# MF135 Thermostart no fuel supply



## Trev W (Feb 5, 2019)

Hi hope someone can help
Have a 1976 MF135 with 3cyd perkins engine
Its fitted with a thermostart heater that will not work.
Have replaced it with new thermosrart and checked power to it is OK, have removed plug in manifold next to thermostart and can see element heating up but no flame.
Have undone fuel supply line at T/S and no diesel present.
It goes back to a resovoir in the battery comp which has 3 pipes to it. 1 to the T/S,1 goes to the fuel tank and the other goes to a tee on another pipe. Have released all of these and there is no diesel in the resovoir or in any pipe.
Can someone give me some advise
Thanks


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## thepumpguysc (Jan 25, 2015)

The res. is filled by the injection pump.. usually from a fitting on the back side of the top cover.. The banjo bolt has an orifice in it that will get clogged up..{means your pump has rust in it}
Remove that bolt & clean out the orifice.. it should feed the res. bottle THEN..
TRICK> take the "skin" off a bread wrapper.. THAT WIRE will fit in the orifice..
AND>> The gaskets{2} that go on that orifice bolt are VERY specific.. IF it leaks when u get done.. DO NOT TRY to fit any old gasket to stop the leak.!!! I'll send u some..
Just a tip from your Uncle Larry..
Don't forget, its an ORIFICE so it will be slow to fill..


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## Trev W (Feb 5, 2019)

Many Thanks for info will try that. I,m just a bit worried that I cause any air locks by messing with the injector pump and the tractor won,t start.


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## RC Wells (Dec 26, 2008)

Just my two cents: These old Masseys are a tractor far superior to what you find in the showrooms today. If the tractor is in decent condition, get the injection pump rebuilt so it is good for another 45-50 years.

One of the nasty secrets of diesel formulations since the 2007 refining and fuel standards change is that they contain exotic alcohols that both attract moisture and grow algae, then dissolve rust just enough to suspend it and then the iron oxide precipitates in the steel injection lines and the injectors of a diesel, which turns a relatively inexpensive pump rebuild into a snipe hunt of chasing fueling problems until it becomes a rather expensive proposition to fix all the damage done by rust.

Also, use products similar to Power Service Diesel Kleen and the Power Service Bio Kleen and Clear Diesel in the fuel storage to prevent fuel related water contamination problems and further rust in the tractor fueling system.

If you have a fuel storage tank, invest in one of these: http://diesel-fuels.com/water-contamination/water-eliminator.php Inexpensive way to keep moisture out of your fuel.

This advice is even more critical with the new high pressure fuel rail systems in modern diesel engines.


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## Trev W (Feb 5, 2019)

Hi Larry
Just had a look following your advice and have taken a couple of photos.
Pipe from res goes through a tee to a bolt similar to what you described on top of what I think is the fuel filter. other branch off tee goes to the injectors.
When I loosen the bolt it leaks diesel so I dare not go any further in case I create any air locks. 
Father in law years gone by always used to say it was a pain getting it started once air locked.
Hope you can provide further advise


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## RC Wells (Dec 26, 2008)

Are you sure you have a Massey Ferguson Thermostart system? I do not see it in your photos.

You should have a leak off reservoir that looks like this picture. One fuel line in, then two out, one to Thermostart injector, and the other to the lift pump. The critter that plugs is the one to the injector/heater unit:










Then on the side of the intake manifold there will be two plugs, the one nearest the intake hose from the air filter will look like this photo, and will have a heavy wire from the starter solenoid to the flat blade with the terminal nut on the heater plug/injector:









The steel line from the leak off reservoir will terminate on the center port of this unit.

When the key start position is activated the wire to the Thermostart heater will be hot, as soon as the key is released the power to that wire is off.


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## Trev W (Feb 5, 2019)

Yes def a M/F thermostart (see pics) have also traced pipework and done sketch as it does not go to lift pump. Have removed following pipes and cleaned out with carb cleaner .
T/S to reservoir
Fuel tank to reservoir
Fuel filter (banjo Bolt) to reservoir via tee piece
Also taken reser










































voir out and cleaned 
As before none of pipes had any diesel in and resovoir was empty.
I think the blockage must be at the Banjo bolt on top of the fuel filter but as soon as I loosen the bolt it starts leaking diesel. This is the same pipe that feeds the Injectors via the tee piece so I dare not go any further in case I create air lock


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## Hacke (Feb 22, 2011)

Remember that it takes a while to fill the reservoir when it has been empty.

The fuel goes in reverse order.
Overflow (not used) fuel from the injectors goes to the T-connection and further on to the reservoir.
If you do have fuel in the line at the filter, but not in the line to reservoir, it must be the T-connection that stops the fuel. Check that it is letting fuel through.

I am not familiar with this setup, could there be a check valve in the T-connection, and the lines are connected wrong?


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## RC Wells (Dec 26, 2008)

The filter has nothing to do with the Thermostart. Concentrate on the line from the leak off reservoir to the injector in the manifold. Once the line to the manifold is removed you should see fuel dribble out of the open hole. If it does not, the problem will be rust sediment in the bottom of the leak off reservoir. Same for the line at the injector in the manifold. If you have fuel to the manifold injector/igniter, and nothing happens when it is excited by a hot wire, it will be that component that has failed.
If the leak off reservoir is clogged it is best replaced as they are nearly impossible to clean. It will also be time to drain the fuel tank and pull the fuel shutoff out and clean the sediment and crud out of that valve and the bottom of the tank too.


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## Trev W (Feb 5, 2019)

Hi guys
Took tractor for a run and then checked for fuel at thermostart . Soon as I loosened nut fuel started dripping from pipe. This was not happening before the pipe was dry. I think I have sorted the problem by removing and cleaning all the pipes and resovoir.
Thanks everyone for all your help.


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