PS pump housing material

I'm gathering all the missing part to complete my hydroboost setup and I'm planning to have two -6an bung weld in for the returns.
I then realized I have no idea what the housing is made of.
I suppose it's steel, but better safe than sorry, I'm asking.

denpo said:

I'm gathering all the missing part to complete my hydroboost setup and I'm planning to have two -6an bung weld in for the returns.
I then realized I have no idea what the housing is made of.
I suppose it's steel, but better safe than sorry, I'm asking.

Click to expand...

The one's I have messed with have been steel......

and I just use a nice size T coupling in the return lines, been that way for years on my shark, and now on the motor home no problems.....:beer::beer:

denpo said:

I'm gathering all the missing part to complete my hydroboost setup and I'm planning to have two -6an bung weld in for the returns.
I then realized I have no idea what the housing is made of.
I suppose it's steel, but better safe than sorry, I'm asking.

Click to expand...

It's just stamped steel. If its a brass fitting, I think you can just silver solder it since the fitting will never be under hydraulic pressure. With a MAPP torch, you can do this yourself. I once used silver solder and a copper coin to close up a hole in a air clearer base.

BTY: You can still buy the steel housing (aka "reservoir," also aka "spam can") by itself. One of the vette vendors sells it new for something like $60 to $70 dollars. If you wanted a spare, it'd probably be cheaper to buy a used one from someone who restores these things. Why a spare? It's a personal habit of mine. When I alter something I like to get a spare just in case i bugger things up on my first attempt!

It is quite important to locate your second spout in the correct location on the reservoir can. This picture shows the two correct locations. One right in the center, the other at the 7:30 location just to the left of the discharge fitting. You can also track the 7:30 location around the corner to the side of the reservoir. Just keep it close to the back face.


You want the returning flow to go back into a "calm" region inside the reservoir and not get immediately sucked back into the pump intake.
Jim

Jim, can you tell my WHY, keeping that return from the pump output is so necessary....I ran into that on fuel tank mods years ago, never figgered out why, but the electric pumps went krazy with noise, and engine ran fine,....but I rerouted lines to silence the pump into happiness.....never did understand why....
same sort of fluid pump.....:search:

JIML82 said:

It is quite important to locate your second spout in the correct location on the reservoir can. This picture shows the two correct locations. One right in the center, the other at the 7:30 location just to the left of the discharge fitting. You can also track the 7:30 location around the corner to the side of the reservoir. Just keep it close to the back face.

You want the returning flow to go back into a "calm" region inside the reservoir and not get immediately sucked back into the pump intake.
Jim

Click to expand...

Thanks man, I saw this the other on CF from picture, but a schematic is always handy :thumbs:

You want the fluid to return to the reservoir and then have a chance to "calm" and allow small air bubbles to rise to the surface of the fluid in the reservoir. If the return is not located correctly, the small bubbles just get sucked right back into the pump intake. Then the air just multiplies and noise and poor performance results. The only time the air gets a chance to escape the fluid is when you finally shut the engine off.

In many cases, Saginaw made clear plastic reservoirs to be able to actually watch the return flow under various conditions. They also ran test pumps at -40F to be able to verify that the pump could suck the fluid correctly from the reservoir even though the fluid was like molasses.

Correct reservoir design applies to remote reservoir tanks as well as the reservoirs that are supplied as part of the pump.

Jim

Here's one out of a GMC HB 1 ton
Rebuilt pump about 50 bucks at any parts store

What's a GMC HB please? If I go to a parts store, what should I tell the salesman I want? He'll want to know the year also. By the I fuss around modifying a reservoir, maybe it'd be cheaper just to go buy one of these things and remove the reservoir.

Thanks

HB=hydraboost
GMC is a GMC truck, same as Chevy

You can ask for 1979 Chevy C30 (1ton dually) 350 engine with hydraboost brakes.
Here is the part # from Advance Auto SP17048 $49.99

Here is the page link
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/we...-Fenco_3791580-P_251_R|GRP60016_1526470575___

Here is the listing page with other fittings and lines
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/we...tion=&actionSrc=Form&searchTerm=steering+pump

You can see the oem style hoses there too, if you can live without the bling of AN fittings and stainless outer braid lines.
The low pressure return lines can just be cut to length at the pump end and the pressure lines, if you want them shortened, a good parts store or hydraulic supply can cut them, clock and recrimp.

You can also use the complete setup from a 76 Cadillac Eldorado, the hoses are a little shorter and Autozone has both pressure hoses, but neither of the return hoses.
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/pa...r-Steering-Pressure-Line-Hose/_/N-inqslZ8oz1z

Thanks for the reply. I bought a traditional saginaw PS pump from rock auto for a total of about $80. This includes shipping, etc. It's GM part number (AC Delco) is 88985365. It has two low pressure hydraulic fluid return ports; one for the power steering and one for the hydroboost, aka hydrobeast.

It's a smooth shaft PS pump. I prefer the keyed shaft PS pumps since I have an aluminum pulley.....some concern a pressed on, keyless aluminum pulley might slip. I have a new (remanufactured?) keyed shaft PS pump so it's relatively easy to pull out and interchange pumps from the reservoir (i.e. ham cans.....the "reservoir" looks like on of those little Danish ham cans.)

I thought about removing the ham can from my existing PS pump, and then adding another low pressure input; drilling a hole, adding another input opening..silver soldering or whatever. Just buying the correct housing for $80 was what I settled out at. Buying a correct factory PS reservoir (ham can) also means the low pressure return is in the correct location. You just can't install the low pressure return anywhere on the reservoir. It has to go on the side of the can, or in the center. Anywhere else, internal swirl will interfere with drainback.

Two questions, ONE....is there a difference in the internal valving/available pressure to the master cylinder among Hydroboost units???

second off, I have T'd off the return lines on two vehicles, hear nothing abnormal....

but the 8000 lbs GVW with 1 5/16 master cyl bore seem to take much more pressure with the HB unit in there, then the vette.....figgerd the HB units could about stop anything with 900 lbs pressure available for assist....

:noworry::huh2: