Farmall A brake replacement question

ok, I need to replace one of the brake bands in my A. How much of a job is it?

Which side?

If you're just replacing the band, it's not a bad job at all. Basically a matter of removing the final drive from the tranny case (left side) or the diff shaft housing (right side). I'd leave the tire on the wheel and remove the wheel from the hub, and then pull the final drive (six bolts, IIRC)

If you use a chain fall or engine hoist to lift the final drive, the brake part of the job goes quickly enough that you can safely leave it hanging until you put it back on. Having it hanging is also useful as you have to fiddle and jiggle with lining up dowels and the pin that anchors the brake band when you go to put it back on. Be very careful if you have to manhandle the final drive. MENhandle is more appropriate. a) You don't want it falling on anyone. b) You don't want to drop it or otherwise bend the oilpan that makes up the bottom of it.

left side.

That'll be the easier of the two.

That'll be the easier of the two.

Thanks Scott. I may take this on a 14 mile tractor drive, and the left brake appears to have either snapped a pin or the band has broken. Either way, the left brake does not work, and I don't think I want to chance a tractor drive with only 1 brake. Unfortunately, I will be doing this repair "solo", but I have lots of cribbing and a chain hoist.

although, I could take the H, but it isn't as far along in the restoration process..........

Sounds good. I've pulled mine with an engine hoist so that I can pull them right away to do whatever needed doing. What you might want to do, unless you're really set up and your chain fall is on a trolley, is position it or the tractor so that the final pulls away just a few inches, 3 or 4, once you unbolt it. That's still close enough that you can swing it back in to remount it without too much trouble, and you can also lay it down on blocks (being careful to protect the pan) if you have to have it steady for any beating or pulling to replace the pin.

There is a thread just above or below this one about jacking a Super A. The jack points are obvious but, especially in this case, I favor Hugh's suggestion, if your tractor has the drawbar on it, of jacking it under the transmission and then letting it down a little to rest on blocking under the drawbar. It removes the possibility of hitting your jack with the final drive when you go to turn it around -- that could get nasty. You could jack and block both sides in that fashion, too, so you can run the tractor with the tires off the ground to adjust the brakes up evenly.

And, for sure, having both brakes working evenly is an excellent idea if you're going to be using them in road gear.

Our A pulled the spot welds on the band apart where it wraps around that pin. We just welded the band back together---still working.

After getting the tractor blocked firm remove the left wheel assy. I like to them use the cherry picker to remove the final drive assy. I would replace both seals since it is apart. You will need to be careful getting the final loose from the tranny as there are two dowel pins so it needs to come off even and careful. I have a large brass hammer to get ithe assy loose so i can drive some wedges in carefull to get the final released.

(quoted from post at 06:33:57 09/15/09)There is a thread just above or below this one about jacking a Super A. The jack points are obvious but, especially in this case, I favor Hugh's suggestion, if your tractor has the drawbar on it, of jacking it under the transmission and then letting it down a little to rest on blocking under the drawbar.

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Jacking or blocking under the drawbar is out in this case. The drawbar will have to be unbolted from the final. You would be able to jack under the drawbar if you then block under the transmission and remove the jack.

Good catch, Jim! Not sure what I was thinkin' there.

Jacking from the drawbar and resting the tranny on good solid cribbing sounds like a winner. All I could add to that is to use some 2x or 4x (better) between the jack and the drawbar to minimize any chance of bending the drawbar.