Brakes: hill holder issues

[Ron Smith]

I've been having trouble with the brakes sticking on my 49 Champion business coupe, which I believe I've traced to the hill holder (now that I recognize that it has one). I've disassembled and inspected the brakes on all 4 wheels, and, while I found some significant problems from the previous owners work, nothing explained the brake sticking I was experiencing. The master cylinder appears to have been replaced. braking power is good and even. The hill holder works, but sticks in the on position. On a hill, I can let the clutch pedal all the way up with the car in neutral and it still holds, which I gather from other posts, it's not supposed to do. It doesn't release properly when I go forward on the hill, but I can get it let loose most of the time by tapping the brake with the clutch pedal all the way depressed. The spring on the adjustment shaft was a little loose so I stretched it some and I think the lever is all the way back with the clutch engaged. Have ordered a seal kit from SI. These units are apparently some trouble to reseal, so I'm wondering whether there are other suggestions. If I flush with alcohol as some suggest, can one tell on the bench whether it functions?
Thanks for any help you could provide.
Ron

[55 56 PREZ 4D]

Some members on this site say NOT to disassemble a Hill holder, BUT.
The thick goo and slime inside one I rebuilt on a 56 President convinced me that I made the right choice in tearing it apart.
The car was new to me and had not been driven in I don't know how many years.
No way could I have cleaned it out without breaking it down. It was a job doing it with it apart.
IF you decide to look into yours, DO NOT support it by the mounting ears.
It takes a lot of force to open the big nut on the end and the ears will probably break.

[Ron Smith]

Thanks. Unless there is an adjustment I haven't discovered (the manual is pretty vague), I'll probably have to get into it. Judging from the abuse on the lip of the plug, it's been previously opened. Also, together with the used master cylinder I found in the trunk, was a home-made bypass for the hill holder, suggesting someone had trouble with it before. As a last resort, I'll disconnect and bypass it again. Seems that the people on the forum who have functioning hill holders, like them, so I'll try to keep it.