What is HydroBoost brakes?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,713
Likes: 31
From: Shreveport LA
LA Events Coordinator
What is HydroBoost brakes?
I was reading a thread on brakes and one of the members mentioned that he installed a HydroBoost to his brakes and loves it...what is HydroBoost brakes? and are they hard to install?
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 34,454
Likes: 665
From: Republic of Texas
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 896
Likes: 7
Hydroboost replaces the need for running brakes off a strong vacuum. The hydroboost runs off the power steering pump and can be found in junk yards having old chevy astro vans. New systems are around $800. Hydroboosts make for a lot of extra room in the engine compartment, as the brake vacuum boost assy can be removed.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
After fighting my vacuum brakes for years, I finally took someone's advice and support from other guys who did the conversion before me....I picked up a HB unit off ebay, and did what took to put it in place,
the car has maybe 2" of pedal travel before shark stands on it's NOSE....and YES, it's great....
that damn old GM soft feeling brake pedal is GONE!!!!! used to have it all they way to the floor in a panic/test stop, yeh it wold lock the brakes if needed, but barely....the old booster has a spring in it between the input shaft and the output shaft....why, I dunno, don't CARE....anymore....
you want the shark to stop, and you have done the rest of the crap to the brakes, including pulling that brass switch outta there, it's not a prop valve, it's a pressure diff. switch....so if one end fails it lights an idiot light on the dash....woopie doo.....
SO to do both, the switch, run the rear line to the m/cyl. and same with a similar splitter block from the front caliper pair.....
stops NOW....not tomorrow.....
the car has maybe 2" of pedal travel before shark stands on it's NOSE....and YES, it's great....
that damn old GM soft feeling brake pedal is GONE!!!!! used to have it all they way to the floor in a panic/test stop, yeh it wold lock the brakes if needed, but barely....the old booster has a spring in it between the input shaft and the output shaft....why, I dunno, don't CARE....anymore....
you want the shark to stop, and you have done the rest of the crap to the brakes, including pulling that brass switch outta there, it's not a prop valve, it's a pressure diff. switch....so if one end fails it lights an idiot light on the dash....woopie doo.....
SO to do both, the switch, run the rear line to the m/cyl. and same with a similar splitter block from the front caliper pair.....
stops NOW....not tomorrow.....
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,165
Likes: 8
From: Where are the Smoky Mountain Cruisers? Not Correctly Restored Stingray
Hydroboost replaces the need for running brakes off a strong vacuum. The hydroboost runs off the power steering pump and can be found in junk yards having old chevy astro vans. New systems are around $800. Hydroboosts make for a lot of extra room in the engine compartment, as the brake vacuum boost assy can be removed.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,877
Likes: 13
From: Doha
St. Jude Donor '08
Its the BEST mod I have ever done to my car, period. You'll hear a lot of voices that will try to steer you away from that kind of mod., most likely they never tried it anyway.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,453
Likes: 88
From: Easton Pennsylvania
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 896
Likes: 7
Yes if you look at the photo of the yellow corvette above, you will see a small metal line running off the hydroboost to the power steering pump. The ps pump will have to have a small connector machined into the reservoir to run the brakes.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,793
Likes: 58
From: God's Country The Old Dominion
I too am interested but have read conflicting comments on this system when you lose power (engine power) and have to coast to a stop. Some say you don't have any brakes and others say you do. So I'll ask. What is the story?
Racer
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 484
Likes: 43
From: NJ
Once your engine stops turning you loose your power steering pressure and you also loose the pressure to the brake booster. Hence, no power brakes.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
the thing is plumbed really easy....Pump to HB unit, HB unit to steering....HB unit has it's own return of course, that can be spliced into the steering return to reservoir.....I just used a 3/8 T fitting in the return line.....
Racer
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 484
Likes: 43
From: NJ
RONG!!!!! You have maybe one or two pushes, just like with a vacuum booster, before the pressure in the aluminum cyl stuck out the side is evacuated....
the thing is plumbed really easy....Pump to HB unit, HB unit to steering....HB unit has it's own return of course, that can be spliced into the steering return to reservoir.....I just used a 3/8 T fitting in the return line.....
the thing is plumbed really easy....Pump to HB unit, HB unit to steering....HB unit has it's own return of course, that can be spliced into the steering return to reservoir.....I just used a 3/8 T fitting in the return line.....
On some units there are electric motors to give you your back-up pressure just in case the systems looses hydraulic pressure.
Maybe mrvette can tell you about all of the different types of hydraulic brake boosters there are and all the safety features.
