Is it worth adapting a hydrovac off a 54 6400 2t to my 41 1.5t dump truck? I have a chasis with all the parts that I'm stripping so it wouldn't cost me much, but time.
A hydrovac as crusty-looking as that one is probably only good as a core exchange. Ditto on that rusty steel vacuum line. Are you really willing to bet your life, and the lives of everyone who shares the road with you on 70 year old brake parts? The very best brake system repairs you can do are just barely good enough. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
I agree...use the old lines as patterns to make the system new and you'll have years of trouble free driving. The Hydrovac does make a BIG difference in stopping power!
Mike B
Mike Boteler
1956 Chevy 3100 Resto Rod 1952 Willys M38 Army Jeep 1983 Jeep CJ7 Laredo 1984 Jeep CJ7 +++++ Silver Spring, MD
The HydroVac on my truck looked the same as the one HawkX66 pictured, pretty crusty. When I disassembled it to check on the feasibility of rebuilding it myself, I was pleasantly surprised with the condition of the interior components, no rust/corrosion. I ordered a kit and did the work, system is working well.
1957 Chevrolet 5700 LCF 283 SM420 2 speed rear, 1955 IH 300U T/A, 1978 Corvette 350 auto, 1978 Yamaha DT175, 1999 Harley Davidson Softail Fat Boy
Thanks guys. I wouldn't reuse the lines unless they really looked solid. They'd more than likely just be used for templates to bend up new lines. Like you 78Buckshot I'd pull it apart and check it out first. I'm trying to decide what to do with the rest of the chasis. I only really want to keep the 261 engine and a few other parts. Trans and rear end are different than mine. Brake parts like wheel cylinders and hardware might be good to keep. Even if things like the master cylinder are only good as cores that's alot of doh sometimes. It's also the difference of equipment being down while parts are being rebuilt or ordered.
I put one on my 40 gmc 250 with a 270. The difference in braking was amazing. Since having a 51 6100 dump and a GMC 350 firetruck I had scrounged hydravacs and rebuilt a couple of them. Where I live you need a good working units. Since the 40 250 was a flat bed it was more of a novelty having it on the truck. In my experience with them the exterior can look crappy as hell due to where their located. The inside of the can has to be perfectly smooth and no pitting anywhere. The pilot valve body also needs to be pristine on the inside. Lots of white corrosion builds up in them preventing them from operating correctly. Sandblast exterior surfaces, install with a new kit and spray paint. It will look and work like new. The good thing with the Chevy is the vent is in the cab and you can hear it working when your braking. Gmc's are mounted on the firewall in engine compartment.
I put one on my 40 gmc 250 with a 270. The difference in braking was amazing. Since having a 51 6100 dump and a GMC 350 firetruck I had scrounged hydravacs and rebuilt a couple of them. Where I live you need a good working units. Since the 40 250 was a flat bed it was more of a novelty having it on the truck. In my experience with them the exterior can look crappy as hell due to where their located. The inside of the can has to be perfectly smooth and no pitting anywhere. The pilot valve body also needs to be pristine on the inside. Lots of white corrosion builds up in them preventing them from operating correctly. Sandblast exterior surfaces, install with a new kit and spray paint. It will look and work like new. The good thing with the Chevy is the vent is in the cab and you can hear it working when your braking. Gmc's are mounted on the firewall in engine compartment.
Thanks for the feedback. I couldn't agree more about the outsides looking crappy, but the innards are fine. I suspect that'll be the case with mine. I just pulled the engine and tranny out of the chassis with my youngest son tonight. I've never had a vehicle so old where every single nut and bolt came off without a fight or a heat wrench. Second pic is the back side of the booster. It seems like it was pretty well protected relatively speaking.
