Moving clevis brake pin for Hydraboost

[70Uglybird]

I have my Hydratech Hydroboost installed but need to move the clevis pin up to the manual brake hole. How do I get this damn thing out? I see tools for a $134 which seems a bit crazy for a one use tool.

Also the top hole seems a bit bigger am I going to be able to use the same pin?

Thanks for any help this is holding me up from enjoying the car in what little NW sunshine we get!!!

Bobby

[Hydratech®]

What model number of brake assist system and what year / make / model of vehicle you are working with?

Taking a guess here that you may be speaking of one of the 1973 2nd gen F body vehicles in your signature? If so, then you should have our model number 3022. If that is indeed the case, the brake pedal rod connection that our components provide in system 3022 connect to the same place that the original vacuum booster did.

Let me know and we'll take it from there.

[70Uglybird]

Yes its for the 73 firebird. I called and spoke to Jim I believe and he is the one that told me to move it up to the manual hole on the pedal, so that was my early morning project which my back is currently siezing up on me from contorting to get under there.

I had it drivable in the power brake lower hole with the pump screeching and a fairly inconsistent pedal feel. Jim said it was air in the system that takes awhile to work out and that I need to change the hole in the pushrod. I sent him pictures of the installation and he said everything else looked really good.

[Hydratech®]

Ooops! Jim was mistaken in telling you to move the pedal rod connection on your application. The billet steel brake pedal rod adapter is to connect to the stock power brake location (where the vacuum booster pedal rod was previously connected). If that is where it is currently connected, then great - leave it right there.

[70Uglybird]

Ooops! Jim was mistaken in telling you to move the pedal rod connection on your application. The billet steel brake pedal rod adapter is to connect to the stock power brake location (where the vacuum booster pedal rod was previously connected). If that is where it is currently connected, then great - leave it right there.

Well that sucks....that is where it WAS...now it's all apart, the brake switch bracket is a serious pita. So just to be clear. In a 2nd gen Install it should be in the lower hole so the push rod is at an angle sloping downed from the firewall.

Thanks!

[Hydratech®]

Yes, there is some downward angle to the pedal rod when the system is installed correctly on a 2nd gen F body. Jim is going to have hell to pay Monday morning for telling you to move the pedal rod connection upward to a manual brake setting position - that only applies to the 1st gen F body (not the second gens). Just to be clear - there is a lug / stud sticking out of the brake pedal that the brake pedal rod connects to - see attached image.

96644

[70Uglybird]

Yes, there is some downward angle to the pedal rod when the system is installed correctly on a 2nd gen F body. Jim is going to have hell to pay Monday morning for telling you to move the pedal rod connection upward to a manual brake setting position - that only applies to the 1st gen F body (not the second gens). Just to be clear - there is a lug / stud sticking out of the brake pedal that the brake pedal rod connects to - see attached image.

96644

Yes that looks familiar that lug was what I was trying to remove and above it is the pita bracket I did remove. Yes Jim should pay some he'll monday!! :). Ok so I'll put it back together and drive it and hopefully after the air bleeds out it'll be good. Thanks for responding I might have removed the pedals and done something drastic to move the lug up!

[Hydratech®]

I am sorry that Jim sent you on a (wild goose chase) due to human error on his part (DOH). Monday morning is going to suck for him after he gets his first cup of coffee (as I'm crawling up one side of him and down the other for this). You have now gained my direct attention as a "special interest" case, and as such I will provide you with my direct support. I can't apologize enough for your (unneeded and totally unnecessary) back pains incurred doing the "classic underdash" contortions you went through. May I send you a Hydratech shirt or ball cap? Bottle of extra strength Advil? Pictures of Jim tied to the whipping post?

Get it all back together and take it our for a restrained run (yeah right, drive your toy normally - it IS tough to do). Keep your RPM's down until you have purged all of the air out of the PS system (otherwise you'll whizz the PS fluid up into foaming noisy mess). Picture a quart of PS fluid in a blender and then hit puree (by hitting RPM's in excess of 3k), then think about how long it would take for all of the micro air bubbles to settle back out to the top.... This results in pulsation, system noise, erratic overall PS system functions, so if it goes into those undesired places, pull over and have a burger to let it settle the air out of the PS fluid. Recheck the PS fluid once cooled back down, topping off just a little if needed, then roll back out. Once all of the air purges out of the PS system, and the system breaks in a some (typically within about a 100 miles of run time), you should be in good shape!

[sam 74]

When I installed my hydroboost I had the same screeching from the pump, turned out that my fluid was getting airated bad causing the pump to screech, I had 2 issues, I didn't bleed the acumulator enough and I had an unbaffled return in my ps tank, once corrected everything ran fine and the noise was gone.

[70Uglybird]

Paul, I'll take all of the above! Especially the picture and Advil. :)
I'm just glad you were checking this before I got medieval on its ass!

All back together now. I adjusted the rod out to where it's to where the is not much slop is that correct?

Sam thanks for the feedback. I went over the plumbing with Jim and he gave it hos stamp of approval. I figure if the 100 miles doesn't work I'll buy some lines and fitti vs from hydratech and have the pump rebuilt and a fitting installed on the reservoir. I'm doing that anyways next fall with a 670 box.

[Hydratech®]

The adjustable threaded brake pedal rod design is to allow you to set your brake pedal height to suit your particular tastes - stock / higher / lower = up to you. Imagine an adjustable gas pedal as a possibly simpler comparison. Set the pedal height wherever you may like, then adjust the brake light switch to match as needed. One word of caution is that you do not want to preload the brake pedal rod adjustment, meaning the brake unit has to be allowed to achieve a full state of release when your foot is not on the brakes. You know you've got it right when there is a little bit of "jiggle slop" in the pedal when you reach under the dash and lift up on the brake pedal. If it is set up too tight, this can drag the brakes and load the PS system when you are not asking for braking. Going back to the adjustable gas pedal comparison, you wouldn't want to adjust it so that the throttle couldn't return to complete idle when you foot was not on the pedal...

[70Uglybird]

Just an up date:

I have about 40 miles on the setup. Stops great although a little wierd. I kind of worry about it dragging a bit. The pump is still noisy so I'm actually driving it to work to get some miles on it. I have put 200 miles on it in 3 years....


Feel s great to have a car that finally stops. For the first time I actually took advantage of my suspension this morning because I had some confidence the brakes would work!!!

Thanks!

[Hydratech®]

Feels great to have a car that finally stops. For the first time I actually took advantage of my suspension this morning because I had some confidence the brakes would work!!!

Any update after having put a few more miles on your installation? I'm expecting good news? Maybe now you will run your 'bird a little bit more this summer than years gone by!

:drive:

[70Uglybird]

I have about 40 more on it and again it is great that it stops! It still isn't right, the power steering is still howling and the brake pedal does a wierd come back to top. I'll try to get some more miles on this weekend. If it didn't howl all the time it would be a great setup.

I will say the install from a booster assist to the Hydratech was pretty darn simple the parts are a true bolt on which is rare these days!