PS pump for hydroboost on 86 F250

[runaway!]

Picked up a hydro unit from an 02 super duty for 75 bucks, with MC. I can fab whatever to get the unit into the truck, but I am curious about the PS pump.

Is the stock unit sufficient to push all that fluid?

If there are issues, anything available to pull from a yard that is somewhat common?

I've read somewhere that certain E350's had GM units would work, confirm?

I really don't want to fab a bracket for a PS pump that won't bolt in, I don't have the ability to fab something that heavy duty.

 

[franklin2]

I thought all you had to do was buy a new reservoir with the extra pipe connection on it, and install it on the pump you have already.

Here's a link. http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?t=8777

 

[towcat]

no.
he's got his work cut out for him.
'99 and up hydros are dimensionally not the same as the older ones.
the hose fittings, mounting flange, and the pedal pushrod are different.
i've had them side-by-side and seen and felt them up close.

 

[runaway!]

Fittings are easy to do, rat rods often have mismatched parts. Adapters are available.

Guys who use boosters from old suburbans have to shim out at the firewall, so I really don't anticipate having a ton a fab work ahead of me.

My PS pump is on the way out, so instead of replacing the old unit which wasn't designed for this application, it seems to make sense to use a unit which is designed for it. I'd like to find a relatively common unit, a new unit won't hurt the wallet this way.

 

[jperecko]

I say to just find a good pump that bolts in your stock location and stretch the pressure spring... or find a stiffer/longer one to replace it with. Search for some of MLSC posts. I think he pulled his springs from a Lincoln with good results. This will raise line pressure somewhat and you can enlarge orifices for more volume.

The issue with hydroboost units is not that they use a terrible amount of volume/pressure... but that when they are activated the orifice for the pass-through to the steering gear is much smaller than normal and does not allow as much volume. Higher line pressure will help to counteract that.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

I have the spring form a Lincoln Mark VII in my pump, as they run a rack-and-pinion steering that requires higher pressures. There is also the Explorer spring, which is supposed to be even stiffer for higher line pressure, but I haven't tried that yet.

 

[Agnem]

When matched with the correct year hyrdroboost, the factory PS pump is fine. Can't vouch for the later year ones though.

 

[runaway!]

I have the spring form a Lincoln Mark VII in my pump, as they run a rack-and-pinion steering that requires higher pressures. There is also the Explorer spring, which is supposed to be even stiffer for higher line pressure, but I haven't tried that yet.

hmmm... maybe my truck will have to be the guinea pig for that exploader spring... I may drop by the local yard and see what the mounting pattern is like for the whole pump, ya never know...

 

[runaway!]

I just took a close look at how the pump is mounted to the truck, appears a separate bracket holds the pump which in turn is attached to the main tree via a swivel bolt and another tension adjustment bolt. So it seems a simple custom bracket for whatever pump I decide on should be a simple job.

No telling for certain until I get the whole unit out, but I will start by finding a pump that will accept the pulley. That trip to the bone yard will be sooner than I thought.

Hmmm, this might turn into a write up for a PS pump upgrade.

What do you all think? Would there be enough interest in this to justify a write up?

EDIT: An online image of the explorer pump shows the same reservoir design as the F450 hydroboost compatible unit.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

the explorer pump is the same as the F-series, the pressure relief valve spring is different. You only need the spring really, the valve will likely be the same as the F-series - I've taken a Mk7 pump, my F350 pump, and a Crown Vic pump apart, and all valves were the same, only the Mk7 spring was longer than the F350 and CV springs (which were identical) which means when compressed to the same length as the F-series/CV spring the Mk7 spring exerts more force on the relief valve and thus makes for higher line pressure.

 

[runaway!]

the explorer pump is the same as the F-series, the pressure relief valve spring is different. You only need the spring really, the valve will likely be the same as the F-series - I've taken a Mk7 pump, my F350 pump, and a Crown Vic pump apart, and all valves were the same, only the Mk7 spring was longer than the F350 and CV springs (which were identical) which means when compressed to the same length as the F-series/CV spring the Mk7 spring exerts more force on the relief valve and thus makes for higher line pressure.

That's interesting, are the housings different? That seems silly to use the same design but a different housing.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

by housings, do you mean the reservoir? There are only two of tho, for the type of pump we're talking about at least, and the only difference between those is the extra port on top that is used for the hydroboost setups. My truck actually had that reservoir already, why I have no clue, but I ain't complaining

 

[runaway!]

No, maybe there is something about a PS pump I am missing but I meant the actual pump itself. All the same design of pump (save for the springs), but in different housings with differing mounting patterns. Just was commenting how that would seem inefficient.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

from what I've seen the pumps/housings are the same, and so is the bolt pattern where they attach to their bracket, it's the bracket that is different depending on the application.

 

[runaway!]

If the brackets are differing only, it may just be easier to just get a pump for an exploader and swap brackets. The pump on the truck is shot, so it would defeat the purpose of swapping springs when a new pump from an exploader would drop right in.