Brakes: Hill Holder bleed

[LeoH]

I need to get a hard copy, my DVD's not working right now.
Shouldn't there be extra steps involved in bleeding the brakes with the Hill Holder? Should I be flushing it separately?

[jclary]

In my humble opinion, unless you have had the hill holder out, it is a non issue for bleeding or flushing. As long as you are using only the brake pedal, and the clutch is not depressed, the hill holder should not be a factor. It is merely part of the fluid circuit of the system and bleeding should be a straight shot out to the wheel cylinder bleed screw being opened. It has been a while since I have read the instructions, but if I have it right, you begin with the wheel cylinder furthermost from the master-cylinder. That would be the rear passenger side, rear driver side, front passenger side, and front driver last. That is...except for the folks who live where they have the steering wheel on the "Other" side. (Notice...I didn't say "wrong" side)

[Hawklover]

Leo this may be putting the cart before the horse so to speak but....if you ever change the single master cylinder to a dual master, as I did on my Avanti which had a hill holder.....I lost the ability to have a hill holder...candidly I have not missed the HH too much, and the rare times I am on a hill I just slip the clutch until the light changes.....I just could not figure how to have the HH on an Avanti with dual MC.

I need to get a hard copy, my DVD's not working right now.
Shouldn't there be extra steps involved in bleeding the brakes with the Hill Holder? Should I be flushing it separately?

[Skip Lackie]

There should be a screw on top of the HH that is supposed to be loosened (not removed) to allow any air and a drop or two of brake fluid to leak out. Sometimes it can be reached with a screw driver from above through the hole in the floorboard, and sometimes you have to do it from below with a sideways screwdriver.

[skyway]

Just visited this Friday on my '62 plainjane Lark. About a half an inch clearance between the bleeder screw and the floor boards. Way too close for any of my angled screw drivers so I removed the HH so's replace the 10-32 screw with a hex head. By the way the 59-64 shop Manuel sez to bleed the HH first.

[52 Ragtop]

Leo this may be putting the cart before the horse so to speak but....if you ever change the single master cylinder to a dual master, as I did on my Avanti which had a hill holder.....I lost the ability to have a hill holder...candidly I have not missed the HH too much, and the rare times I am on a hill I just slip the clutch until the light changes.....I just could not figure how to have the HH on an Avanti with dual MC.

Your Avanti would have had ONLY the rear brakes going through the hill holder. Since the fronts are disc brakes. That is the way my 63 is plumbed. When I installed a dual M/C on my Avanti, I just ran a new line to the top of the brass T (on the frame below the M/C0 put a line plug where the rear line cam in, then ran a new line to the original rear line and used a union. I never touched the hill holder, and it still worked with no problem

Jim

[LeoH]

Just visited this Friday on my '62 plainjane Lark. About a half an inch clearance between the bleeder screw and the floor boards. Way too close for any of my angled screw drivers so I removed the HH so's replace the 10-32 screw with a hex head. By the way the 59-64 shop Manuel sez to bleed the HH first.

Thank you for the instruction and the maintenance tip. It sounds, to me, like you're saying that the HH can be bled out of 'sequence' with the rest of the system, if necessary. From the history of the car I know, it likely has been done relatively recently, but also, it wouldn't hurt to be sure it has cleaner fluid in it than it probably has.

[LeoH]

Leo this may be putting the cart before the horse so to speak but....if you ever change the single master cylinder to a dual master, as I did on my Avanti which had a hill holder.....I lost the ability to have a hill holder...candidly I have not missed the HH too much, and the rare times I am on a hill I just slip the clutch until the light changes.....I just could not figure how to have the HH on an Avanti with dual MC.

I do remember seeing someone's minor fixes to allow the HH to still work on a dual M/C, on someone's page, possibly Bob
Johnson's mega list?

[LeoH]

slightly on topic, I did find them in the catalog and have ordered a few to have spares, but I was REALLY surprised to have zero luck at getting a replacement filler plug gasket for the M/C. When I took off the plug, the gasket was in sad shape, but none of the part stores in town had anything to replace it with! Now, yes, this is on a Studebaker, but it's not the only car that uses this item and since the M/C is still being produced, along with a rebuild kit, it shouldn't be a logical stretch to expect that filler gaskets are replaced at least as often as the M/C is rebuilt. It shouldn't, but apparently, it is. rant off.

[StudeRich]

You make have to actually support a Studebaker Vendor and Buy one or one with a new Cap! Lol!

[LeoH]

I've no problem with the concept, but it is weird everything else is available but that one part that is usually replaced regularly. The m/c's 2 years old, so I don't feel replacing the cap is needed just yet.
When it's your daily driver, that does factor in to the decision about where you first think about gettin' parts. I've called Karl and Herman at Studes West a time or 6.