Thank you in advance for any help you can give me.

I have a 1968 Ford Torino which has had a hydroboost unit installed by professional mechanics (Thank God). I normally would go to the fordfe.com site for help, but as this is a GM part, and not found on very many '60's Fords, I was directed to this forum.

Due to low vacuum, I purchased a Hydroboost unit, with bracket, with attached master cylinder for installation.

The unit I was sent had the wrong bracket, wrong rod, and we later found out, a bad master cylinder. Nevertheless, the mechanics perservered, we got a new unit, with the correct bracket, and there was an appropriately-sized spare master in the shop. Everything is now installed and hooked up.

The last issue that concerns them is that the lines to/from the unit seem to be abnormally warm, actually hot to the touch (braided steel lines). When I originally ordered the unit I specifically asked them whether I would need a power steering cooler upon installation, and was assured that I wouldn't.

What I'd like to know is if anyone who has a Hydroboost installed, can you give me some sort of idea about the heat generated by your unit and whether it is harmful? Any other issues I should be aware of (the unit does have the nitrogen backup canister).

So far I've gotten a 1968 Ford 390 converted to EFI and DIS. This is the final mechanical hurdle I need to jump with this car and I'd appreciate any help you can give me.

Again, thank you.



[Modified by Rainy, 1:13 AM 12/10/2002]

 

I have the hydroboost installed on my car,but I cannot tell you if I have a heat problem with the lines . I simply have never checked them . Norval posts here and he also runs the unit and perhaps he can shed some light on your problem . I run the braided telflon lines on my installation,but right now it is 19 degrees out there and not very nice for a cruise to find out .

geo


[Modified by ram82fire, 7:15 PM 12/9/2002]

 

Delphi Saginaw supplies all the power steering hoses for all the GM light duty trucks. I reviewed a good number of charts showing the hoses that were released for both the old C/K trucks as well as the new GMT800. A good number of the heavier GVW trucks used hydroboost brake units. A good number of trucks have power steering coolers. However, the coolers don't necessarily track the hydroboost units.

Coolers seem to be required on trucks equipped with 3.42, 3.73 and 4.10 rear ends and not that they have hydroboost.

Are you sure that you don't have some sort of restriction in your system? Could it be that the hose(s) could be kinked? If you can plumb a pressure gage into the pressure hose pipe near the pump, I would think that you shouldn't have more than 100 psi of backpressure with engine running but no brakes applied and no steering.

 

The units do get hot. After a run my lines are very hot. I go through a power steering pump about every 2 years. This winter I went with a Nascar style power steering pump and external resovoir. If this doesn't keep the oil cool I will go for an oil cooler on the return line.

 

Thanks for the help.

Where could I go to get specs on what the line pressure SHOULD be?

Apparently high-rpms require a cooler based on their being standard on GM's low-geared trucks, possibly the Ford pump needs to be slowed. Maybe a different pulley to slow it down.

I think I've seen the external-resevoir pumps in Summit's catalog. Is that as good a place as any to get them from or is there a better source?

Thanks again for the help.

 

The hydraboost came in trucks with a 1500 psi pump but work fine with our vet 1000 psi pumps
The external pump resovior at least allows the oil to get away from the hot pump and maybe cool a little. There are some nice cooler for power steering on cars and maybe I will have to go to one of them.

 

My 86 K-5 Blazer has a power steering cooler........ All they did was run around 4-5' of hard line under neath my rad support just back and forth( around 4-5 lengths and then sent it to the pump. Yes this is a factory install.
I don't really feal like doing heat loss calcs again so I don't know how much heat it dissipates but it should be a fair amount. If worse comes to worse just hook up an external transmission fluid cooler and put it infront of the rad.

 

Be careful of slowing the pump down by changing the pulley. A lot of pumps run at 1.25 times engine speed. This is because you need the pump rotating at around 850 rpm in order to produce sufficient flow when the engine is at idle to steer the car. So in a lot of cases you are stuck with higher pump rpms when the vehicle is driven on the highway. It really helps to have an overdrive transmission!

 

Actually, a GearVendors OD unit is probably in the future. Sort of working from the front to the back of the car, though I've gotten the full-roller C6 (blew up the original when the new motor went in) and Detroit Locker installed already.

Next up WAS an Accusump, now probably a PS cooler, or more probably both, since I was thinking of fabricating a mount for the Accusump that would allow me to mount it vertically on the sloping inside of the driver's side fender in the engine bay, towards the front behind the headlights (obviously I have more space than a Vette in that area). This would place the Accusump's valve down near my oil filter adapter and is also near the PS pump if I want to mount a remote reservior there as well. I was also going to tuck the plastic washer bottle behind the fabricated mount.

Anyway, it's a brand new PS pump on there, I hope it lasts until spring, the lines seem to be running cooler now though still warm...just not hot, maybe it had something to do with first-fill or the new unit needing to loosen up internally or something. Time will tell.

Thanks for your help.





[Modified by Rainy, 5:33 AM 12/11/2002]