LockDoc's "Low Budget", "Low Maintenance" Project Thread

[clay68c10]

My vote is hydroboost. If you have the stock newer PS pump and a later o-ring style steering box you will probably be able to run off the shelf pressure lines.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by clay68c10

My vote is hydroboost. If you have the stock newer PS pump and a later o-ring style steering box you will probably be able to run off the shelf pressure lines.

Thanks Clay,

I am using the '03 pump but the box I used was the '72. I can swap the box out for a later one, or cut the metric ends off of the lines and use a double flare fitting. That wouldn't be a problem.

LockDoc

[clay68c10]

Something I forgot to mention, could be helpful to other readers too.
You may already know this, but check the accumulator on the hydroboost unit. It’s the only part not available separately. You can get reseal kits for cheap all day long but nobody I found sells the accumulator by itself. It only comes on reman units.
You have to compress the unit in a vise to remove the snap ring retainer for the accumulator to come out. Once it’s out, it should be very difficult to move the accumulator piston even a small amount. Like put it in the vise difficult. If you can do it by hand, it’s toast.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by clay68c10

Something I forgot to mention, could be helpful to other readers too.
You may already know this, but check the accumulator on the hydroboost unit. It’s the only part not available separately. You can get reseal kits for cheap all day long but nobody I found sells the accumulator by itself. It only comes on reman units.
You have to compress the unit in a vise to remove the snap ring retainer for the accumulator to come out. Once it’s out, it should be very difficult to move the accumulator piston even a small amount. Like put it in the vise difficult. If you can do it by hand, it’s toast.

Thanks for the information. I haven't seen anything about that in any of the threads I have read so far. The unit I have was off of a running, driving truck that everything worked on so hopefully that won't be a problem for me. What is the symptom if it is bad?

LockDoc

[clay68c10]

If it’s bad, you won’t get any reserve boost after the engine is off. I think they can also aerate the PS fluid.
If it came off a runner you’re good.
I was pulling them off dead motorhomes so I had to take the accumulators off to check.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by clay68c10

If it’s bad, you won’t get any reserve boost after the engine is off. I think they can also aerate the PS fluid.
If it came off a runner you’re good.
I was pulling them off dead motorhomes so I had to take the accumulators off to check.

OK, thanks.

LockDoc

[LockDoc]

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So after doing some more reading I understand that the hydroboost unit with the Silver accumulator (the round can looking part) is for the disk front, disk rear trucks and mine is the disk front, drum rear. I stopped at the local body shop here in town that has quite a few trucks sitting around and found 2, 2001 Chevy 3500 vans that had the units with the Gold accumulators and disk/drum brakes. I asked the owner about buying one of them and he said just go ahead and take one. I went home and got my tools and pulled one of them off. It took me about 1 1/2 hours. I think the pickups would be easier because there is more room in that area. This was kinda under the dash area in the engine compartment so I removed the master cylinder to give me more room to work.

This one has a square, perfectly flat mounting plate with 4 bolts sticking out of it. I will take a better picture of that tomorrow sometime, and compare the length of the pedal rod with the '03 2500 pickup unit in the pictures above. I also want to go back and check the year of the van. I ran out of time today.

I cleaned the parts up and everything looks good on it. I gave him $30 for it. He wouldn't take the money so I stopped in the office on the way out and gave the money to his wife....

LockDoc

[clay68c10]

Score! You got a nice deal on that.
I have a gold accumulator van unit I’m going to use for mine. That van mount is nice and flat.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by clay68c10

Score! You got a nice deal on that.
I have a gold accumulator van unit I’m going to use for mine. That van mount is nice and flat.

There is another van at the body shop. I think I am going to grab that one too. This was a 2001 Chevy 3500 van.

The mounting plate would bolt to any flat firewall really easy. The pedal rod is 7 3/8" long compared to the pickups 6 1/4". The pickup pedal rods are too short for the '67-'72 trucks so this might just work. I will post up about it when I get it bolted in.

LockDoc

[Ol Blue K20]

That's going to be a nice setup. I hope your son is doing good. I've done a lot of cancer treatments, not fun but the new technology works well.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

That's going to be a nice setup. I hope your son is doing good. I've done a lot of cancer treatments, not fun but the new technology works well.

Thanks Dale.

Son was supposed to have his second Chemo session Wednesday but he was so nervous about it Tuesday, it made him sick, so they couldn't do it. He had a lot of trouble after the first one. They postponed it until next week. He is continually dehydrated enough that they have to administer fluids through his Chemo port. Thanks for your thoughts.

LockDoc

[Ol Blue K20]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

Thanks Dale.

Son was supposed to have his second Chemo session Wednesday but he was so nervous about it Tuesday, it made him sick, so they couldn't do it. He had a lot of trouble after the first one. They postponed it until next week. He is continually dehydrated enough that they have to administer fluids through his Chemo port. Thanks for your thoughts.

