of the repair.

[@CowfarmerDan]

Thanks for the welding tips 👍

[@JonDingle]

@@CowfarmerDan No problem young man!

[@JonDingle]

@@CowfarmerDan And I made a typo, should be 7018 not 7019 as there is no such rod!

[@CowfarmerDan]

I might have a go at a repair in the winter 👍

[@JonDingle]

@@CowfarmerDan Hmmmm, that would be interesting to see. If I can find one locally I will do a video of the repair and you can see how I get on. Subject to that and or a few things that may get in my way I could consider popping down and helping you if you were up for that?

[@darrenduffy9542]

Waw that a rat or a cat? 21.14

[@lukeosullivan3530]

Cat

[@CowfarmerDan]

Cat. How big are rats over your way?

[@darrenduffy9542]

We have some big ones in Devon Dan