Dr. Diff Hydroboost

[Mopar Hunter]

Even a picture of a hand to print out & paste
on the wall to lean against for a free pat on the back!

 

[HEMIB]

Looks good to me same as mine did you notice if the fluid was frothing or the box was groaning good sign of air in the system .Even if the returns back to the resivior were restricted it would only effect the pedal return.
The rod to piston clearance is quite critical on the HB i usually allow about 30 thou .Strange because the HB unit looks new ' The AN fittings supplied by DR Diff looks a bit small on the ID the HB unit likes good flow.I have 2 challengers with hydroboost 1 disc/drum 1 disc/disc they have been working fine for 3 or 4 years now although they both need strong springs to return the pedal . I have a HB in my 72 satellite when the Dot/Engineer done the braking test with a load cell on the pedal he mentioned the pedal pressure was around halve what it should be.It woul.d be good to hear the operating sequence of the HB from pedal press to release cant seem to find it anywhere

 

[ckessel]

All of Greg's "fun" made me rethink putting it in my 65.

 

[Cranky]

View attachment 1775055

It was a debacle.
In 2022 I was offered a Hydroboost unit to install, test and report on. It was an informal "Research and development" project where I was given a HB unit and asked to install it in my 1970 Charger, get it working and then report back to Dr Diff on what it took to make it work and how well it did.
I hate to lose. I'm not one to give up easily so take that into consideration as you read on.
It was my responsibility to find a way to build pressure and return lines for the system. I had to find a power steering pump to use that had adequate pressure and a dual return line since Hydroboost uses power steering pump pressure to function. Dr Diff provided what help that he could but admitted that he was new to this system and was relying on me to work out the details.
The unit that he sent me fit fine and looked great. DD did have a suggestion for a master cylinder that was relatively cheap from Rock Auto. I found a power steering reservoir from a 1990s Chevy 1 ton 454 truck. It had a larger reservoir and two return lines. I made my own lines for the system and had help from a local hydraulic shop with the fitment and crimping.
First off, I had an impossible time getting the HB to ever provide boost. From the very first start up, the steering was not boosted enough and the brakes were unboosted. I made sure that the lines were connected like they are supposed to be according to pictures and instructions that I found elsewhere on the internet. While trying to bleed the system, (according to procedures that I researched online) the power steering got worse and worse due to a failing pump. The pump was working fine before beginning the installation of the HB unit. I swapped in another pump into that reservoir and started over. THAT pump conked out too. I went through 3 pumps,( maybe 4? The memory is a bit fuzzy as I was as frustrated as I have ever been) 2 or 3 of them new/rebuilt units and one good 4 year old unit. I emailed Dr Diff a few times as he was never available to take calls due to either being otherwise busy during the Covid era (Summer 2022) where lots of people just quit working or other reasons that I never learned. He did respond to emails but nothing that I tried made a difference. The system kept killing power steering pumps while providing NO boost at all. I tried several bleeding procedures, watched numerous YouTube videos and asked other guys that I knew and nobody could help. Finally, I pulled the system and shipped it to someone else that Dr Diff was in contact with. I was curious as to what happened with that guy and after a few attempts to find out, I got a response that he got it working but almost no details as to what he did to get there. The whole experience was a disappointment. I was curious about the advantage of the system since it is used in some heavy trucks with great success. From what I read and heard, It is a great workaround to engines with little or no vacuum.
I have thought about revisiting the whole thing but would need a LOT MORE reassurances as to how the system goes together to ensure a successful installation. Maybe Dr Diff learned more from the second guy and was able to package together a system with confidence that it will work. I appreciate the opportunity but felt like a man on an island where almost every obstacle was up to me to solve and since I was unfamiliar with the system, unable to test it on a bench or anyplace other than while in the car, I got tired of swapping power steering pumps only to get the same results.
IF the kit comes with clear instructions on hydraulic line installation and bleeding procedures along with a detailed FAQ and troubleshooting guide, you'll have it better than I did.

Uh, geez man, could you have done some 'spacing' in all that text? For someone like me being half blind, old and stooopid, it would have made it easier to come back to where I left off when my phone rang.....

 

[Kern Dog]

I typed it from a computer. It doesn't look as ran together as you think when read from a wider screen.

 

[Cranky]

I typed it from a computer. It doesn't look as ran together as you think when read from a wider screen.

Oh c'mon, LOL

 

[themechanic]

The new pumps are quiet but expensive, although not nearly as high as a hydroboost system.

$369 to $399 via the link.

