Hydro-Boost?

David J

Registered User
I was told by a Ford dealership that I need a new hydro-boost for my brake system. Does that include the pump motor, etc. Where can I get one without paying an arm and a leg? Help.
 
Our cars have a very diffrent type of brake booster installed on them. Unforunatly many people (inlcuding dealerships truely understand how the really work) Rearly does the complete unit need repaired, often just the accumulator or a relay.

Many times dealership will take the "safe" road by replacing the complete unit, no other parts can fail if you replace everything. (It happens)

Use the search engine, there is alot of information here about you abs.

Try this web site for the complete setup

www.priorreman.com

Post some of the problems that you are having and we can try to help you out.

Tim
 
Hydro Boost or not...

The brake pedal is VERY stiff, no power assist, except every now and then, not very often.
 
Do you ever hear the ABS pump running? If you switch the key on, but do not start the engine, you should hear an electric pump running by the brake master, for 30 sec or so. If you never hear that, you likely have a bad power relay. $15 or so from a parts store. I don't remember which relay though, it is one of the two on the passenger side firewall.

If the relay doesn't fix it you might have a bad pump, then you should contact Priorreman as listed above.

Another problem might be wiring. You should try to unplug the pump and make sure you are getting power switched on for it with the key before remoning the master.



BTW I had a 1974 Towncar that had the Hydraboost system. It is NOTHING like the SC abs system. Our power assist comes from an electric pump pressurizing the brake fluid against compressed nitrogen in that steel ball known as the accumulator. In the Hydraboost system the power brake assist comes from the power steering pump.
 
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David J said:
I was told by a Ford dealership that I need a new hydro-boost for my brake system. Does that include the pump motor, etc. Where can I get one without paying an arm and a leg? Help.

What year and model car do you have?

Did the dealer determine this after looking at the vehicle, or after just a phone call?

Early model vehicles have a different ABS system than the late model vehicles, so they have different failure modes for what you describe as a problem.
 
Hydro-boost problem?

It's a 1990 T-Bird SC and the dealership mechanic looked all through it and determined that it was the hydro-boost.
 
1990 Thunderbirds have a Anti-lock braking system that does not contain anything that might be considered a "hydro-boost".

That year vehicle braking system uses a all in one master cylinder, abs hydraulic pump, accumulator type of device. All the components for the ABS system, excluding the electronic controller, are contained within the Master Cylinder and tightly integrated with the entire braking system of the car.

Brake assist is provided by the ABS hydraulic pump. If the hydraulic pump is not operating, you will feel a very hard pedal, as you are getting no assist whatsoever. You should also get an ABS light, and possibly a BRAKE light. A hard pedal can mean the ABS pump motor has failed, or the pump motor relay has failed.

If you can describe your problem more, we can probably help you narrow down your problem much better than the Ford dealer did. In the end, you may need the entire master cylinder assembly to be replaced, but it also could simply be a bad relay.

The link that 38SCPROJECT provided is to Prior Remanufacturing. Thus far they have proven to be the cheapest source for rebuilt brake parts for the particular brake system you have.
 
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