Ford - Massey Ferguson Gas Engines

Talking the other day and my brother has a diesel Ford 3000, I've got a diesel MF50. Back in the days when the 3000 series and more particularly the MF 135 tractors were made - both were offered in gas.

I gather the Ford 3000 type tractors gas engine was basically the 3 cylinder diesel configured for gas? The MF 135 type tractors had a 4 cylinder Continental (sp?) and later Perkins 3 cylinder diesel configured for gas?

How did the Ford vs MF gas 3 cylinder engines compare? Design strengths, weaknesses, ease of maintenance/rebuild, reliability?

Just curious.

Thanks,
Bill

I wont be much help on the comparing part but can give a bit of info on the 3 cyl Fords.
The engine was Ford designed and built and had nothing to with the Perkins if that era.
The blocks, crank, cam, valve train, rods and wrist pins are identical between the gas/diesel. Pretty easy to convert one - change the pistons, head, intake manifold and fuel delivery system and viola, you have a different engine.
Both are pretty good engines.
Diesel will out last a gasser.
Holley carbs sucked. Points hard to get to.
Diesels had a problem with porosity, cavitation in the block into oil galleys and combustion chambers if the coolant wasn't treated with an additive. With additive they were ok. The problem wasn't corrected till 1983 or so with the introduction of the 10 Series blocks which were stiffened to reduce vibration.
Believe it or not the gasser put more HP/CI than the diesel did. Pretty close on torque too.
I've had several of both gasers and diesels and like them both. Better fuel consumption on a diesel of course. Less maintenance too. But diesels Stink and are noisy darned things. The 3 cyl diesels are particularly rattely.
Gasser is nicer to operate.

The (Massey Ferguson) Perkins block is a lot better than the Fords as mentioned above, points are easier to get to on the Perkins, and they used Zenith carburetors.

The Perkins also had a internal balancer that helped make it run much smoother.