4020 brakes and steering when engine is off.

[Rick 67]

I recently purchased a 1967 4020 with powershift. My question is - if you are traveling and the engine quits - do you have any steering or brakes at all? What do you do if this happens? What if you run out of fuel accidentally? This seems like a real safety nightmare. Maybe I am missing something. Are there any fixes I can do to prevent this? Thank you.

 

[ET]

If the steering and brakes have been properly bled out to remove all the air then yes they will work.

 

[tim s]

Up until 1969 4020's did not have accumulators, so if you were unfortunate enough to run out of fuel or lose power you are in deep dodo... very little steering and about 2 pumps on the brake pedal is all, you have left,,can lead to an exciting ride in hill country..

 

[David G]

They should work, but real hard.

 

[Rick 67]

Mine does not have an accumulator. Could I add this? What would be involved. My brakes are bled fine, but when the power is off there is no hydraulic pressure to the brakes from the pedal.

thanks for the responses. I actually had a very exciting ride pulling a wagon up a hill - it ran out of fuel and went backwards with no steering or brakes!

 

[S.Crum]

I guess I never gave this much thought. We had several New Gen Deeres on the farm for years. One was better off cutting a deal with the devil that having the old man find out you got in the seat of a tractor without doing the basic pre-operation checks. Oil level, Anti freeze level and Fuel level. The only moment of "excitement" steering wise that I can remember was one of the hydraulic steering lines on the 4230 cracking open at the bolster fitting. Luckly that was while jacking around to hook up to the disk harrow.

 

[tomstractorsandtoys]

20 series tractors should have steering and brakes if the engine stops, pump the brakes and they should hold a 10 series tractor on the other hand has nothing when not running. I got in an ugly mess years ago with a 3010 that stalled under load,thankfully a friend ridding on the fender had the presence of mind to reach down and turn the key on turning the engine over so the hyd. picked back up giving me brakes.

 

[tim s]

The 20's didn't get an acumulator till the console models came out in 1969...till then they acted the same as a 10 seres,,no power,,no brakes...

 

[Bob]

The average sensible farmer would be able to keep some fuel in the tank, thereby avoiding disaster!

 

[Rick 67]

Can I add an accumulator? Mine is a non console 1967 model. I had thought an accumulator only assisted in steering without power.

 

[Tx Jim]

(quoted from post at 22:20:05 02/15/11) I got in an ugly mess years ago with a 3010 that stalled under load,thankfully a friend ridding on the fender had the presence of mind to reach down and turn the key on turning the engine over so the hyd. picked back up giving me brakes.

Please explain if 3010 was in gear/clutch engaged and tractor was moving why engine wasn't turning without key turned on?

 

[tim s]

Yes you can, but not much room to put it, most any style will work, and the location is not important to make it work, just to keep it out of the way, and only put it on the brake curcuit, what they do is "store" pressure to keep it on stand by, it will help you get stopped so you can get into park. The old Ford 6 or 7000 (not sure about these model #'s) had a large accumulator that worked great, one could be left setting in the barn for a week or so and still lift the plow with out starting the tractor,,still not a good enough reason to have one

 

[Tx Jim]

(quoted from post at 06:24:05 02/16/11) Can I add an accumulator? Mine is a non console 1967 model. I had thought an accumulator only assisted in steering without power.

Anything can be done for enough $$$$$$ RE11956 PNEUMATIC ACCUMULATOR fits 20-55 series rowcrop tractors

 

[tim s]

If it was in forward gear, being dragged backwards the trans pump would be turning the wrong way,,and of course the "panic factor" may have made him push the clutch pedal down They don't have rides as exciteing as that at the Fair....

 

[thurlow]

Neighbor usta cut silage with a 901 Dorf and a one-row A-C cutter, model 50 IIRC; bought a new 6000 and was showing me how the hydraulics worked.....with the engine off. Coupla weeks later, he was back to using the 901.

 

[tim s]

Yes that sounds right they make a 2010 look good....

 

[Rick 67]

Where is the accumulator located on the late model 4020s? Where is it tied into the brakes? Is there a port already there?

thanks

 

[tim s]

It's down under the dash on the late 4020's, to add one you would connect the pressure feed line into it and the line to the brake valve going out of it, a nitrogen charge and a check valve keep it loaded, most come "with-out" the nitro charge, I keep compressed nitrogen here for those and testing air conditioning systems, most dealers keep it also.There are 5 of them on a 4960 counting the one on the seat they have some different shapes and fittings on them,,and they are not cheap..I think the one for the seat is around $200

 

[buickanddeere]

Anybody ask jde maris about brakes and steering during an engine failure?
He was almost killed and still suffers today from the old wounds of broken bones and torn tissue.