Who is the resident Texags MF expert? I inherited a MF 240. I believe it's an early 90's model. Haven't run the VIN yet.
But my current problem is the brakes barely work. I suspect someone in the past has driven around with the parking brake set one too many times. Could I try and adjusting them? If so how? Thanks

If you had a 1960 MF30, I'd help. Newer stuff, not so much

https://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/000/7/5/757-massey-ferguson-240.html

Though it looks like the early ones had drum brakes (adjustable) later had disk (not adjustable)

For what it's worth, our Massey was prone to get crap in the hydraulic/brake fluid from time to time, and it would cause lots of headaches.

Is this a process that requires splitting the tractor?

To deal with the brakes?! No.

They are drum brakes on the 240. They are not wet discs, they do not require splitting the tractor to service. The owner manual explains how to adjust them.

I would start by checking the adjusting rods for each pedal and make sure you have some threads left on those to adjust. and make sure they are resting on the stops, as in, your foot is off the pedals and in their current state, the pedal arms clink against the metal stops.

Then, I would make adjustments to the star wheels on each side and try to get 1" of free play on each pedal independently. After I got that pretty close, I would then use the rods on the pedals to fine tune it if I needed. The important thing is that there is free play, and each pedal travels the same distance before engaging so that when your pedals are locked together, each wheel stops the same and you don't have one wheel skid to a stop and the other do nothing. I try to test this by locking my pedals, driving in 1st high, and stepping on the pedal so the tractor skids. If I get both tires skidding about the same in the dirt, I'm happy.



From your owner's manual:


Email me at username @ gmail and I can send you the I&T Service Manual in PDF if you don't have it. I don't love these, but for many things like this, they are useful.

Justified said:

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Is this a process that requires splitting the tractor?

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Again, if it is wet disk brakes, they should be lifetime. But if they fail. I'd guess that pulling the rear axles would be required, not splitting.

Mechanical drum brakes will almost certainly have a way to adjust without major surgery

https://tractor-data.com/how-to-adjust-massey-ferguson-tractor-brakes/

Well I found two Massey enthusiasts. And thank you for your research. It doesn't get used a whole lot. But wanted everything in order. The plan is to tackle this after I fix my leaking gear box on the shredder.

We have an MF240 from the early 90's. I've never had to tinker with its brakes myself yet, but the attached is what a Massey service manual says about adjusting them
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And this is what is printed in the operator's manual.

Justified said:

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Well I found two Massey enthusiasts.

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Not me. Just been around a lot of tractors, including antiques, and have a pretty good sense of how they work.

Our neighbor had a MF 30 in the 1960s, I have a lot of hours on it pulling a rotary hoe, or pulling a trailer while the older kids bucked hay

I'd try to help, as I've run Masseys most of my life, but all of mine have been wet brakes, not much adjusting on those