# MF 165 - no power in reverse with PTO active



## SleepyShepherd (Jun 24, 2012)

Good afternoon everyone. I've owned a 1972 (?) MF165 for 3 years now and the only thing I've had to repair is the starter, 2 hydraulic arm cylinders and 4 hydraulic hoses. I've run into a recent problem that has me shaking my head:

I sporatically lose my drive power in reverse - moreso when the PTO is active. When carrying 500lb round bales with my bale spears, the reverse power is slow. When I use the tractor for more than 30 minutes in the sun, I've lost both forward and reverse power.

This is going to be a big problem this winter trying to clear the barn road with my reverse-hitch 6' PTO snow blower attachment.

I've checked the hydraulic fluid level using the dip stick and it's "Full". I was running the tractor with a 6' mower attachment this morning and there were no issues - BUT, if I start to put a slightly heavier load on it (lifting a bucket of rocks and trying to back up or blowing 12 inches of snow in reverse) the tractor almost stops.

Any suggestions would be great - I've ordered both the MF 165 Service Manual (332 pages) and Parts Manual (522 pages) and should receive them shortly... but if I have to split my tractor, I'm not equipped to do that - no workshop, just a barn cover with gravel floor.


----------



## shona13 (Aug 12, 2011)

hi .
Sounds like clutch problem.
Check adjustment of both transmission and pto clutch.
regards hutch.


----------



## SleepyShepherd (Jun 24, 2012)

Thanks Shona! Are you refering to adjusting the clutch as it related to the pedal (meaning that, when I have the tractor fully engaged - pedal out - that I'm really not fully engaging the tractor)? Can the clutch engagement/disengagement be adjusted from the outside of the tractor?

Or are you refering to an internal adjustment (inside the engine) on the tractor clutch?

I'm not a tractor expert so bear with me!


----------



## shona13 (Aug 12, 2011)

Hi Sleepy .
If you stand on the left hand side of the tractor facing the battery and you move the clutch pedal up and down ,follow the rod that goes from the pedal to the clutch lever on the gearbox ,if the clutch is adjusted properly there should be 1/8 to 1/4 inch maximum free play between the clutch lever and where it rests on the bell housing in other words the pedal should move up and down about two inches before you feel any pressure from the clutch, *this is the transmission clutch adjustment*.
to adjust the pto clutch you will have to remove the cover plate on the bottom of the clutch housing it is held on by four bolts use a 15/16 a/f spanner, remove the cover and with the ENGINE STOP PULLED OUT AND LEFT THERE get your flashlight and have a look inside ,the flywheel has slots in the outside edge using a big screwdriver the one with the SQUARE shaft push it into whatever slot you can get to what you want to do is slowly turn the engine round so you can see the PTO CLUTCH adjustment bolts turn slowly till you see a small bolt with a lock nut on it a 1/2" open ended spanner will fit ,you will need two spanners ,one to undo the lock nut and the other to adjust the gap.

The distance between the head of the bolt ( *There are three bolts in all*) and the metal clutch intermediate plate when setting a NEW clutch should be 90 thousandths or .090"It can be adjusted down to 70 thousandths .070" this will give the clutch a better feel and generally works better .
Make sure the lock nuts are tight and replace the cover if the clutch is still no good the tractor will have to be split.

I hope this helps


----------



## SleepyShepherd (Jun 24, 2012)

Hey Shona! Thanks a ton for the help!

I did exactly what you said and it appears that the clutch is adjusted properly. When opening the cover plate, however, I noticed a LOT of hydraulic fluid on both the plate and on the inside. After seeing this, I was talking to our hay farmer down the road and he says the seals on my clutch are shot and need to be replaced (hence losing power when I pushed the tractor or used the tractor for 20 minutes or more - the oil was causing the clutch to slip) - meaning I have to split the tractor (which I'm not capable of doing on my property). The replacement "clutch rebuild kit" will cost me $1600 installed plus $135 tractor pickup/dropoff.

Thanks again for the help Shona! I was hoping for a simple solution, but knowing what the problem is before getting the tractor picked up makes me feel better - not having a tractor for the Fall/Winter was not an option with our livestock.

So for others reading this post: look for hydraulic oil inside the cover plate (there was some even outside of the cover plate but it is really hard to see and incredibly low flow - barely drips).


----------

