Folks,
Well I know just a little more about brakes on a antique dozer. I am also on the RED POWER forum and have gotten some good advice from several folks much more knowledgeable than I. I have a operators manual and a parts book with pictures for the old dozer. Both books are grease stained and well worn, but they have the good info on taking care of one of these machines.
The brakes:
As a reminder this machine has a ATECO loader frame that sticks up right where you get in the cockpit. Most of the brake work is then done by standing on the track frame and or the tracks and leaning down into the area that needs attention.
Brake acess hole in floor board.
Just big enough to get one hand in.
View from leaning over into the cockpit.
First adjustment is to move this pin in till it has the shoe (surprising there was still a good portion there) within 1/64 inch from the drum. Right! How you would measure that I have no clue? So I removed this pin and nut. Got them freed up in the shop. applied never seize and then realized there was a small brake return spring missing just below this pin. I found a couple springs and proceeded to fight those into position for the next two hours.
Spring installed
Now the bottom under the belly of the beast. Access cover on left and right. These had much grease and junk accumulated on them.
Lower inspection cover clean enough to be able to handle and put back on.
The lower adjustment: Loosen lock nut above spring and then screw in bolt to tighten the bands against the drum. Again bring band to within 1/64 of drum! These bands had not been adjusted in several days. Like maybe 25 years??? So there was about a 1/4 inch of clearance between the drum and the band. Therefor saving the band! Yea it was not pretty in there! But you have to do what you have to do.
Also adjusted the brake pedals out for my stretched 6-2 frame.
We now had all kinds of brake action!
Fired her up and what a night and day difference. The brakes allow you to spin on a dime!
I took that tree root ball back to the woods and moved some boulders I dug out near the old tree. Evevn felt foxy and had the old girl in 3 gear. It has 5 forward speeds.
I think I am going to adjust the steering brake handles again and allow them to go forward more. I dont have room to pull them back past my legs! Just too close. Now that I see they actually work and the steering bands are not junk. I think I can live with them further ahead.
Still learning about this little machine.
Pulled the dip stick in the trans. Good news it had something in there that was oily but looked more like peanutbutter? Put that on the list.
I was also able to engage the starter from in the cockpit, so the clean up and lube of the likkages helped. And will be safer.
Powerwashed the mud off tracks and track frame. Should have parked it on some planks for the winter.
Thanks for taking a look.
Regards,
Chris