LockDoc

Leon, I understand his nervous feelings. PM me and I'll give you my number. That way he or you can talk to me. I'll try to help his nerves a bit.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

Leon, I understand his nervous feelings. PM me and I'll give you my number. That way he or you can talk to me. I'll try to help his nerves a bit.

PM sent.

LockDoc

[LockDoc]

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I had a chance to work on the truck a little yesterday.

I removed the bolts from the square mounting plate by screwing the nuts on so they were flush with the end of the bolt and tapped them out with a small ball peen hammer. They came out really easy. After I removed the bolts I was able to get a pipe wrench on the large nut that holds the plate to the booster unit and remove it. The square plate does have a little angle to it in the area where the unit fits against it. I measured out where the holes needed to be for the plate to fit on the original lower master/booster studs on the firewall, and drilled them out. I test fit it and the hole on the bottom right almost lines up with the bolt that holds the column bracket on. I opened the hole up enough so I can use that bolt to secure the plate on the lower corner.

Next I mounted the plate back on the booster and test fit the whole assembly. I wanted to see how the rod that bolts to the brake pedal fit as far as length. I had to enlarge the hole in the firewall about an 1/8th inch all the way around. I used a carbide cutter in my air die grinder to do that. Worked out good. The pedal rod is still too short by about an inch, so I will still have to lengthen it.

LockDoc

[kev2809]

looking good!

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by kev2809

looking good!

Thanks Dale.

LockDoc

[KyleSeal]

Sorry to hear about your son. My dad was diagnosed with brain cancer a few years back, its been a rough road and the chemo is no fun.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by KyleSeal

Sorry to hear about your son. My dad was diagnosed with brain cancer a few years back, its been a rough road and the chemo is no fun.

Thanks Kyle, I hope your dad has improved over time. Sons second chemo is tomorrow. His treatment is 7 hours per session. We will be going up to spend part of the day with him while he is having it done.

LockDoc

[LockDoc]

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I removed the hydroboost so I could rotate the mounting plate 180º. I mentioned in my post above that the plate had just a little angle on the boss where the hydroboost mounts. I ground off the original locator tab and I will weld a new one on the opposite side but I wanted to bolt it back in and make sure I had everything straight before I did that. The whole unit now sits perfectly level front to back.

I will also lengthen the push rod while I have it out next time, then it will be done and ready to mount for the last time.....

LockDoc

[LockDoc]

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Been working on the brakes. I removed the pedal rod from the hydroboost because I wanted to see if I could modify a stock, manual brake pedal rod to work with it. That way I would have a stock type adjustable rod without having to weld anything on it. I used a small pickle fork and a small pair of vise grips to remove the rod. The vise grips have to be thin enough to be able to clamp them on the small area of the rod and still get the pickle fork between them and the face of the hydroboost. Tap on the end of the pickle fork and it forces the rod out. That worked good to remove the rod. I then measured everything out and cut the stock manual pedal rod to the correct length and turned the end down to match the hydroboost rod. This worked out great and gives me about 1/2" of adjustment in both directions.

LockDoc

[Warrens69GMC]

Looks like it's coming together!

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Warrens69GMC

Looks like it's coming together!

Slow but sure.... ... Thanks.

LockDoc

[kev2809]

man leon, you have more patience than me lol. looking good though!

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by kev2809

man leon, you have more patience than me lol. looking good though!

I have always been blessed with a lot of patience. I get upset once in a while, but I was never the hammer throwing type. Well, maybe once when I hit my thumb....

Thanks Kev.

LockDoc

[LockDoc]

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Installed the hydroboost for the last time the other day. Everything worked out great on it. I had to drop the column down part way to get the brake rod to brake pedal bolt in. It wasn't a big deal but it gets harder and harder to lay on my back under the dash. I never did like that job anyway.

Finished up the last brake line today and installed it, so the brakes are all plumbed and ready to be bled. Luckily I had the old brake lines from the frame to the valve for patterns so that made it pretty easy. All of the power steering hoses are in except for the return from the unit to the pump, I need to pick up some hose for it. I forgot to bolt the battery tray in before I installed the radiator but I think I can take the lower radiator hose loose on one end and move that end of the radiator back far enough to get the bolts screwed in. I will do that tomorrow. What a dummy. You would think this was my first build or something....

When I get the brakes bled I can concentrate on getting it running. I really don't want to start it without any brakes. I might drive through the overhead door.... or worse.

I need to go over everything and check that all nuts and bolts, all brake lines, connections, etc. are secure. Sometimes I install things temporarily and then forget to finish them up.

I have one wire that I have labeled NSS from the transmission loom that I'm not sure where it goes but I will get it figured out. I also need to secure the transmission wire loom to the frame rail in the next few days.

I talked to a friend of mine that works at a local muffler shop Saturday at breakfast and he said he could get it in whenever I was ready. Vroom,
Vroom...

Later,
LockDoc
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