Hydroboost Conversion

[TURBOPOWERED68]

Have you priced that setup? I don't know about you but I have a wife, four children and a mortgage. It didn't even come close to my budget.


That reserve ain't much imo. I have a Suburban and a pickup with that setup. I've had the burb chuck a tensioner pulley and you are in no power steering and no power brake land in a hurry.

I am on the same micro budget boat as you, I chose that picture at random just to show the reserve not the "kit "it self.
I also get that once the belt goes south the brakes follow in a hurry but one more push on the brakes can make a big difference as i personally experienced on my Astro.

Anyways thanks for posting this up as it's coming up on my to do list. Thanks for the pictures and step by step   

[TexasT]

You get as many "pushes" as you want. The brakes don't quit, the power assist quits.

[TurboCajun]

yes the hydro boost in already in the car and I am installing the 87 PS and Reservoir. just wanting to know how to run the lines

[TexasT]

So, you are removing a pump that has a pressure and two returns(one from steering box and one from hb unit), right?

I can take more pix of mine but it pretty much runs in a circle(kinda). From the pump it goes to the hb, then from hb down to the steering box(these are pressure lines), then from the steering box to the tee, and from the hb to the tee, then to the reservoir, then from the reservoir to the pump. Your new pump has only a pressure and return right?

[dyermullet]

86-87 cars use a different pump than 84-85.

Here is a general diagram of HB routing I borrowed from pirate 4x4

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/Brakes/

[GavinHunyady]

Fo those of you that have done the conversion, does the pedal feel dead prior to purging the air from the hydraulic boost circuit? (p/s fluid side)
 
I'm bleeding the brakes prior to starting the engine for the first time with the new hydroboost setup and I hardly have any pedal feel. I was wondering if I should run the p/s pump with a drill motor to purge the air? pedal is super squish

[TexasT]

I jacked up the front, and with fluid ready we started the engine. We watched the reservoir and added as bubbles came up. We went lock to lock with the sterring, and added more fluid to the reservoir. Then we went lock to lock several more times and added fluid to keep it topped off. When we could go lock to lock on the steering without seeing any bubbles in the reservoir we deemed it bled and moved on to bleeding the brakes.

Bleeding the brakes took a little more effort as my car had sat with a blown head gasket for a decade or so. The brakes had really old fluid so we deemed it necessary to bleed until it came out clear fluid and essentially flushed the system. We started with the pass rear but there was so much crud it kept stopping up the bleeder. I removed the bleeder several times to clean it out, but eventually we got clear fluid and were able to move on to the driver rear. You must make sure to keep the master cylinder topped off. It isn't rocket science but there are things that must be adhered to or you must start over when you run the system dry and I think many don't and end up with a spongy pedal and air in the system.

[GavinHunyady]

my point is that I havent started the engine (for the first time) yet... so I'm trying to bleed the brakes and the pedal feels totally dead. I cant imagine that there is that much air in the system and I'm getting clear fluid with no air at the wheel cylinders.

[TexasT]

Ill push my pedal in the am and see what it feels like. If you are getting fluid with no bubbles I would think it is bled. When are You planning to bust off the new engine?

[GavinHunyady]

within the next week, racing Friday and Saturday with the sprint car, so no GN work for a couple nights. I have about 1 more day of wiring and getting the WB02 installed. After that we should be good for a fire, break-in and leak check. Still need to fab an exhaust and get the alky pump rebuilt/replaced and if all goes well it should be time to tune before the employee car show on the 24th.

[TexasT]

All right.


It appears as the master cylinder has or is failing. I knew it wasn't in good shape as it would do magic when cold out and make fluid disappear. Today we got the "red car" out and had to move the T to do it.


I hadn't driven it since replacing the front hoses and bleeding the system. Not sure, as I could have air in the system but I don't think so. I will admit we only bled the front but with the spongy pedal and it goes pretty much to the floor I'm leaning towards the mc.


MC not hard to swap. what I'm having trouble swallowing is the price of said MC. I put the cardone type 10-1740 on when I did this conversion but it seems these are NLA. I can find the listings with a web search but none seem to be actually available to order. So on to another search.


I did the search up for the Cadillac again and the rockauto.com comes with a different number but it looks real similar, well, except the price. Which is like 2.5 times more and about $62 shipped. OUCH!
Oh well, that is the price of stopping, so I am in in the next few weeks.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=309537&cc=1025996&jsn=1286
An up side is the thing looks like it doesn't use a retaining clip with the "eyes" that got in the way on the last MC I tried.

The results can be seen in the pic. That clip is suppose to be flat and hold the guts of the mc in. The HB unit got caught on the clip and bent it something fierce. Oh and that is my GS in the back ground(brown with the white top), yes, it really does exist, haha.

[TexasT]

Got the new mc on and bled it on the car. It takes a LOT of bleeding to get all the air out. I think this is why people have probs with a spongy pedal. Take the extra time and bleed it right and don't have air and a spongy pedal.


When bleeding the mc, I used the plugs that came in the kit but speedwaymotors .com sells a nice metal set if you must. https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Master-Cylinder-Plugs-1-2-20-9-16-18-Zinc-Finish,239113.html


Either way you bolt it up, install the plugs and get to cycling the pedal. Nice easy short strokes. enough to get the air out but not to much and the fluid comes flying out of the reservoir. And when you think you have it all do it some more. And then some more as there are real Little bitty bubbles that come out and those my friends are air too. You don't even see them come to the surface, they just hang down there at the port and you don't see em unless you have tour safety glasses on and a helper manning the pedal. Yes, wear the safety glasses. You only have two eyes and brake fluid in one or both surely isn't fun, Yes I called you Shirley, better than Nancy right? Put the PPE on!


Once you have it bled you can hook up the lines. I was happy with the lines and didn't fool with anything down stream so I went ahead and did some driveway testing. After I was happy and thought they would stop the car, a brake stand and smoke show. Wife not pleased, neighbors were mixed, son loved it.


So long story short we have brakes again and I can get some insurance and head down to the local inspection station and get that out of the way and get some tags so I can drive it again. I'm pretty stoked.


Next project is the 85 Fiero my son bought, I didn't even get a chance to talk him down as him and his friend went and bought it. It is becoming a very big learning experience for him as now he cant get it to run and is throwing money at it. He has to learn these lessons.I just loan him tools and equipment. He tells me, sure it has fuel. I gave him the gauge and said with fuel injection it needs more than"some fuel" get a pressure and get back with me. Also gave him the noid light set and told him to carefully unplug each one and get the light to blink or I didn't believe the thing was signaling. So he tells me it has 20psi fuel pressure. I told him pinch the return line and see, and that is where he is. I think it is a fpr or bad pump. old cars are fun!

[gusszgs]

Nice👍
Glad you got the issue ironed out Rich.

[daveismissing]

Fiero-  4 banger or the 6?

[TexasT]

Six cylinder. 2.8l maybe. Regulator looked different in the pic he sent me. I just think it wont run on 20psi and he say the pump would prime to the 20psi and then pump stopped running and the pressure fell of until he cycled the key again.

Any ideas?

And yes Jim brakes are good!