Solocam8925 Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 I just brought my first combine. Was told that the brakes haven't been working since 1980. You can't even stomp on the brakes. Any suggestions?? Is it worth fixing the brakes?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HydroTek Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 Most of those around here didn't fix the brakes -- but they would be handy if you ever need them The hydro lever is mostly all you need Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1480x3 Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 The 14 series combines Have proven that brakes are not needed on combines ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solocam8925 Posted August 4 Author Share Posted August 4 27 minutes ago, 1480x3 said: The 14 series combines Have proven that brakes are not needed on combines ! I brought it. But I won't bring it back to my farm in September. I'm avoiding the hills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billonthefarm Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 Never knew a 14 series to have working brakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acem Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 I bought my 1460 over 20 years ago. One of the brakes worked for a little while. Don't think I ever used it. Just pulled back on the hydro lever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DT Fan Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 9 hours ago, billonthefarm said: Never knew a 14 series to have working brakes. Oh they work enough to get hot and stink! Stepped on once and it stuck down, then drove it home a little over a mile, not good! Cooled them down with a leaf blower best I could, fire extinguisher handy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tractorholic Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 If working brakes are important you need to get a newer series combine. I would not be worried about not having them though. I never missed them when I had a 1460. In the 27 years of having a combine I really have never had a need for them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksfarmdude Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 Got to have working brakes its a must if it ever comes out of gear on a hill you'll be looking for something cheap to hit I won't run a combine without brakes I keep mine fixed up as needed brake cylinders linings Master cylinder have have been replaced thru the years The parking brake won't work either until you have at least the left brake working Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brahamfireman Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 Don't ever touch the "clutch" pedal either, if the valve sticks you'll hate your life. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThirdGenRed Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 The brakes are fixable, but it is no five minute job. The dual master cylinder is from an IH Travelall, you can see the casting has the word "Clutch" cast on the side of it. One side was for the brake, one for the hydraulic clutch, in the combine one is used for the right brake, one for the left. This is located behind your right heel under the floor when you are sitting in the seat, you can see that little square box with the bolt holding it on, this is what gives you access to add brake fluid. These are manual brakes, not tied to the combine's hydraulics, it takes more leg strength than the power brakes in the 21 series and newer. I fixed the brakes on my 1460 and my 1440 by cutting an access hole under the floormat so I could remove the brake lines and linkage from the dual master cylinder. I used a piece of aluminum sheet to go over the hole I cut and screwed it down, with the floormat back in, you can't tell. I had to use a brake hone to clean up the bores of the master cylinder and used a Raybestos kit for the new seal kit. I flushed the lines and also rebuilt the brake cylinders, they are super simple, and bought some diaphragm seals to repair them. Bleeding it all out took some time, but they work great, not as powerful as the 21 series and up, but definitely worth it being I farm steep hills and if muddy or snowy, I can stop the spinning wheel being I have working brakes. A pic of the brake kit for the master cylinder, you need two, bought online, very reasonably priced, under $15 bucks. The wheel cylinder diapham seals had "777" on them and I just googled it and found them, they were very cheap too. If the mice ran back and forth under the seat on top of the brake linkage, it might be stuck and you will have to free it up. One combine's linkage was stuck, the other was not. I feel it was worth it, but it took some time. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirt_Floor_Poor Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 I don’t have a 14XX combine, but I would be terrified of not having brakes here. No service brake was also a major complaint about the Patriot sprayers that we ran. We bought a 3200 Patriot used and it had a new engine put in it because someone pulled out in front of the previous owner at the bottom of a hill. They pulled the hydro lever back and blew it up to avoid the collision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff-C-IL Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 Needing brakes is dependent on your terrain and how much you travel on the road. If you never leave the farm, and you don't have a hilly farm - nope, never need them. A lot of road travel with steep hills - probably worth fixing as its a safety issue. Normally the Hydro is perfectly fine for slowing & stopping the combine. BUT --- I will never forget the feeling of the time I came over a slight rise at full speed on the road, and there was a stop sign just over the hill on the down hill grade. Pulled the hydro back and ---- some internal relief valve popped open and the combine freewheeled right on thru the intersection with 0 ability to slow down. Nobody was coming. I went home to change my pants. That said, almost all the combines I have had since the first Hydro in 1983, the brakes had quit and not been repaired. I guess I would suggest trying it first and see if you feel you need them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksfarmdude Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 I am shocked at the NO Brakes- No Sweat-No Need comments from everyone I use brakes on them combines alot to aid in shifting the transmission to setting the parking brake Its a safety issue to boot 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ray54 Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 Every combine I have run is a hillside model meaning everything is steep. By far the most hours in Gleaner MH and MH2's. On them the hydro was good, but had a number of belt failures on the charge pump. You free wheel had several rides I don't want to repeat. The Mh's had fabulous brakes. Maybe the IH's don't have the weakness of the hydro being able to free wheel. But moving even a half mile down any rode without brakes in this day and age. Your putting the farm on the line. