I guess I thought my 2016 diesel f350 would have hydro boost brakes. Sure looks like a big vacuum booster mounted on the firewall. Am I wrong?

 

Yes, the diesel SD's dually's have hydro boost. What looks like a big vacuum booster is actually an accumulator to provide boost in case you loose power steering pressure for some reason.

I think the SRW's still have vacuum though.

 

Yup, your brakes are powered by a vacuum pump. Not sure why they went away with hydroboost in the SRW models, but I'd guess it has to do with cost. Both my '11 and '08 PSD trucks had hydroboost.

 

Oddly, from the specifications book, it states hydro-boost for the diesel:

 

I read that as saying that all F250s (gas/diesel) and the F350 gas have vacuum boost while the F350 diesel & F450 have hydroboost.

 

Exactly. So why does my F350 diesel have vacuum brakes?

 

I honk this is because diesels don't produce as much vacuum as a gas engine.

 

I think this is because diesels don't produce as much vacuum as a gas engine.

 

Those spec sheets are notorious for misprints, and I'm sure that's one of them. They still have an error on the rear axle specs that's been there for years.

Diesel engines don't produce any vacuum. Trucks with vacuum brakes use a vacuum pump.