Another 450 brake question

So here's my question.

I now own a 1966 case 450 loader, it has the two master cylinders under the floor - No brakes, nothing happens, haven;t worked for years etc.. -

I'll probably replace the masters with napa parts, slaves from Wyoming and the actual brake "thing" - thus I'm trying to figure out if the "thing" will be a disk or bands.

Can someone tell me if the 1966 D450 crawler/loader has bands or disk. Assuming that they are disk, it appears that they can be changed in place (apparently by an upside down, very skinny person with no elbows)

In general, could it be a weekend project if no wierd problems are encountered?

Any recomeendations on the where to buy the brake disk/bands?

Hard to believe, but I'm here in Iowa and there isn't a flat spot on my property, and knowing me, I'm thinking brakes might be nice option to keep me out of the pond -and yes, they are not for turning or general everyday use - I just want to be able to stop on the hills if needed.

Any thoughts would be appreciated -

Thanks
Irvin

I had to rebuild the brake chambers on my '68 450. I guess it could be done in a weekend, but you'll be busy.

At the botton of each brake chamber you should find a large cotter pin with the ends sticking out. This hole is designed to allow seeping oil and stuff to exit the brake chamber. The cotter pin is designed to rattle around and keep the hole open. If this hole is plugged chances are you've got crud built up in the chamber.

The service manual calls for you to undo the 4 nuts holding the chamber to the transmission case and remove it in one piece. I would not do that again. On the left chamber, I'd undo the chamber cover and take it apart. There isn't enough clearance to pull the whole left chamber intact.

I guess by now you've found out that the brakes are disks. The disks rotate with the transmission drives for each track. There are two fixed plates which are engaged when the chamber lever is actuated. These plates grip the disk and stop the track. You will also notice that the hydraulic lines not only operate the slave cylinders on the brake chambers, they provide fluid pressure to disengage the drive to the track. Basically when you hit a brake pedal you switch that track into neutral and stop it by sandwiching the brake disk.

I'd suggest you get your brake hydraulics running first. Make sure that pressing the brake will disengage the track. After that I'd worry about the brake chamber itself.

On my machine I had to rebuild the chambers because the brakes got stuck on and were starting to smoke.

Let me know if I can answer anything for you.

John
1968 Case 450

disk? / band? have you every replaced them in the tractor?