Brake Latch Question

[DanielW]

I'm soon going to be kicked off these forums for all the questions I'm asking, but here I go anyway:

All the E1A's I've seen pictures of (and also in the parts manual) have a brake latch mechanism akin to the later thousand series tractors, where you lift up and give a quarter turn on a T-knob to lock the brakes on - like circled in the attached picture. All three of my majors don't have this, they have the chintzy little 'flick' lever - just a short little lever by the pedal you flick forward with the brakes depressed to (hopefully) latch the brakes. They don't work too well, and aren't overly reliable. Our land is very hilly - there's very rarely a spot that's not on at least a slight slope. It makes it rather irksome every time I go to hook up a wagon or other implement, where the tractor will roll into or away from the implement while I'm hooking it up if it unlatches or doesn't latch in the right spot.

I'm wondering if hardware from the later 'lift and turn' T-handle will fit on these 'flick lever' brake systems. I haven't seen much reference to my style of brake latch, except this message posted on the FordsonTractorPages a few days ago (which is what got me thinking about it):

''The very early tractors prior to about April 1952 had a catch that you had to bend down to reach and flick it over whilst pressing the brake pedals in order to lock them on, these early tractors also had mudguards with the curved seam near the top and two rib pressings in the vertical face. Around April 1952 the flick catch was replaced with the lift and turn T handle, and around the same time or probably just before that change to a T handle the mudguards were changed to the type with a curved seam near the top but plain vertical faces.''

Any thoughts greatly appreciated. Don't know of any other majors nearby, or I'd go and look/measure one myself.
<img src=https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto162222.png>

This post was edited by DanielW on 09/01/2023 at 11:05 am.

 

[DanielW]

Picture of the later style (not what I have):

 

[Majorman]

Think that information has a flaw. The Major from 1952 January, may have had the latch you describe, mine from 1952 September has the later latch with a T handle. The rear wings were not changed until around 1953-54.

Another change at the same time was the bezel on the sidelights. Later bezels have a lip whereas the early ones were plain. Drivers working at night using early tractors, here on Scarning Farms, reported being blinded by the sidelights on the edge of their vision. As they were reporting faults found through J. J. Wright and Sons, Ford Main Dealers, who also owned the estate, Fords added the lip to correct the problem.

 

[DanielW]

Well I'll be jiggered: I never even noticed the light change, but googling it now I see what you mean. Two of mine have the earlier style without the lip (my third one is missing those lights conpletely). I wonder if I happen to have three early '52 petrol Majors? Or maybe they just used up the old-stock parts for the export tractors. I'll have to run the serial numbers and find out.