Hydroboost Power Brake Booster

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User avatar
xgecko
Posts: 455
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2010 9:21 pm
TOA Membership Number: 831
Years Owned: My first Toronado was a 1968 W-34 with the bucket seats and center console... (weeps gently) It was a New England rustbucket in 1982 after less than 14 years. So sad. But it is what infected me and before I knew it I had another '68, a '69, a '70 and eventually inherited a friend's '67 and another friends '73. After buying my brand new Grand Prix in 1988 I retired the last of my Toronados and pulled the 455 I had rebuilt along the way and put it into storage in a friend's barn where it is to this day.
In Mid September of 2010 I happened to see a repeat of the show where Jay Leno did his 66 Toronado and had an instant remission of the disease which resulted in my purchase of a 1969 in very good condition. I am now in the process of fully rehabilitating it and hope to have it on the road in the spring of 2011.
Location: Gig Harbor, WA

Hydroboost Power Brake Booster

Postby xgecko » Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:14 am

I am going to be grafting a Hydroboost Power Brake Booster into my '69 this weekend due to insufficient vacuum for the vacuum booster. I wanted to get a reman unit but no one has one in stock with none to be seen for an unknown time. Thus I will use the unit from the '78 Eldorado I bought for this very reason. I will update this thread once I complete the job.
I have my Fuel Injected Toronado. Life is good! 8-)
Image

User avatar
xgecko
Posts: 455
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2010 9:21 pm
TOA Membership Number: 831
Years Owned: My first Toronado was a 1968 W-34 with the bucket seats and center console... (weeps gently) It was a New England rustbucket in 1982 after less than 14 years. So sad. But it is what infected me and before I knew it I had another '68, a '69, a '70 and eventually inherited a friend's '67 and another friends '73. After buying my brand new Grand Prix in 1988 I retired the last of my Toronados and pulled the 455 I had rebuilt along the way and put it into storage in a friend's barn where it is to this day.
In Mid September of 2010 I happened to see a repeat of the show where Jay Leno did his 66 Toronado and had an instant remission of the disease which resulted in my purchase of a 1969 in very good condition. I am now in the process of fully rehabilitating it and hope to have it on the road in the spring of 2011.
Location: Gig Harbor, WA

Re: Hydroboost Power Brake Booster

Postby xgecko » Wed Aug 03, 2011 12:26 pm

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Installation was fairly smooth but I did need to modify the inner fenderwell, re-use the stock power steering pump as the Eldo pump did not fit the bracket, and I had to use the Eldo Master Cylinder which required a slight re-plumping of the brake lines as the positions of the front and rear reservior are swapped.

Braking performance is simply stunning. :shock: Very little pedal travel - 2 to 3 inches - and rock solid brake feel after that. I suspect I could lock the wheels in a heartbeat, and braking response is instantaneous.

I based my upgrade on stock Eldorado parts. There are, however, many aftermarket kits that will work; virtually any GM unit should fit fine.

I highly recommend this upgrade to anyone contemplating an aggressive cam or that just wants the best brakes possible.
I have my Fuel Injected Toronado. Life is good! 8-)
Image

User avatar
xgecko
Posts: 455
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2010 9:21 pm
TOA Membership Number: 831
Years Owned: My first Toronado was a 1968 W-34 with the bucket seats and center console... (weeps gently) It was a New England rustbucket in 1982 after less than 14 years. So sad. But it is what infected me and before I knew it I had another '68, a '69, a '70 and eventually inherited a friend's '67 and another friends '73. After buying my brand new Grand Prix in 1988 I retired the last of my Toronados and pulled the 455 I had rebuilt along the way and put it into storage in a friend's barn where it is to this day.
In Mid September of 2010 I happened to see a repeat of the show where Jay Leno did his 66 Toronado and had an instant remission of the disease which resulted in my purchase of a 1969 in very good condition. I am now in the process of fully rehabilitating it and hope to have it on the road in the spring of 2011.
Location: Gig Harbor, WA

Re: Hydroboost Power Brake Booster

Postby xgecko » Sun Aug 28, 2011 6:46 am

One more modification that will be needed for the Hydroboost unit I chose - it has an accumulator which provides three stops with the engine off. The accumulator comes very close to the exhaust pipe coming out of the manifold.

My solution was to whack the pipe right on the location in the bend where the interference was. I flattened it a bit and then wrapped it in DEI exhaust insulation wrap and it seems to be working great now.

There is a version of the Hydroboost that Twilight found for a mid 80s Regal and probably a few other cars. This one seems to lack the accumulator and therefore will fit with no interference issues. Not sure what it does with respect to braking with the engine off, but it looks like it fits much better.

Either way I highly recommend the conversion, esp. if you have an aggressive cam and poor vacuum.
I have my Fuel Injected Toronado. Life is good! 8-)
Image


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