hydroboost help

[slow600]

78 dodge truck with a 97-02 era dodge 2500 reman hydroboost installed last year. no issues with bleeding or braking when installed. swapped to a 60 front with its brakes a few months ago and had no issues. swapped to a disc brake 80 rear last week, on first test drive pedal dives to the floor and wont return. pulled it up which took quite a bit of force, brakes on all corners feel like they are engaged. after pulling pedal up and pushing on it, the pedal pumps my leg, as in it will move up and down 1-2 inches as if pressure builds and releases. it did this pedal pumping until i shut it off when fluid starting getting low and pump started to object.

did the hydroboost just suddenly fail, or am i missing something?

 

[Bebop]

You may have an internal seal that blew up and it's bypassing inside.

 

[slow600]

kinda what it seems like, just odd timing. i did work on the brakes for rear axle swap, but did not touch the hydro side of it.

 

[slow600]

I still don’t know why, but booster had definitely failed. Fluid coming out of both ends and push rod was no longer crimped on/attached to unit.

 

[Provience]

well that's horribly random. glad it was fairly straightforward though!

 

[slow600]

A year later and it happened again, this time in a very bad spot. Pedal felt like it went further than it should have on an initial press, then trying to get off the road and applying again it barked to a stop and wouldn’t move. A nearby neighbor gave me some tools to crack the front bleeders, I limped a few miles home with no brakes.

this time the brake pedal would not budge, and the unit is 100% locked up. looking down the bore of the unit, the main piston is crooked in the bore and it broke the star spring washer that keeps the rod centered and the spring in place.

my plan is to go remote reservoir with dual returns vs tee’d return (didn’t have the funds at the time, hydroboost has priority on the tee), and change from a small plate cooler to a heat sink style As I read that my style cooler can have restriction issues.

im scared as shit to drive this thing now, anything about my setup scream “death!” or am I on the right track? It’s always possible I got another bad reman but the similarity in failures makes me think otherwise.

 

[ridenby]

I have two coolers in my ps/hydro system after cooking a pump. Running PSC hydro assit, res,pump. I wonder if a GM unit would work, I am using one from Hillbilly Wizard Home Page . Been on for couple of years now. One I sent to van something for porting and rebuild leaked after a short time. I would not run zatozone advance or any other "lifetime" warranty booster.

 

[JR4X]

Sounds like your Chrysler reman parts are suspect. I have hydro boost on almost everything I own and have never had this issue. I know money is always an issue but Vanco has good parts. My crawler has a big pump and the hydroboost is priority so it’s handling and diverting 4.5 gpm at 1600 psi which is way above what they were initially rated for from the factory. Mines been in service a very long time like that.

 

[slow600]

I have two coolers in my ps/hydro system after cooking a pump. Running PSC hydro assit, res,pump. I wonder if a GM unit would work, I am using one from Hillbilly Wizard Home Page . Been on for couple of years now. One I sent to van something for porting and rebuild leaked after a short time. I would not run zatozone advance or any other "lifetime" warranty booster.

This is an oreilly/masterpro reman. I had my suspicions about it just weird to have same problem twice. This truck currently does not have hydro assist but will get it at some point

 

[slow600]

Sounds like your Chrysler reman parts are suspect. I have hydro boost on almost everything I own and have never had this issue. I know money is always an issue but Vanco has good parts. My crawler has a big pump and the hydroboost is priority so it’s handling and diverting 4.5 gpm at 1600 psi which is way above what they were initially rated for from the factory. Mines been in service a very long time like that.

Thanks. I’m mulling over sending this one in to vanco or sweeting vs claiming another free one.

 

[Provience]

Thanks. I’m mulling over sending this one in to vanco or sweeting vs claiming another free one.

i'd rock another free one, i dunno just me though.

 

[holdmypocket]

Not sure if I understand right but it sounds like your PS pump has a single return and you t'd off of that to provide for the hydroboost? I'm no expert but maybe a dual return will save future hydro-boost units? I plan on something this unit for when I eventually go hydro-boost: New Delphi Dual Return Pump/w V-Belt Pulley

 

[slow600]

Not sure if I understand right but it sounds like your PS pump has a single return and you t'd off of that to provide for the hydroboost? I'm no expert but maybe a dual return will save future hydro-boost units? I plan on something this unit for when I eventually go hydro-boost: New Delphi Dual Return Pump/w V-Belt Pulley

You are correct, both returns are tee’d together, hydroboost had priority.

