Have any of you guys ever used the Hydro-boost out of a mid 70's Mecury wagon? I have one I am pulling the 460 out of and it has Hydro-boost. The wagon even had rear disc brakes on the 9 inch. Will there be any advantage in using a truck Hydro-boost over the car one? Pressure, flow , etc?

 

my advise would be to throw it away! Its old.. cant possibly work as well as a modern unit. I thought about using something from an old ford but why when I got my setup from a 2000 superduty for $75.

 

I don't know where you are, but around L.A. the S.duties are rarely seen in the j.yards. I walked 7 yards, and did not find ONE! The Astro Vans, however, were everywhere.

Regarding the lines: I ordered the lines for a 1990 F450 S.Duty from Rock Auto, for $15 ea., and they bolt right up to the Astro Van h.b.

After doing research, I found that Saginaw made one pump that is Ford bolt pattern compatible, making it a direct bolt in: 20-6244. It seems they are found in an 84 Econoline van, and a 79 T.bird. I also like the 79 Lincoln Mark V pump, with dual returns. What Fordguy said about drilling out the passage sounds like the way to go!

 

I know nothing about it, but many times the older models are better than the new ones, like the older p/s pumps. I don't know whether that is true with the hb units, but there is a good article over at Classicbroncos.com. The guy found a unit on a 70 something car, and put it on his bronco. It might interest you.

 

I'm lucky to have this wrecker about an hour north of me that specializes in all new trucks. Wreckers locally dont have anything because they all go to this guy. Its like heaven when you need a 1 ton driveshaft,hydroboost,emblems,or even a new custom seat.
As for the "proper pump" with 2 outputs it doesnt do anything. I bought a pump for a 85 1 ton 3500 chev and put it in and it squeled right away and had less power than my modified junkyard special i currently run with 1500 psi after testing. Just put a "T" in the return line


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In the event my p/steering is not adequate for the hydro, I'd like to know which pump will work the easiest.

I notice that the Saginaw 20-6244 has the adapter to change to the Ford 3 bolt bracket. Will that bracket work with other Sag. pumps? Like the 'canned ham' unit on the 79 Lincoln Mark V? Anybody?

What are my other options? Any ideas?

 

Hmmm...now ya'll got me very interested in doing this HB swap on my '78. The stock booster is shot, I will be running rear discs in the future, and it's getting 37's to replace the 35's that are currently on it.

Will the stock PS pump on my '78 F150 work?

And basically, all I would need is a HB unit and MC from a newer truck with disc/disc?
So I can order the HB and MC unit for a 2000-ish SuperDuty, run a line from my PS pump, to the HB, from there to the steering box, and from there back into the PS resivoir?

Sorry, but this system is all new to me.

Thanks for any help! I'll be watching this thread close!

 

Start Google-ing and reading. I would go with an early Astro van hydro unit. They are easy to find, easy to adapt, and half the price for a rebuilt than the Ford unit. Just make sure the one you pull is 1 11/16" opening where it bolt to master.

I got mine for $40 at the wrecking yard, then ordered the lines from a 90 Super duty for $30 from Rock Auto. You can also take your truck to a hydrolic shop, and have them make you lines for pretty resonable.

A lot of guys use their oem master. However, if you use the old style, then you have to take the rod out of your vacuum booster and put it in the hydro unit. The old style rods are longer because the piston in the old masters are recessed. An old style disc/disc master many people use is the one from a 1980 corvette...$20 rebuilt at A.zone.

Most of the write ups I have read are swapping the p/s pump for a saginaw. You can find them and the bracket on an 80's Ford Econoline van. The unit on a 79 Lincoln Mark V was made for use with a hydroboost, and has dual return lines. Either can be had rebuilt for $40-$60, but you'll need the pulley and cap, and bracket.

There is a good write up with photos at one of the links in this thread. I think it is on pg.#2? Posted by Bullet. The site is North Country something. If you google 'astro van hydroboost conversion', you'll get loads of info.

 

Hey I dony know what you guys did for mounting but I simply made a plate out of 3/8 and tapped 4 holes with a big center hole. I then welded it to the firewall. Ths makes it SOO much easier for install and removeal. With the plate being tapped theres no messing around with a nut on the inside of the cab while tightening holding it with a partner or vise grips. As for booster rod length you got 2 options use a spacer of about another inch or just cut rod and reweld or cut rod and thread both ends and reconnect with a threaded sleeve.
I did have to make a custom sleeve bolt, to bolt it to pedal as well. I think mine was welded to the superduty pedal...

 

I fabricated mine. More pics in my link - post #7 page 1

 

yours has the spacer built into it. You have bolts running into cab though which I'm sure is a pain to bolt up. also do you tig weld everything?? Seems like alot of wasted time over a wire feed? Not saying you do crappy work just I'm a welder/fabricator and most of the time I'd just run some .035 hard wire for small stuff or .045 flux core wire for anything over 1/4"..
You must have access to an iron worker to punch holes as well?

 

Ten different guys would make the bracket 10 different ways. I took an extra bracket so I can drill new holes and simple cut some steel tubes and weld the plates together.

I got my brackets today, and a nice saginaw pump...the 'canned ham' type. Nice, beefy pump. The 20-6244 is impossible to find, discontinued from Cordone. It would have made it loads easier. I'm dying to get going.

Love my little lincoln wire feed!!!

 

My bolts aren't that bad to get to - but that was part of the design of the bracket. I spent a while on it, and it shows. I'm not a fan of drilling new holes in my truck bodies or frames so I'll spend more time designing stuff to use factory mounting points. It's one factor that sets my work apart from many others.

Also, yes I TIG everything. MIG is not allowed on my trucks! Looks like **** to me - except when one of my buddies who is good does it - he makes it look almost like a TIG bead. Anyways I hate MIG and would gladly spend more time making my truck that much cooler than one that was thrown together with a squirt gun. Any monkey can pull the trigger on a MIG and glue parts together Again - it's what sets my builds apart from others.

This is why I refuse to work for people. Well, most of the time refuse. No one wants to pay to have things done the way I think is right and I refuse to dumb down my work. Plus I barely have enough time to work on my own projects, so if I'm going to be fabricating for others (not my day job) they are going to pay a pretty penny for it!

As for the ironworker - nope. Those parts were cut by hand and cleaned up with my 2x48 belt grinder or a sanding drum on a die grinder. My punches only go up to 1/2" dia. holes right now but I'm working on fixing that as I just got an old kick press that I'm starting to look for punch dies for.

 

Update: Anyone wanting to upgrade their p/s to saginaw, the 20-6244 is a direct bolt in, and is available through Kragen/O'reilleys for $75. But where's the fun in that?Or you could order a sag. off an early/mid eighties econoline for $40 and pull the bracket from the j.yard.