Hydroboost Rep

Stingxray

Stingxray

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 16, 2008
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85
Location
Central Coast california
I have a rebuilt Hydroboost unit and have been working to Fab a bracket for a C2 . But out of curiosity... I contacted a HB Vender to see if he would sell me the Firewall bracket separately /w it's 3 inch Extension required for a C2 (63-67). This is his reply .:amused:

Hi Grant,
I'm sorry to report that we do not offer any parts individually per strict company policy. This is because the components used in the construction of our specific systems will not fit and function correctly with certain OEM or DIY installations = even if we did sell the parts individually, there are instances where you may not be able to use them per differing designs in the brake assist units.

For instance: We receive many inquiries regarding the pedal rod assemblies and the firewall mounting plates. First and foremost, without having the proper equipment and highly skilled techniques, you truly have no chance of properly installing the pedal rod into your assist unit without risking permanently damaging the assist unit by splitting the female input piston. Even with all the right equipment and decades of experience, we still manage to fail an input piston occasionally during assembly. The firewall mounting plate? You would probably balk at the price of $145 (our in house costs just to produce one of the modular '63-'67 C2 Corvette plates is $130!). Second, without having the very expensive Kent Moore "J tool" socket ($164), there really is no way that you could install the mounting plate properly...
Paul Clark
Hydratech Braking Systems
www.hydratechbraking.com
 
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I have installed just TWO HB units myself, one in my '72 vette which stand on it's nose, and a '71 class C motor home which will do similar....

the reply is partly BS....and some maybe not...

the crap shoot you deal with from junkyard variations or ebay sources (same thing) is of course wide open....

and YOUR ability to figger shit out is what makes up for that variation....

but there is NO room for error....so you need make sure you have full pedal travel, and proper angle on the input piston...

there is not so much mystery on the unit itself, I had the one on the motor home completely apart, except for the mystery unit...the compressed aluminum storage unit for engine off emergency assist....

but that don't matter much as to the basic taking apart of the unit....

IF you look at the length of the typical (sample of two) units you find your input clevis and fork are much too long, you have to cut the HB input shaft and run a die down the shaft to good depth so the pedal height makes some sense, and the angle is correct....

you probably have to modify the HB typical 1/8 thick mounting plate to agree with the former booster.....or mod the firewall to make some sense with the 4 bolts through the steering column support bracket....

Simply said, you have to have a fair amount of talent, tools, to pull it off by yourself.....

my vette has been HB off ebay for some years now....

the motor home is still in reconstruction, but the brakes are fine....NOW....

YMMV, and best of luck....email/PM me if any questions....

:beer::beer:



Stingxray said:
I have a rebuilt Hydroboost unit and have been working to Fab a bracket for a C2 . But out of curiosity... I contacted a HB Vender to see if he would sell me the Firewall bracket separately /w it's 4 inch Extension required for a C2 (63-67). This is his reply .:amused:

Hi Grant,
I'm sorry to report that we do not offer any parts individually per strict company policy. This is because the components used in the construction of our specific systems will not fit and function correctly with certain OEM or DIY installations = even if we did sell the parts individually, there are instances where you may not be able to use them per differing designs in the brake assist units.

For instance: We receive many inquiries regarding the pedal rod assemblies and the firewall mounting plates. First and foremost, without having the proper equipment and highly skilled techniques, you truly have no chance of properly installing the pedal rod into your assist unit without risking permanently damaging the assist unit by splitting the female input piston. Even with all the right equipment and decades of experience, we still manage to fail an input piston occasionally during assembly. The firewall mounting plate? You would probably balk at the price of $145 (our in house costs just to produce one of the modular '63-'67 C2 Corvette plates is $130!). Second, without having the very expensive Kent Moore "J tool" socket ($164), there really is no way that you could install the mounting plate properly...
Paul Clark
Hydratech Braking Systems
www.hydratechbraking.com
Click to expand...
 
