MF industrial loader

[Billy26F5]

Hi all,
This one is a bit different from others as I know very little about this MF, but hopefully we can sort this out here. I think it's a 205 with a 702 loader, but not sure about this.





As you can see it has a Perkins AD3.152, a torque convertor and what I think is an MF 65 rear axle. The gearbox has two main gears and a high and low lever, with a forward and reverse pedal (total of four gears in either direction).
The loader serial plate is still there:

Other numbers I've found on the injector pump and gearbox (the engine number and rear axle number are under thick paint and I want to keep it like that for now for avoiding corrosion there):


And the shovel.


Since we've had it it's just sat under the pine tree

until we suddenly decided to try and start it about a year ago. As a result the loader and frame were to come off for better access, as anyway we would eventually need to split it to fix the torque convertor, the reason we actually got it for (as someone else couldn't do it and didn't want to have it any more as a result).
Counterweight off.

Loader off.

Mr. MacGregor holding the loader before putting it where it is now.

RH frame off.



We then got stuck for an odd spanner and other reasons, and never got back on to it. Apart from what you see we only have the fuel tank and fan cowl.
Our plan is to get the injectors out and tested and to see what the inside looks like. There's a good chance the head will have to come off, but hopefully not. Once that's sorted get the engine to run then fix the torque convertor and refit the loader.
Any help highly appreciated.
Sandy

[hair bear]

Hi Sandy,
I'll need correcting somewhere I expect... In the UK I would recognize that as a 203 (20C with Davis loader) but there's a good chance the numbers are different your side of the water. P3 engine, could be a 3A152 or AD3152 I'm not sure when this changed, 165 back end, 3x2 manual or instant reverser trans., hand lever diff lock. The next incarnation being the MF40 which has self leveling compensation arms and multiplier links between the crowd rams and bucket.
We've had these split many times. When they have a backactor on them you lock the loader at full height and slide the engine etc, straight out the front. Without the backactor we've done it the other way and pulled the axle out the back - 30+ years ago now details may be sketchy.
Weak point to watch for is the pump drive plate on the front pulley. Nasty habit of stripping the lh threads in the plate and loosing the pump drive. Also, forward pressure on the bucket when in the fully dumped position can bend the crowd rams.
Try to keep the brake pedals locked together otherwise if you try to do an emergency stop you will almost always finish up going quickly backwards in an uncontrolled left hand arc as you will invariably by instinct get the lh brake pedal and the reverse pedal at the same time. Don't ask me how I know!

[Billy26F5]

I think the 203 was the normal clutch version, and the 205 was the torque convertor one. Although the injector pump is of Spanish manufacture (to CAV specs) I think the rest of the parts were assembled in Britain (the injector pump might well be a replacement). The engine is an AD3.152, there's a plate with that information but it's all covered up so save it from the sun burning effect. The gearbox is a 2x2 with forward/reverse throttle pedal. I would have thought this would be older than a 165 but maybe not. Our 702 loader doesn't have any of those features, it's just a simple unit. Good to know about these two problems, although there are no bolts for the pump drive at the moment (we never got them), as we don't have a back actor it's unlikely that we'll be lowering the bucket tipped.
MF production by Motor Iberica (Ebro) started in 1970 and as far as I know they didn't make any industrial versions, as they already had the Major for that (by then as the Ebro 160).
Sandy

[essexpete]

Not sure about the different specs, that looks like the MF 205. The small industrials did have the 65 backend coupled with the 3 cyl engine used in the 35. With the model ending 05, the transmission was the MF reversomatic. I think when the Agric range was updated the 203/5 probably beame the 2203/5 and eventually the MF40. The 203 we had years ago had a 220 backhoe and 702 loader.

[Billy26F5]

I think you're right Pete, this one I think is probably a late one with the AD3.152 engine. I don't think it's a 2205 as the one I've seen has a newer loader as Rob was commenting on the MF40.
Sandy