Help stuck brakes

Hello I have a 1936 plymouth P2 Deluxe and I'm having problems with my brakes do not dis engage I noticed in the summer my brakes were dragging and now they just don't disengage why please help thanks all

 

It's very difficult to trouble shoot a car if it can't be seen... My advice is do not drive it until you know you've found and remedied the problem!
Having said that, maybe this will help: 1st step would be a thorough inspection. Look at the fluid for clarity / level. Inspect the E-brake lever & cable if so equipped. (I recently had the guide for the cable under the car wear through and was binding. That was making the rear brakes drag a bit) Inspect the brake pedal for worn/broken return spring or binding. (including where the pedal goes through the floor if so equipped... carpet has been known to drag on the pedal arm) Wheels off, drums off, look at everything & make sure nothing is binding or broken as is moving smoothly when activated. Go from there & good luck to you.

 

Hi. Determine if it is 1 drum or all. If all not releasing check out all linkage & plunger in master cylinder and also the emergency brake linkage. If just one drum on either axel it could be the rubber hose taking fluid to that drum has deterating inside and a strip may be loose inside hose & when you engage brakes fluid is forced past that hanging flap and blocking the fluid return when you release the petal. I have had this happen. Also once thought I had a vapor lock problem with engine dying & it turned out the flex hose before the fuel pump was rotted inside and pump suction was sucking it closed and run out of gas. In either of the above instances it will slowly release and go back to normal for a short time. To fix replace the hoses if that is the problem. Jimmie

 

Hello from a former HD resident. Are they the original brakes? Are ALL 4 brakes on and wont disengage?

 

Probably tiny hole in master cylinder plugged and not allowing pressure to bleed off. When they get warmed up and drag, try loosening the brake line at the m/c and see if they release. That's how mine were and new m/c fixed the issue.

Dave

 

That is step one but you can just open a bleeder screw on a wheel to let the pressure off.
Step two is to make sure that the pedal is returning all the way up and the return spring is not missing. The floor pedals tend to have enough weight that they push against the piston and cover up the return port from the cylinder to the reservoir at times.

Still if the rig has been sitting a lot over the years and the brake cylinders haven't been rebuilt or changed in the past four or five years I'd highly suggest either rebuilding or replacing the master cylinder and all of the wheel cylinders and the rubber brake hoses.