My hydroboost install

[protour_chevelle]

So on my budget build I have had to spend hours searching for countless hours to have a product that I need or would like. Well, most people know how well hydroboost works and I wanted to run the system seeing how my engine came from a hydroboosted vehicle so my quest started...

Buying from a catalogue?! Yeah right :icon_razz I forgot the before pics but I got a hydroboost unit from a 2003 Escalade with lines and cooler. I won't say pricing, but lets say cheap :woot:

20-minutes in and I had the bolt pattern matched and the hydroboost unit mounted to the car. Now I'm going to draw up a hard copy and get it water jet cut out so its a cleaner mounting plate. The master cylinder holes need to be elongated a bit so I'm going to mill them out in class tomorrow. The push rod lengths and that jazz is pretty simple, I just have to sit down with some measurements, think, cut, weld.

Here are a few pictures of where I sit right now!
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-Matt

[yody]

i don't see any pics of a hydroboost?

[protour_chevelle]

i don't see any pics of a hydroboost?
HAHAHAH, Uhhhhh yeah word. Hold on.

-Matt

[protour_chevelle]

Got the milling done today. Bolted right up :yeah: I'll snap a few pics of the milling that I did, I didn't bother making it super clean because I didn't have a ton of time, and we didn't have a 13/32 milling tool(whatever the fancy name is haha).

Now I'm waiting on some brackets for my cooler, then a high pressure line, and some low pressure lines.

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-Matt

[yody]

so you built the hydrboost too? I'm a littel confused? Looks good though, and should work even better!! SO is that LS1 bolted in? or is it in for mock up?

[protour_chevelle]

so you built the hydrboost too? I'm a littel confused? Looks good though, and should work even better!! SO is that LS1 bolted in? or is it in for mock up?

Well no you dorkosaurus. I went to change the title to suit it more "GuessBoost"(the guess comes from how I used to build stuff :naughty: ) but I'm stuck with the old one. If you read my first post... Its a unit from a 2003 Escalade. I used the stock mounting plate. I then took the mounting plate and put my stock brake booster mounting studs on the firewall, measured them up and drilled some holes. This got everything mounted to the car for mock up. I just finished the final hard copy that I'm getting water jet cut tomorrow.

Aside from spending money on prebuilt parts, I'm spending time and drawing stuff out, doing measurments ect. The water jetting with material costs will run me 10 bucks. Mill work cost me nudda(well an hour). Hoses and that....Came with the booster 0 bucks.

The LS1 is actually a LQ4 6.0l Iron block. Its bolted in. I chose the LQ4 simply because I can run more boost safely on a totally stock motor because of the lower compression. Later on boost is in the future so I'll end up rebuilding it, porting heads, etc.

-Matt

[yody]

lot cheaper than $500 thats for sure!.................dorkosaurus, that is so bad but for some reason i like it LOL

[protour_chevelle]

dorkosaurus, that is so bad but for some reason i like it LOL

I don't know if I should giggle or laugh :Alchy:

-Matt

[Jagarang]

Well no you dorkosaurus.
-Matt


:1st: priceless

[Roger Poirier]

lot cheaper than $500 thats for sure!.................dorkosaurus, that is so bad but for some reason i like it LOL


I'm proud of you. That was funny and you didn't even fight back!
Thats progress. LOL

R.P.

[protour_chevelle]

Got the pedal pushrod finished(tapped) Just have to cut it to length now. I got the mock up plate waterjet cut. I have a steel version getting done(for no charge) for the final. I talked to Paul and he strongly suggested a different mastercylinder so I got a new one. I threw in a pic of the BAER unit that I quickly milled the holes inwards.(Just a quick job, ignore the unfished quality)

Together with BAER MS
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Tapped push rod
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Aluminum mounting plate(for mock up)
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Rear shot of MS. Left is milled BAER unit. Right is new MS.
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Roughly shows how much needs to be milled.
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-Matt

[indyjps]

keep the info coming and let us know how well it works. did you use the p/s pump off the escalade?

[protour_chevelle]

keep the info coming and let us know how well it works. did you use the p/s pump off the escalade?

Kinda sorta. Its the exact same pump for the Escalade as it is for the 2003 Chev 1500HD(2500 axles and diffs) which the engine came out of.

