The saga basically goes like this...
I ordered a used hydroboost and got one that is too late a model. Decided not to try to deal with all the mods but returning it would cost about as much as just using it as my core, so I bought a reman one for the 97 F Superduty. Got it home, have all my other parts lined up, realized the reman one doesn't have the pushrod for the master. My brakes really suck. So, do I start searching all over trying to find a push rod or do I just go and get a $100 vacuum pump and be done with it?

 

Would the push rod be different ?...

 

Call me crazy...I did a vaccum pump..not Im gonna do a booster since mine has subzeromorningsickness ...I would love to do hydroboost but I didnt like it much on either of my sd trucks. It always seemed if i was on the brake at idle the power steering made the brake weird.I cant explain it.BUT the vaccum stuff sucks also..pretty much ,its cold and I dont want to do any more work than i have to...there.That should be clear as mud.

 

Ummmm, yeah... ok.... right

 

SO? what is wrong with the push rod? cant be much a bit of cutting and lengthing/shortening cant remedy.. if you are far enough in to have that be the ONLY hang up...might as well finish so you can tell me how itis and if I need to save my booster rebuild money for a hydroboost lol

 

Just to close this out, I gave up. I got the reman booster and installed it today. Brakes work fine and no more loss of boost.

The issue is really around having all the necessary parts. So, what I learned is that if you are going to do it you are probably better off getting a unit from a junk yard from a 97 F Superduty. You can use it as a core and so talk the junk yard down as far as possible. Or, if you have money to burn, buy a new unit that comes with everything. The pushrod to the master cylinder is recessed into a spring assembly with a nylon washer and a crazy looking clip. I suspect I could fabricate the pushrod and the nylon washer, but the clip... no way. The reman unit I bought included the rod to the brake pedal so that was not an issue. One last thing, the bore on the unit is clearly bigger in the 98+ units. I had the later model one here too and I was not able to use that pushrod because the bore was 1/4" bigger. If you were going to disc rear brakes then you could use this unit with the Master from the later model too, but then you would need to shorten the pushrod going to the pedal - lots of work and some welding I think.

I'll dig around junk yards to find the right unit but in the meantime it was worth $100 to quit puckering every time I was in traffic and needed to stop. Hope this helps those considering the swap.

 

hey - sucks you had to cut and run on the work this weekend. so the answer is that it has to be a 97 F-superduty unit, right?

either way, my vacuum pump starting making a God-awful clicking noise late last week, so i had to replace it. now my brakes are better than they've ever been, so doing the hydroboost mod has falled down my priority list quite a bit.

still got my eye on this post, though to see if/how you make out.

good luck.

 

Yep, it seems the 97 SD is the key component and you need it from a junk yard. I'm just putting this on the wish list and next time I pass a U-pull-It yard I'll go scavenging. The 97 model has a "bore" on the output side where the master connects of 1 5/8" if I remember right. The later model had a 1 7/8" "bore". But that rod that actuates the master is a key piece and it doesn't appear to come on the reman pumps.