tractor locking up.

Whew!that was a close one.My Ford tractor 600 4 speed with a Howard gear to run a tiller almost let me down when we were in a very large fourth of july parade yesterday pulling a farm wagon with passengers. The first thing was that it wouldn't start during the parade.After wiggling the batt cables,and trying the starter button several time,it started. The second thing a few minuets later while stopped,and shifting the tractor locked up tight,it would not budge forward,or backwards the engine was running,and I could move the shift lever. After several trys at moving the shift lever it freed. I was wondering what I should be looking for as I inspect things with the transmittion top cover off. When arriving at home the start button failed again,so it started just fine with a hot wire. A new switch will be ordered,but the other problem could have been a disaster.

I had a similal experience when an antique self-propelled baler I was rideing on ran out of gas during a local 4th of July parade.EMBARASSING!!

Had a flat tire durring the parade myself. Not bad driving it on the flat so I kept going. Tire was going to be replaced anyway so I was not too suprised it went, just not when I really wanted it to but oh well. What was the most annoying thing was the number of people that pointed it out. Many within hearing distance of each other! People are stupid!!!

The tractor locked up because you got it stuck in two gears at once!

It is a common problem with older tractors with worn shift parts. The shift lever will slip out of the shifter fork before the tractor is out of one gear. Then the driver selects a different gear and BLAMMO! You're locked up tight.

The fact that you were able to blindly fidget it back into one gear is pretty amazing.

My 801/841 will some times have a problem much like yours and I shift it out of gear just to fine it is still in gear. I let the clutch up every time I shift and do so between gears so as not to lock it up. Of it stays in gear I shift it back to the gear it was in then out and most of the time that works. It has done that for years but I have learned to live with it. Most likely cause it a worn shifter fork/rail

Whenever one of my old tractors leaves home for some farther away job it will act up in some way or form, even though it runs fine at home.

The shifter or forks were worn and you shifted a little different while in the parade because of nerves or whatever. I've been in tons and tons of parades in about half the towns in northwest Iowa, advertising for our local threshing show. Quite often I have found myself operating the tractor differently in the parade than I normally would at home.

Yesterday I was watching the large July 4th parade at a local town. Our local threshing show's Model AA Ford truck was in it, and right as it passed in front of where I was sitting, it died. It re-started just long enough for him to get it off to the side of the parade route, then it died again. I was in on most of the restoration of this thing and it was my baby for quite a few years, so feeling responsible, I got up and went out there to help the driver. All we had for tools (tool) was a pliers, but we did get the drain plug out of the carb and found out it wasn't getting a good flow of fuel. The tank was clean and so was the fuel, so I was standing there scratching my head while the parade was going around us, and then I thought about loosening the gas cap, and the fuel started flowing again. The gas cap vent was plugged!! He started it back up and merged back into the parade as the crowd cheered. A month ago we had done a complete servicing of this old girl, including replacing the ring gear, but who ever thinks about the gas cap vent??? Jim

When we are in a parade with our tractors , we always carry a log chain on both tractors. It has been used a couple of times by us and others in the parade. clint

Thanks for the reply,I never heard of any thing like that.