I Replaced a Starter... But FIRST, I Had to Disassemble the Whole Tractor?!

We thought we were done with the fire-damaged Massey Ferguson 135 (check out that restoration series!), but one simple part was holding us back: the starter motor. Easy fix, right? Two bolts and some wires? That’s what I thought, too. It turns out that this MF135 was fitted with a TRIMA 810 front loader, and the main bracket that supports the loader and its hydraulic lines covers and shares bolts with the starter motor. You cannot remove the starter without removing the bracket. And you cannot remove the bracket without removing the entire front loader and all its hydraulic connections! This 30-minute repair exploded into a 9-hour operational nightmare requiring a second tractor just to lift the components off. Join me for a frustrating, challenging, and ultimately rewarding day of mechanical problem-solving on Top of the World. Did we miss an easier way to do this? Let us know in the comments!