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The Massey Ferguson part from the title above is the spring that holds the hook in place on the transporter. The part that came with my transporter is  past its best, as you can see from the picture.

It was good enough to make a drawing from though with accurate measurement. Doing some research on the internet I worked out it was a double ended compression spring.

I had started looking at companies that could make me a new one when a friend of mine said “have you tried Massey Ferguson to see if they still have one?” Bearing in mind they stopped producing the transporter in 1963 what are the chances of a 52 year old part just sitting on a shelf? So I contacted B&B Tractors at Dodworth, Barnsley, my local MF dealer, to see if they had or could get hold of an original part. John, who is very helpful and patient with me, had nothing. The part was obsolete with no offer of a replacement part and no one on the dealer network had one listed. So that was the end of that, only I started thinking B&B tractors haven’t sold MF parts very long (Relatively speaking) so maybe one of the other dealers who used to sell ferguson tractors would have the part. So I asked the question on the FoFH Forum “who was the oldest dealers in the country?” to which I got a reply of several companies. So I started with the first one on the list of replies and got the same answer from them as I had done at B&B, obsolete, no replacement number. I persisted and on the third phone call a very nice man called Cliff, looked in one place and then kept me on hold whilst he looked in another place, then he described to me the shape of the part in his hand. It matched the drawing I had in front of me. NO WAY, have I found one! he had a box of several. The price was right so I ordered one and a spare for good measure.

When word got out the part still existed and was available New Old Stock The phone must have gone crazy for Cliff, I think he wishes he had had a few boxes as I think he could have sold the half a dozen he had several times over. So within an hour of asking the question who was the oldest dealer I had secured a 52 year old brand new replacement part. I had the biggest grin on my face for at least a day and even now I can’t believe it. It’s not the cost which is minimal but the thrill of the chase I think I like, maybe the fact it didn’t cost the earth means more, after all if money was no object I could have had a company make me one (about £180 setup cost for a new one, if you want to know) I think above highlights one of the reasons I lice collecting ferguson stuff. Its the excitement of finding a gem, an unusual tractor or implement, something original for not much money or the manual you’ve been after. I think a lot of collecting hobbies are like this. For me it just happens to be Ferguson collecting. as it says at the top of the web page “passionate about all things Ferguson” And maybe if I can’t get hold of an original I’ll do a good job of restoring a damaged one to as good as new with original materials, sizes and techniques.

Tags: MF702, Parts, Transporter.

Fresh from my Link box restoration I’m keen to get started on the bigger Transporter whilst I’m willing. Tonight I’ve spent a couple of hours cutting away the rust to get back to metal that will be useful and I can use as a basis for welding new material onto.

I think I’ have a lot more cutting to go until I get to a point I can start adding new material.

Look at the pile of rust on the floor as I started hitting the metal with a hammer. The big task of the evening was to remove the rotten tube that runs all the way along the base of the implement. Secondly separate the box from the tipping section. I have now achieved that. Still lots of rubbish to remove before I can get the whole thing sent to the shot blasters. I am very happy with the progress so far though.

Tags: MF702, T-JE-21, Transporter.

Does anyone have a Ferguson Transporter in or around the Sheffield area?

I’d love to come and measure it with a view to producing a full set of drawings so I can Manufacture one.

please get in touch.

I have started work on the computer drawings of the transporter but it is difficult when you don’t have any dimensions yet. I think the transporter in the pictures is the later Massey Ferguson type as it has the tubular frame.

Tags: T-JE-24, Transporter.