First off, if your vacuum pump goes out, I fully recommend going hydro boost, in my opinion this is the setup our trucks should have had from the factory.

As usual I started working and kept going and forgot to take any pics, but it was an easy swap.

My vacuum booster was leaking and was sometimes rather hard to stop, so I sourced a used hydro booster from a '96 F-Superduty truck. You can buy them new at the parts stores if you eat the core charge, but I'm cheap and work for a salvage yard, so I was able to source one quickly and inexpensively.

Next I ordered two power steering hoses from Advance Auto Parts. Then picked up some misc. parts..... 5 ft. of 3/8 rubber hose, 3 hose clamps, 2 quarts of PS fluid (although I only used 1) and a 3/8s brass "T" fitting from the help section.

Total installation time took 3 hours from the time I opened the hood, till I had the tools cleaned up and put away, myself cleaned up and on a test drive.

First off, remove the clip and plugs on the brake push rod. remove the three nuts (two on one side which also held a bracket) and loosen the brake master cylinder and pull it forward off the booster. Remove the four nuts holding the booster on the inside and yank it out. While that is out of the way is the time to cut the edges of the master cylinder off, you have to turn the holes into a "U" shape by trimming off the outer section because the hydroboster's studs are wider than to two holes. I did so with a drimmel tool. Then bolt it back on, hook up the rod to pedal inside with all the clips and plugs.

Now the nasty part. I unbolted the current pressure line at the pump. Then I had to unhook and drain the return line so I could get a wrench in there to access the top of the steering box line. after getting it off its just a matter of bolting o the new lines, one from the pump down to the box, then one from the box up to the hydro booster. The most frustrating part of all for me was getting the line on the top of the box started again, but after holding my tongue just right and standing on one foot I got it started. On the return line I trimmed about 1.5 inches off of it and installed the brass T, and ran hose up to the return on the booster.

Topped it all off with fluid, bled out the air, and wahlah, it stops AWESOME!

To give credit where its do, I got my information and inspiration from:bowfast::

Hydroboost conversion done - Powerstroke Nation
and
www.obspowerstroke.com

So, if you are thinking about it, just do it.

Justin

 

I second that. I did my conversion and LOVE it! One thing to make sure of is that if you're going to buy a new one, triple check that it comes with a push-rod. Not all of them do, and you won't find one for sale. If you don't (like me) you'll end up either buying a new hydro-boost with one, or like me, making one out of grade 8 threaded rod and an exhaust valve spring from a very large Cat motor...

 

I bought one off of craigslist but it turned out to be for a later model truck then ours. I read that it took a lot of modification to get it to work so I gave up on the project. It did come with the push-rod though. Do you guys by any chance have a parts list? You can see what I have to stop!!

 

oldbird1965,
Measure the bolt center width on both sides of hydroboost unit, then compare to the bolt centers on your master cylinder and vacuum booster.

I know several guys in the IDI forum used the hydroboost unit from a NBS Super Duty F350 and had to do a little work on the bolt holes to get it to line up with the IDI master cylinder and cab bolt holes.

From what they said, the modifications are not that hard, but do take a little time.

One of the guys in the IDI forum is even running a Chevy hydroboost, again with a little work to change the bolt hole center width.

I put a new one in my 86 that I bought at Ford that was for a 97 F Super Duty, direct bolt on swap.

Much better brakes.

 

Thanks Dave, I'll measure and check it out. This is what I read from 'Strokerace' a half year or so ago:


"Yes I did and it was a pain. Not so much the changeover, but what I had to work with. My hydroboost unit was out of an 02 SD. Well the bolt pattern where it mounts thru the firewall to the brakepedal was different so I had to grind off the pressed in bolts of the hydroboost, then redrilled to fit the truck and used grade 8 hardware. Then the actuator arm that attached to the brake pedal was about 1 1/2" longer on the hydroboost than the vacuum boost. So what I did was cut a 1 1/2" section out of the arm then welded it back together. Not the most ideal, but it worked. Plus the pressure hoses I got off the SD would not work because the fitting into the top of the gearbox is different between body styles.

So with all the extra time I had into it modifying it, the initial cost, plus the addtional cost of new pressure hoses I would have been much better off buying a new unit and hoses for a 97 F-superduty like others have done."


The one I bought was from a NBS also but when I get time will have to start doing some measuring. Thanks

 

That sounds like a bit more trouble than those guys were letting on.

I got a new PS pump tank with two return lines, a set of hoses and a hydroboost from Ford.

Took about 3 hours working easy and I was done.

I had about 500 in parts, but worth every penny the first time I put a load in the bed.
So much better stopping.

 

Late fall when I have some down time I'll have to get after it.

 

Yea, I imagine with that load you've got there it would make a world of difference. I had read about some people making the SD unit work in their OBS as well, but if it were me I would just sell it and put that money toward a OBS F-Superduty unit, that way the lines are already pre made not custom, and if it ever goes out, you can buy off the shelf parts to fix it without modifying them.

Justin

 

Good advise Justin! I got such a good deal on Craigtslist that I just jumped and didn't think it through first. Are the pushrods the same, I'll keep mine if so?

 

The push rods between the vac boost and the hydro boost? Not even close to the same. Very different. Not impossible to make one, though I'm sure some people would argue some kind of safety issue. Mine's held up so far through a lot of heavy use.

 

When I was doing mine, I ordered a replacement hydro boost through Advance Auto.
No push rod, and could not find one anywhere.

So I took it back and ordered a new one through Ford, which did have the push rod.

Can't remember what the price difference was, but I do remember that was an expensive rod.

If you do blow a hose while out on the road, using stock over the counter parts will be so much easier than finding someplace to make a custom hose.
That alone could easy make up for the price difference.

 

As Glenn stated, I had to modify mine quite a bit to make work. Only to find out that I'll probably have to buy the OBS F-superduty one anyway. When I cut the actuator rod down to the correct size, I think one of the internal seals got to hot when I welded it back together. Now I've got a slight fluid leak from where the rod attached to the unit. And it's leaking in the inside of the cab.

So after all the time modifying it to work, now I've got to replace it anyway.

Just go the F-superduty route the first time with the correct hoses and be done. It may be more money up front, but WELL worth it in the end.

 

Justin, When are you going to swap in a 6B?

 

I am gonna do my conversion right after you get done with your 6b swap

 

ok i completed the 97 superduty hydroboost conversion, got the wrong boost to box line, but an angle grinder and a flairing tool made short work of that! also got an electric vacuum pump, how do i delete the belt driven vaccum pump, or even better, replace with an air compressor, perhaps a jeep york style ac compressor? but i just want that stock pump gone! i have haD NO PROBLEMS WITH DRUM BRAKES USING 97 SD MASTER OUT OF THE BOX!