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solocam8925 Posted August 5 Author Share Posted August 5 8 hours ago, ksfarmdude said: I am shocked at the NO Brakes- No Sweat-No Need comments from everyone I use brakes on them combines alot to aid in shifting the transmission to setting the parking brake Its a safety issue to boot I don't farm in hill country that's a releif. I got 2 leases that I plan on planting corn next year. There's some hills going down on the main roads. I suppose taking my time going in slow gear would be my option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedar farm Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 I've had a 1660 for a few years now. I should figure them out as it never had brakes. I hate it. I especially miss a parking brake. The 6620 I had for 25 years had excellent brakes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HydroTek Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 One of the problems with the brakes is that they used Dot 3 fluid , and Farmers are not known for maintaining the brake system Ya know , like flushing and changing brake fluid every few years that stuff will draw moisture , and rust the system When the brakes were new , they worked fine lack of use and lack of maintenance has taken the toll Even with working brakes , if the axle couplers are not maintained -- you gonna free wheel sometimes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solocam8925 Posted August 5 Author Share Posted August 5 42 minutes ago, HydroTek said: One of the problems with the brakes is that they used Dot 3 fluid , and Farmers are not known for maintaining the brake system Ya know , like flushing and changing brake fluid every few years that stuff will draw moisture , and rust the system When the brakes were new , they worked fine lack of use and lack of maintenance has taken the toll Even with working brakes , if the axle couplers are not maintained -- you gonna free wheel sometimes Problem was that the previous owner never used the brakes since his grampa brought it. Can't even stomp on it. I'm assuming its real bad. I brought it because it was a good deal to buy and it's my first combine. It's been maintained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ihcubguy Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 Brakes on our 1440 didn't work when we first bought it. Had them fixed and they worked for maybe 2 seasons. We farmed hilly country and traveled roads some. Never really found that we needed or used them. They never got fixed a second time and we used the combine another 15 years the way it was. The 2 seasons they did work they were marginal at best. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThirdGenRed Posted August 6 Share Posted August 6 21 hours ago, Solocam8925 said: Problem was that the previous owner never used the brakes since his grampa brought it. Can't even stomp on it. I'm assuming its real bad. I brought it because it was a good deal to buy and it's my first combine. It's been maintained. If the pedals don't move at all, more than likely it is the linkage under the floor under the seat is frozen. Mice will run back and forth on the brake linkage pivot bar under the seat and pee all over it, it will rust and then not pivot giving you pedals that will not move. The brake pedals connect to a rod that runs back under the floor under the seat to a pivot bar and then the linkage goes forward to the twin master cylinder. If you remove the seat and seat pan, you can see the floor, and there should be a sound pad laying there that you lift out and you will see an access panel to reach the brake linkage pivot bar. I removed the bar assembly on the one combine and broke it loose out of the combine, I also drilled and installed grease fittings so it mice ever run across it again, their pee can't rust it again. If the master cylinder happens to be full of brake fluid and not stuck or rusted, you are lucky, buy a lotto ticket. If you don't want to rebuild the twin master cylinder yourself, they do have remans for the IH Travelall, or they did five years ago, back then, I think they were about $200 bucks, no idea now. If you drove a vehicle with manual brakes, the newly fixed manual combine brakes will feel similar, if you have only experienced power brakes, the combine brakes will feel like they push hard. Brake fluid should be changed about every three years in cars, trucks, motorcycles, old combines, etc., but most people don't and the fluid turns dark as it absorbs water and goes bad. Non serviced brake fluid is what the death of the brakes was on most of these combines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wi Ih Posted August 6 Share Posted August 6 Is anybody ever ran a different fluid that will not suck up moisture ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksfarmdude Posted August 6 Share Posted August 6 23 minutes ago, Wi Ih said: Is anybody ever ran a different fluid that will not suck up moisture ? Just use high quality brake fluid and change it occasionally as suggested above I know very few change or even think about changing brake fluid but it does extend the life of things only other issue with them brakes is the linings getting oil on them or getting very hot they go away fast I take them apart to clean and lube the expander plates and adjust if you want the brake to last on them they got to be serviced I realize they maybe aren't as important as a tractors brakes but they do come in handy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acem Posted August 6 Share Posted August 6 A neighbor had a farm 30 miles away and had to Cross a small mountain with a steep grade. He drove his 6600 (or 6620?) every fall to harvest. One time he was low on fuel but had enough to get there. Going up the steep grade all the fuel went to the back of the tank and the suction was out of tthe fuel. Before it made it up the engine quit. The combine started rolling backwards because his brakes didn't work. Luckily he landed in some trees. I didn't see it happen but did see the damaged combine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacka Posted August 6 Share Posted August 6 On 8/4/2023 at 9:16 PM, ray54 said: Every combine I have run is a hillside model meaning everything is steep. By far the most hours in Gleaner MH and MH2's. On them the hydro was good, but had a number of belt failures on the charge pump. You free wheel had several rides I don't want to repeat. The Mh's had fabulous brakes. Maybe the IH's don't have the weakness of the hydro being able to free wheel. But moving even a half mile down any rode without brakes in this day and age. Your putting the farm on the line. Yes anything you do going down the road or having someone working for you whom would sue you is always a worry. No brakes going down the road and knowing beforehand you didn't have brakes is a easy winnable lawsuit for any attorney I would think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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