-Matt

[rizzos442]

Just as an FYI, I did something similar to what you are doing. I used a hydroboost from a 2004 GMC 1 ton. I did all the same fab work as you are doing, only I used the master cylinder that came with the hydroboost. The bore is 1.7", so it is huge! I tapped my rod also and cut it to length.

What you will find is that you will have to flip the hydroboost upside down. Your line fittings need to be on the bottom. I will tell you why in a minute. I used a 16mm and a 18mm to - 6 straight fitting for each line on the hrdroboost. I used 90* fittings on the hydroboost and 45* on my P/S pump and tank. All lines are -6 braided SS.

OK, now here is why you must flip it upside down. Your P/S pump will not spit out enough power to use your power steering and your hydroboost at the same time. You may say, sure I do not brake and steer at the same time, but that is not the case. You have both of those lines in there as a circuit. P/S fluid must me pushed through the inlet and outlet. With the unit being as you have it, it does not work properly. I spent countless house figuring this out...then I called Paul at hydratech and he told me to flip it. After I flipped it, I was good to go. I can not believe the difference in stopping power and pedal feel. FYI, if your power steering system also has to low pressure ends, 1 on the pump and 1 on the tank, then you need a T fitting and hose coming from your hydroboost low pressure for it.

[rizzos442]

Here are pics of what I am talking about. The lines, fittings and my unit, which I just unbolted for you to see.

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[protour_chevelle]

Just as an FYI, I did something similar to what you are doing. I used a hydroboost from a 2004 GMC 1 ton. I did all the same fab work as you are doing, only I used the master cylinder that came with the hydroboost. The bore is 1.7", so it is huge! I tapped my rod also and cut it to length.

What you will find is that you will have to flip the hydroboost upside down. Your line fittings need to be on the bottom. I will tell you why in a minute. I used a 16mm and a 18mm to - 6 straight fitting for each line on the hrdroboost. I used 90* fittings on the hydroboost and 45* on my P/S pump and tank. All lines are -6 braided SS.

OK, now here is why you must flip it upside down. Your P/S pump will not spit out enough power to use your power steering and your hydroboost at the same time. You may say, sure I do not brake and steer at the same time, but that is not the case. You have both of those lines in there as a circuit. P/S fluid must me pushed through the inlet and outlet. With the unit being as you have it, it does not work properly. I spent countless house figuring this out...then I called Paul at hydratech and he told me to flip it. After I flipped it, I was good to go. I can not believe the difference in stopping power and pedal feel. FYI, if your power steering system also has to low pressure ends, 1 on the pump and 1 on the tank, then you need a T fitting and hose coming from your hydroboost low pressure for it.

Thanks for the info on flipping the unit. However it seems weird how GM installs it one way and has PS and PB at the same time yet when we retro fit the unit we have to flip it... Doesn't add up but all I see is the unit being flipped in retro fit applications. Hopefully the factory lines still fit nicely.

I do not think I have to run a "T" because I have both vents on my PS pump as it was a factory pump with hydroboost.

-Matt

[rizzos442]

You are correct. If you have the vents already, then a T is not necessary. I will tell you that you will love it so much! I have a 1969 442 that I am running 12" LS1 rear calipers/rotors and C4 13" fromt rotors and calpers and I stop so awesome! I am going to switch to C5's, that is why you see the hubs in the last pic on my workbench. I have to machine the OD to 5.8" so that I clear the caliper.

But I will tell you...it is totally awesome! And I have so much more room under the hood without that 12" booster. Good luck and email me if you have any problems with the install and maybe I can help you out.
[email protected]

[protour_chevelle]

Ok, Got the new mastercylinder so it fits the hydroboost mounting studs. I then cut and turned down(using a lathe) the hydroboost MS push rod per the info Paul gave me(and it works as he explained). So now the hydroboost is pretty much complete under the hood aside from running the hydraulic lines that I'm picking up this week. I then have to weld on some brackets to the cooler so I can mount it.

Oh, I got the brake pedal push rod cut down so now it works with the clevis. Got a jam nut on it. I'm good to go inside now. :attn:

Also, I have decided to run the hydroboost unit right side up(like OEM style). I have the matched PS pump so I'm not worried about it being udner powered. If it is, I'll just flip it around(but then I cannot use the factory lines)

Now onto the pics...

MS mounted to Hydroboost unit. I got the steel mounting plate finished and it is pictured. The set-up is very sturdy!
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Inside the car, showing the tapped brake pedal push rod, jam nut, and clevis mounted.
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Thats all for now.

-Matt