Automotive Vacuum Pumps | Electric Vacuum Pumps for Brakes

Experience enhanced braking with our automotive vacuum pumps. These electric vacuum pumps for brakes offer an efficient solution for vacuum assist needs.

leedbrakes.com

Summit lists them for the same price with free shipping.

Brake Vacuum Pumps | Summit Racing

Find brake vacuum pumps with plenty of vacuum capacity at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

 

[Charlie Brown]

View attachment 1775055

It was a debacle.
In 2022 I was offered a Hydroboost unit to install, test and report on. It was an informal "Research and development" project where I was given a HB unit and asked to install it in my 1970 Charger, get it working and then report back to Dr Diff on what it took to make it work and how well it did.
I hate to lose. I'm not one to give up easily so take that into consideration as you read on.
It was my responsibility to find a way to build pressure and return lines for the system. I had to find a power steering pump to use that had adequate pressure and a dual return line since Hydroboost uses power steering pump pressure to function. Dr Diff provided what help that he could but admitted that he was new to this system and was relying on me to work out the details.
The unit that he sent me fit fine and looked great. DD did have a suggestion for a master cylinder that was relatively cheap from Rock Auto. I found a power steering reservoir from a 1990s Chevy 1 ton 454 truck. It had a larger reservoir and two return lines. I made my own lines for the system and had help from a local hydraulic shop with the fitment and crimping.
First off, I had an impossible time getting the HB to ever provide boost. From the very first start up, the steering was not boosted enough and the brakes were unboosted. I made sure that the lines were connected like they are supposed to be according to pictures and instructions that I found elsewhere on the internet. While trying to bleed the system, (according to procedures that I researched online) the power steering got worse and worse due to a failing pump. The pump was working fine before beginning the installation of the HB unit. I swapped in another pump into that reservoir and started over. THAT pump conked out too. I went through 3 pumps,( maybe 4? The memory is a bit fuzzy as I was as frustrated as I have ever been) 2 or 3 of them new/rebuilt units and one good 4 year old unit. I emailed Dr Diff a few times as he was never available to take calls due to either being otherwise busy during the Covid era (Summer 2022) where lots of people just quit working or other reasons that I never learned. He did respond to emails but nothing that I tried made a difference. The system kept killing power steering pumps while providing NO boost at all. I tried several bleeding procedures, watched numerous YouTube videos and asked other guys that I knew and nobody could help. Finally, I pulled the system and shipped it to someone else that Dr Diff was in contact with. I was curious as to what happened with that guy and after a few attempts to find out, I got a response that he got it working but almost no details as to what he did to get there. The whole experience was a disappointment. I was curious about the advantage of the system since it is used in some heavy trucks with great success. From what I read and heard, It is a great workaround to engines with little or no vacuum.
I have thought about revisiting the whole thing but would need a LOT MORE reassurances as to how the system goes together to ensure a successful installation. Maybe Dr Diff learned more from the second guy and was able to package together a system with confidence that it will work. I appreciate the opportunity but felt like a man on an island where almost every obstacle was up to me to solve and since I was unfamiliar with the system, unable to test it on a bench or anyplace other than while in the car, I got tired of swapping power steering pumps only to get the same results.
IF the kit comes with clear instructions on hydraulic line installation and bleeding procedures along with a detailed FAQ and troubleshooting guide, you'll have it better than I did.

I did / have followed your post on this. Very detailed account of your process. At the time, Dr. Diff did not have a listing for this product. Fast forward to today, there is now an offering for this product on his web site - thus the question has anyone recently purchased and installed said product. I'm sure there are several of us who would like to know the end result with some sort of install guidance.

 

[Kern Dog]

I don't know where the fault lies with my attempt with the system.
It is quite possible that it was something simple that I did wrong. I don't care who or what is to blame, I just wanted to know what it was.

 

[Charlie Brown]

I don't know where the fault lies with my attempt with the system.
It is quite possible that it was something simple that I did wrong. I don't care who or what is to blame, I just wanted to know what it was.

Perhaps the system now offered by Dr. Diff is different from what you originally tested. Specs could well be different. It seems that there would be a fairly decent market for a well designed B Body (or other Mopar) hydro boost conversion "kit". I'm also sure that there are hydro boost installs that work well, but it's like trying to pull hens teeth for people who have success with their conversion to explain the process in some detail.

 

[themechanic]

There's a couple of threads on FBBO on the subject. Try using Google instead of the built-in search tool for better results.

Also, check the bottom of the thread pages for links to similar threads.