Brakes on MF 2660

[JWR]

After a 7 year break from my post in 2011 regarding MF 2660 brakes (see quote next) I will follow the quote with a question.

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After a 7 week delay Massey came up with enough brake discs to convert my 2660 from a 4 disc system to a 5 disk system. The parts people insisted they could not find the discs to do the mod in that period of time (!) Note that these tractors (according to the shop manual) are produced with 3, 4 and 5 disc brakes. That is, wet brakes with that many discs on each side. Notches in the edge of a wafer showing at the rear of the axle indicate how many discs are in there. Most are apparently 4 disc systems (I've never seen anything else at dealers...) . I pity anyone with a 3 disc system ! The problem has utterly nothing to do with adjustment.


I tested the "new" 5 disc configuration on a 50% slope in 4WD with enough traction to stay put. Now it WILL stop the wheels from turning. Previously with a 4 disc system you could not totally stop the wheels from turning on even a 40% slope. In my opinion the pedal force required is still higher than it should be, but at least now a 215lb person CAN stop the thing. I rate them adequate now.


Further to note: Another 2660 was in the same shop for the same modification. Obviously this is a design issue, NOT a single tractor problem. Also, the procedure includes bypassing/defeating the "equalizer" between left and right brakes besides conversion to a 5 disc system.


I'd love to meet the boardroom executive in Massey who decided it was a good idea to put marginal brakes on most of the tractors and then convert them to good brakes in case someone complains ! How on earth do you justify making 3 grades of brakes !?

QUESTION: Since the above drama, many other bugs were fixed on the tractor and it has become a solid lovable workhorse. [The dealer is long gone, went out of business. Nearest dealer is now 70 miles from the farm, etc.] The brakes work well BUT one side squeaks loudly when any more than light pressure is exerted on the brakes. Essentially all the neighbors know when when I stop going downhill to back up or any time with strong brake application. So the question is: Does this matter? The noise is somewhat cosmetic (and in most ways I don't care so long as there is no serious mechanical concern.) Anyone else out there with this (or other models of Massey with the axle bugles design) have this symptom ? Comments?

 

[Agvg]

Suppose it's a question on price, tractor brakes has often been a minimum solution and has often been almost useless, here I live it's common to use trailers and brakes on the trailer is rare under 6000kg, suppose your brakes wouldn't handle such a load very good.

 

[JWR]

Most or nearly all of my heavy brake utilization is while bush hogging on steeper hillsides on an old farm. I never pull a trailer with the tractor. By the way, we have similar rules here in the USA requiring brakes on trailers above some weight threshold, but that is entirely based on the circumstance of pulling the trailer on public highways, usually with a truck.

 

[JWR]

After nearly a 5 year break from the 2018 orig post here I have a fresh brake issue on my MF2660.
Last week I was operating on pretty steep ground cutting with a 7ft bush hog and simultaneously trimming to the side with a Lane Shark FEL mounted hydraulic motor cutter. At some point the right side brake failed and went "to the floorboard." This alarmed me bad enough that I stopped cutting and headed for my garage to try and sort out the problem. Calling around I got a suggestion that probably I had gotten air in that one side brake system and needed to bleed the brakes and top off the master cylinder reservoir. Kind of sounds logical. I was on steep enough ground I might have sucked air instead of brake fluid I suppose in that one side. To my shock/surprise (after going over the tractor and spending time calling a couple of mechanics, ) I got back on and the brakes were firm on both sides and operating normally just as they have for years.

Note: these brakes are left and right separate systems/circuits of hydraulic brakes. Very early in the tractor life (10 or 11 years ago on the near-new 2011 tractor) I had the "equalizer" feature removed by the dealer between left and right side brake systems. As I recall many owners of MF 26XX series tractors were doing this because the "equalizer" effectively limited one's ability to use wheel brakes -- as if the manufacturer thought some of us didn't really mean it when we expected wheel brakes to work.

My tractor and farm are a day's drive away so I go there to do work (in retirement) every month. Since the incident last week I have had enough time to read the Operators Manual, see how to do it and where, and intend to top off the brake fluid reservoir next trip.

Any comments on the problem? Is bleeding and reservoir filling likely to prevent the problem from recurring ?