Fluid Cooler

[Quickboat]

I was thinking of going hydraboost on my manual brake setup. My alum radiator has AT cooler but I am now running MT. Most hydraboost systems recommend a inline cooler. Can the radiator be used for this? Will the radiator hold the pressures created by the PS pump? If not can you recommend a cooler?
Thanks in advance

[dontlifttoshift]

You don't run the pressure side through the cooler, you run the return side through the cooler.

Not sure if a built in trans cooler has enough capacity to do the power steering with a hydroboost.

[Apogee]

Most transmission coolers have a higher BTU rating than equivalent power steering coolers, lower pressure drop as well since they're generally designed for much higher volumetric flow rates, so I would think that it would work fine. That said, you need to make sure that you introduce as little backpressure into the return line for the hydroboost as possible, otherwise you can get self-actuation of the brakes.

Hydroboost itself adds very little thermal load to the power steering system compared to the steering gear, arguably insignificant.

Tobin
KORE3

[Quickboat]

Thanks Tobin, So I guess for a racing application a cooler is req, other wise optional.
I have a Delco booster from a mid nineties van. What sort of "rod" goes between the booster and my master cylinder? Is there a kit or do I have to cut down my rod?

[Apogee]

Coolers aren't necessarily required unless the application calls for it and would otherwise push the power steering fluid beyond its normal operating temperature range. The simplest form of a "cooler" would be a length of steel/aluminum/NiCopp/etc tubing in the return line, which was fairly common on certain OE applications throughout the past several decades...all the better if it's exposed to clean air.

If you have a long output rod, the simplest solution is generally to run a deep pushrod hole master cylinder. Alternatively, you can modify the output rod or make a new one to match the MC.

Tobin
KORE3

[72BBSwinger]

I use a PS cooler even without hydroboost. Why not?

[Quickboat]

So the hydra boost has a full pressure line to tap for the PS pump? The return line uses a tee then the cooler and back to the reservoir?

[Apogee]

The picture you have above is for a hydraulic ram type steering, however the general plumbing schematic is still correct if you substitute a steering gearbox. The volume requirements for the hydroboost unit are minimal, so you would want the tee fitting in the return line to be opposite what's shown in the schematic, with the higher flow through the steering gearbox returning through the straight, top portion of the tee fitting, and the HB to return through the 90 degree leg. Once you've combined the two returns, you can then run it through a cooler and back to the power steering pump reservoir.