 

[JR4X]

My 93 C350 centurion has hydroboost with the returns teed together. It’s been like that since 2014 and I’ve never had a problem.

I guess if your trying to do process of elimination that’s something to try.

 

[Winchested]

Brake pushrod length correct?

Pedal to pushrod ratio correct?

 

[slow600]

Brake pushrod length correct?

Pedal to pushrod ratio correct?

I do need to check free play, but everything is stock and bolted onto my truck. Only thing I did is space it away from the firewall to put the brake pedal heigh where I wanted vs modifying the pushrod.

I’ve got lots of re researching to do while I wait on reservoir/pump parts.

 

[Bebop]

If I have to T off the returns, I always put the power steering on the run of the T, never the hydroboost.
You can and should get a Saginaw can for your pump with the hydroboost return in it. Look for a 2002 2500 Silverado with a 6.0.



Have installed quite a few hydroboosts, with great success. I mainly use BKOR ported hydroboosts, and just successfully running a CB-X from Radial Dynamics (6 gpm) on my personal rig. Have also worked on WOD ported units, no problems to report. Have never worked with anything Vanco.

Do not buy a reman booster. Get one from the JY and rebuild it yourself. Or buy one from one of the vendors above.

 

[JR4X]

For DD trucks when doing the conversion I buy mine from rock auto and I buy the OE brand. When I did my 460 truck I bought the FoMoCo brand boost unit, hoses, Master cylinder, but they don’t sell the can with two returns for my pump any more. I’ve bought brand new AC Delco for GM before. My Jeep has the Vanco unit that was brand new on install meant for higher pressure to work with the hydro assist for 40’s. I’ve also had great luck with GM junkyard units. Never touched a reman

 

[arse_sidewards]

Do not buy a reman booster. Get one from the JY and rebuild it yourself. Or buy one from one of the vendors above.

If he's getting them for free via parts store warranty he should just get one and rebuild it/check their work.

 

[Bebop]

If he's getting them for free via parts store warranty he should just get one and rebuild it/check their work.

Yeah that's fair.
I should have worded "Do not trust a reman rebuild to be done right".

higher FLOW to work with the hydro assist for 40’s.

FIFY. Unless Vanco does something I am not aware of.

 

[JR4X]

Yeah that's fair.
I should have worded "Do not trust a reman rebuild to be done right".


FIFY. Unless Vanco does something I am not aware of.

Is it both? I don’t know what’s inside of a hydroboost unit. The factory unit is spec’d for 1200 psi and 2 1/2 gpm. My setup is handling 4 1/2 @ 1600 psi now. I don’t know what they do but I do know I’m a fan.

 

[Bebop]

Everyone that modifies a HB ports the main fluid passage to reduce pressure drop and let more fluid go by. Pressure-wise, the HB works like a ram (there is a piston pushing on the master pushrod) so pressure isn't a problem as long as the seals hold.

My pump pushes 1800PSI and it takes it fine.

 

[slow600]

I hate this truck and my choices lol!

Another reman hb and adding remote reservoir got me a pedal slower to return and a leak from the pump.

I think the pedal will get better as more air gets out, not sure why a new seal and reservoir would leak?

 

[Bebop]

You got a leak at the pump body ? or on the shaft ?


Ditch the fucking remans and rebuild that HB yourself.

 

[slow600]

its leaking from pump body/reservoir.

im going to park it for now and either tear into hb myself, or buy a good purpose made system

 

[RustyC]

What master cylinder are you using?
I would be concerned the hydroboost is overstroking and allowing the spool to seize in the bore or push the star retainer out.
This may be a result of the pushrod / master cyl combo. A larger bore master cylinder would result in less pedal travel. Maybe use a master cyl from an OEM 60/80 hydroboost application?

Adding the D80s larger calipers may have been the catalyst for all this to happen.

 

[slow600]

you might be on to something here. master is also parts house reman, listed for 97-02 dodge but i now see they list two diff bore sizes 1.25 and 1.31. ill have do some digging to see what i have, i assume its the smaller one

 

[slow600]

confirmed small bore mc is what's on it, purchased and installed by me.

def should have paid more attention when i bought it

 

[slow600]

Swapped mc to larger core, resealed pump again (with a little right stuff on the o ring), and bled both systems. This time only leak was from the -12 feed fitting, snugging it tighter cured it and brake pedal feels much better.

As I’m contorted under the dash, I spot this beauty of a homemade clutch linkage lol. It’s bent and crooked, it’s amazing I’ve had no issues with it and that i missed it before. Hack on hack😂