What's the purpose?

[Jim in LA]

....of the brake pawls, located behind the hydraulic inspection covers. I have never seen how they are useful.

 

[Ed S.]

....of the brake pawls, located behind the hydraulic inspection covers. I have never seen how they are useful.

That's your "parking brake." I agree that they don't work very well, if at all.

 

[Eman85]

Mine keep the tractor from rolling away if I leave it running and get off. You have to be pretty flexible to set the parking brake but you step on the pedal and engage the pawl. To release I just tap the pedal hard and it releases. There was an aftermarket company that made a handle to help engage them, been discussed on this board before.

 

[Jim in LA]

Mine keep the tractor from rolling away if I leave it running and get off. You have to be pretty flexible to set the parking brake but you step on the pedal and engage the pawl. To release I just tap the pedal hard and it releases. There was an aftermarket company that made a handle to help engage them, been discussed on this board before.

Yeah, the guy that designed it didn't think it through.

 

[ChrisFromCLE]

I use a brake pawl every now and then but find that most of the time I just turn the front wheels all the way to one side. Turns out that it holds just about the same for what that’s worth…

Chris from CLE

 

[HarryVanderpool]

Over the years I have trailered our 2N to different mowing locations.
After loading on the trailer, shutting off engine, placing in reverse, I would dismount and walk to each side, pressing and locking both brakes with the pawl. They hold very well!
Then tie down.

 

[OldBlue61]

Mine seem to work ok. My property isn't really hilly, just a few small rolls, and it holds mine ok.

 

[Kondoge]

they work great if you use them right and set them up right, that and you have brakes to use, for me I find you will know if their toothed bits are installed wrong because when you push the pedal down it will latch and the pedal will get stuck down. Or could it be my old 9N mutt pleading with me to leave him rest in his shed instead of back blading.

 

[Tall T]

....of the brake pawls, located behind the hydraulic inspection covers. I have never seen how they are useful.

I find them very useful, work perfectly and use my right side one whenever I want to get off the tractor but leave the engine running.
If you're going to turn the engine off then the tranny is your emergency brake.

Keep those levers clean, oiled lightly and free to drop back down when you quick stomp the pedal.

 

[Lynn Patrick]

Tall T's "Keep those levers clean, oiled lightly and free to drop back down" is the secret! They often need heated (so you can get them apart), taken apart, cleaned, oiled & put back together when I buy another old Ford.

 

[Tall T]

P.S.
When I first tried those emerg brakes, I found that just pushing on the pedal might not effect a release, especially if you pushed down hard to lock them in the first place.
What I found was that it takes a serious boot heal stab or blow to the brake pedal, as opposed to just a sustained push, to cause them to let go.

That might be why some gave up on them.

 

[Jim in LA]

Tall T's "Keep those levers clean, oiled lightly and free to drop back down" is the secret! They often need heated (so you can get them apart), taken apart, cleaned, oiled & put back together when I buy another old Ford.

We had never used the parking brake feature and they were stuck on both tractors. A little PB blast and tapping with a small freed them up. I couldn’t get them to catch very well. The teeth may be wore down or the anchor plate may need to be moved if possible.

 

[Lynn Patrick]

We had never used the parking brake feature and they were stuck on both tractors. A little PB blast and tapping with a small freed them up. I couldn’t get them to catch very well. The teeth may be wore down or the anchor plate may need to be moved if possible.

Or the teeth are often filled w/dirt, grease & old paint!

 

[showcrop]

The ones on my 960 and 901 both work just as you would want. The operating rods were lengthened from 8N length, so the pull loop is up at seat level.

 

[soaked]

The ones on my 960 and 901 both work just as you would want. The operating rods were lengthened from 8N length, so the pull loop is up at seat level.

Ns dont have rods to pull, have to toggle with finger/thumb.

No rod on NAA either

it's just simply aPAWLING

 

[showcrop]

Look at the diagram. it shows the operating handle, which apparently is missing on your NAA, to engage, disengage the pawl. The newer ones are very close to the same thing but with a long handle as I posted earlier. The newer ones are subject to getting coated with mud and rust and can take a lot of work to get freed up.

 

[soaked]

The operating rods were lengthened from 8N length, so the pull loop is up at seat level.

N tractors just dont have a rod to compare with. There is just a simple toggle as shown in the pic above. No handle, no rod.
What was the evolution of e brakes after 8n? Im not an expert.
The NAA owners manual diagram shows a stubby arm that doesnt ascend upwards or have pull loops.
I had a 631 for a short time, and dont remember its set up.
My 4000 4 cyl with 871 rear has loop pull rods with springs---up just under the seat, like you describe.
Thankfully im out of Pawl jokes

 

[HarryVanderpool]

When I bought our 2N in 1987, and for years after, I was flexible enough to, from the seat, reach down, engage the pawl and set the brakes on both sides. I can no longer do that.
However, after shutting the tractor off, dismounting and from standing on the ground depressing each brake and setting the pawl works just fine.
I kinda thing this might have been the original purpose for the mechanism.
It was, back in the day, meant to lock the brakes during stationary operation, which is largely a thing of the past.
Somewhere, way, way back in the past, maybe in N-News, someone welded a 4" piece of .25" rod as an extension upward to help us old-timers.

 

[40Mule]

....of the brake pawls, located behind the hydraulic inspection covers. I have never seen how they are useful.

It is to keep the N from rolling down into the deep county drain with a wagon. Uncle could tell you. Not sure if he was on it.

 

[Eman85]

https://redrockmfg.com/products/parking-brakes/
This is the aftermarket modification for the N parking brakes.