HB Fit

The C2 needs more clearance for the lower fire wall area . See Photos ...Probable more like 3 inches .

c2_kit.jpg"]


c2hydroboost_installed.jpg
[/URL].
 
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MYBAD79 said:
so what's that Kent Moore J socket ???
Click to expand...

From dealing with two of them, mounted 'upside down' plugging the OEM 'bottom' weep hole for fluids, and cutting in a new one on the old top....

I suspect that J tool is to grab the large odd shaped 'nut' around the snout of the HB unit itself...holds it to the mounting plate....hole is ~2" diameter as the nut....very irregular shape....

honestly, I got lazy and used my air chisel to get it off the vette unit...tightened the same way....no respect, for sure...but...

I put it on with locktight RED for the last time...loosen NOW, bitch....:stirpot::D

NOT YOU, I talk about projects and cars like that all the time.....

wife knows I"m krazy...so no sweat....

:D:tomato:
 
Maybe I am missing something but why not just make a flat spacer the bolts between the hydroboost and the firewall?
 
Yep Fuelie .....I have made that plate your talking about out of aluminum. The problem is the HB Body hits the part of the C2 fire wall . Ie won't bolt up flush. So the after market people have added a big round aluminum sleeve that spaces it out ..... HB bolts to this. My confidence in Fabing such a part has made me extra cautious. Brakes are nothing to fool with......:eek:
 
Fuelie74 said:
Maybe I am missing something but why not just make a flat spacer the bolts between the hydroboost and the firewall?
Click to expand...

That's what I would do, 4 longer grade 8 bolts, cut some squares, drill the pattern, pull the mounting plate off the firewall....

shame I can't see your pix more clearly, when clicked on they go to the pix of the unit itself.....no detail due to size....

:hissyfit::beer:
 
Stingxray said:
Yep Fuelie .....I have made that plate your talking about out of aluminum. The problem is the HB Body hits the part of the C2 fire wall . Ie won't bolt up flush. So the after market people have added a big round aluminum sleeve that spaces it out ..... HB bolts to this. My confidence in Fabing such a part has made me extra cautious. Brakes are nothing to fool with......:eek:
Click to expand...

Do you have any pictures of you spacer and the booster held up to your car so we can see where it's hitting.

I have a feeling it is an easy to make part you need that the company made fancy to discourage people from doing it themselves.
 
Here are Photos of the fire wall .....Master cylinder is recessed more than a C3 . The lower area (shelf ) Hits the HB body . I have a Idea though. I'll just extend with 4x4 aluminum Square box tube and weld a simular plate to the other side. Then use that 4 bolt suggestion to tie it all together ....That Just might work.

http://www.stl-vettes.com/65Vette/corvette_Misc/Images/Firewall_ID_4.jpg
 
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Stingxray said:
Here are Photos of the fire wall .....Master cylinder is recessed more than a C3 . The lower area (shelf ) Hits the HB body . I have a Idea though. I'll just extend with 4x4 aluminum Square box tube and weld a simular plate to the other side. Then use that 4 bolt suggestion to tie it all together ....That Just might work.

http://www.stl-vettes.com/65Vette/corvette_Misc/Images/Firewall_ID_4.jpg
Click to expand...

I see from the look of the pix there....how in hell any round vac booster would ever mount in that location....?? it looks like it was a manual brake car.....

or is my knowledge/perspective rong??

it looks as if a two ear version of maybe 1/4" steel with a hole in the middle for the HB to mount...would enable that HB to clear the lower bulge...?

then for vibration to use a brace under the units to the lower firewall?? :stirpot:
 
MYBAD79 said:
so what's that Kent Moore J socket ???
Click to expand...

I'm just speculating, but my HB unit came with two different length pushrods. Naturally, the one installed was not the one that I needed. It wasn't too hard to get the installed one off, but there isn't much to hold on to to gently hammer the new one on (see the reference above to splitting the female part). I took a cheap, Chinese wrench and ground it to fit the female part so that I could grip it enough to hammer in the rod. I suspect that the Kent-Moore tool does the same thing. I can also see how you could easily split the part.
 
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