Hydroboost Done!

[Agnem]

Well I finished it up tonight!

Thanks TOWCAT!

for fixing me up with that F-450 pedal. It was the cats meow to be able to do this job with factory Ford parts and not have to cobble anything together. All the parts I used were 100% Ford, and 100% new, with the exception of Calvin's pedal, which will be good as new once I put a new rubber on it. I was very appreciative that it was clean and didn't need painted or anything. It went from FedEx box right to the truck in a couple of hours. Got that clutch spring back in too, pretty easily using the compress and bind with wire method. Many thanks to all for their advice!

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I can't comment on how it works yet. Didn't get finished early enough to take it for a spin.

It was a great project for gaining a little under the hood space. The smaller hydroboost unit, and the fact that I could delete my vacuum pump and associated hardware, were all big pluses to me.

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Overall, I'd say it's looking pretty good in there. Next stop, electric fans, retracted radiator and an intercooler.

 

[JPR]

congratulations

 

[69oiler]

don't you still need vacuum for the heater controls?

 

[Agnem]

Nope. Everybody asks me that, but the Moose Truck was a real base model with no AC, and all the Heater and vent controls are cable operated. In fact, there is no recirculate mode, and you only have temperature, fan and windshield or floor settings to contend with. If you want to recirculate, you turn the heat off and breath a lot. The fresh air vents are down by your feet in the kick panels, and you have to bend over and use your hand to move those.

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[subway]

older trucks were cable driven heater controls

edit: Mel beat me to it

 

[argve]

The fresh air vents are down by your feet in the kick panels, and you have to bend over and use your hand to move those.

You know I actually miss those. I wish they would have kept those around along with the wing windows. You could open both of those up when it was raining a little and keep the windows from becoming froggy.

*****OK now back to you normally scheduled thread*****

I haven't read the rest of the post but I can't wait until I hear how it performs.

 

[69oiler]

now that you mention it my '81 F100 was like that.

yeah definitely interested in how it performs.

 

[69dieselfreak]

what was the pedal that u had to use was it out of a 450

 

[icanfixall]

Go easy on the first braking Mel. Then try it more and more but.... Be prepared for some face plants on the windshield. My peddle is so high and solid that it feels like I forgot to let off the parking brake. I only use about 1/2 inch of the peddle..... Nothing like it either. So much better than the vacuum and the smaller master cylinder.... I feel if I had discs on the rear it would be dangerous to stop if you didn't know what it could do. It really stops this 6800 lb brick without trying.

 

[Agnem]

what was the pedal that u had to use was it out of a 450

Yes. An 89 F-450. That's not to say another year pedal wouldn't work. It looked like an 86' would work, but mine available spare was for an automatic, and the pedals for them won't fit the shafts in the manuals because of the clutch. The automatics use a hollow shaft that is smaller, where as the manuals use a larger solid shaft to transmit the clutch pedal movement (which goes through the pivot point of the brake pedal).

 

[Agnem]

Finally got a chance to take it out for a spin today. Wow! What a difference. I definitely feel the mod was a worthwhile upgrade, and significant improvement.

 

[towcat]

mel-
I wouldn't be surprised to see you do the hydro on the CC also. It really makes a difference on the heavier trucks.

 

[gandalf]

Okay, Mel. Good going. Now that you're done and have tested the job, are you going to add anything to Monte's write-up? Maybe you could explain some of the finer points, add some footnotes for those of us less gifted in the mysteries of mechanicing.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

Mel, just a heads-up, if your brake lines are still the original ones I'd highly recommend that you rip 'em out and install new ones - the main reason why hydroboost brakes work so well is the very hight line pressure like near 2 times higher than what the vacuum booster cranks out. When I converted my old halfton Chevy to hydroboost from a 1-ton Chevy I did a test before I drive it, I layed on the brakes like I would if little kid jumped out in front of me - I promptly blew one of my front lines, so I replaced all the front ones, then repeated the test again and now the rear line failed! After that I had to do a few panic stops (people here drive like idiots), and everything held up fine and worked flawlessly.

 

[Agnem]

Gandalf, yes. I want to update Monte's article with some Ford part numbers and how to avoid having to modify any of the hoses.

As for my original 25 year old lines, yes it would probably be a good idea. I REALLY should replace the rubber lines AT LEAST, but you'd be surprised how well all that stuff holds up in a climate controlled garage over the years.