Hydro Assist:box and pump mods

[freds40]

Ummm. I haven't listened to TOOL in a long time. 

Glad to hear it worked out. Yeah I've been getting an ear full from all my buds. On a good note, I'm looking to get back into a Toy pickup or runner. 

[SLOYOTA808]

Awesome thread...gonna give this a stab in under a month...thanks for everyones' input...once again...GREAT THREAD!!!!

[waskillywabbit]

A cheap way to get larger fluid capacity is to gather a couple of stock power steering reservoirs, cut the bottom out of one and the top of the other and weld the two together. You will have close to double the capacity, the stock hoses still work and it costs next to nothing assuming you have access to another reservoir. I welded three together but without my 3" body lift I wouldn't be able to close the hood. After I welded them together I was gonna put JB weld around the seams them sand it smooth so it would appear to be one piece but I got lazy and skipped the sanding. Just extra insurance against leaks and I had a couple tubes in my tool box. I'm sure a better looking one can be made but aethetics was not important to me, just it being leak free.

What material are the OEM reservoirs?  I've also read somewhere about someone adding a piece of 3" exhaust pipe in the middle...seems like it was sickfab, but now I can't find it? 

[KYOTA]

search pirate its there I remember seeing it while doing all my homework

[waskillywabbit]

search pirate its there I remember seeing it while doing all my homework

I found this on Pirate.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=271149&highlight=reservoir

I'll find a couple at a boneyard and see about brazing them together.  It seems that the larger reservoir is a must.

[KYOTA]

yep that be the thread

[alwayzbroken]

Are you guys running the stock power steering cooler tube that runs behind the grille?

[waskillywabbit]

Are you guys running the stock power steering cooler tube that runs behind the grille?

I got a tube/fin tranny cooler off Summit for like $50 shipped...it is about 12" x 12" or so.  Just put it in the loop where the OEM one was...seems to work fine thus far.  Found another OEM reservoir today to make taller...and that should fix my cavitation issue and some new seals to fix the suction port leak.   

[KYOTA]

B&M tranny cooler in line on mine

[freds40]

I ran my 10x16 tranny cooler in line on the return side. Works great.

[FatAzzRunner]

Not too bad but you'd need some 1/2" NPT-3/8 (IIRC) barbed nipples as the cooler should be plumbed into the return hose.

Probablly just missed it but do you have the part number on these???

Thanks

[synwars]

Thanks Freds40 & Kyota, makes life easier you guys doing all the work. I wouldn't be attempting this without this thread!!! Collecting all my parts and in a couple weeks, install time!!!

Have you guys thought of running steel braided lines just in case something snags it, like say a branch or something? Where we crawl, there are a lot of trees, and some are fallen from storms and such, so its not uncommon to drag a couple branches in the front axle. Or am I just being overly paranoid? I suppose it would be worth it then to carry a couple plugs just in case eh? Plug it up in case you bust one open?

Sammy.

[freds40]

My thought on that is rubber hose would rip where as the steel braided would possibly hold longer than the threads in the box. Of course for the price of custom length steel braided, you could probably have a few sets of spare hoses @ $5-$6 a piece. Good luck with the swap, you'll like the results. 

[Non Urban]

Wanted to thank you for the great post.  Heres a link to how I increased my res cap.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=437566

[KYOTA]

Wanted to thank you for the great post.  Heres a link to how I increased my res cap.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=437566

nice writeup thanks for adding your input to the thread 

Brendan- I'm moving this and the HAOTC thread into 79-95 tech

[TNToy]

Just a thought, but make sure you guys are filling your systems with ATF where required. Running actual power steering fluid in a system desigend for ATF ususally Results in some serious issues with seals leaking down the road.

I'm fairly sure most Toyota P/S systems require ATF, not P/S fluid.

[Tice]

Just a thought, but make sure you guys are filling your systems with ATF where required. Running actual power steering fluid in a system desigend for ATF ususally Results in some serious issues with seals leaking down the road.

I'm fairly sure most Toyota P/S systems require ATF, not P/S fluid.

Do you happen to have a Toy manual on hand to check this?

[alwayzbroken]

I am curious as well. If he is right I will need to drain mine for sure. 

[freds40]

Don't remember who I discussed this with when I set mine up but we came to the conclusion that PS fluid was the way to go. That's what I always ran in the system even prior to the mods and my box was tight as can be when sold.

[GregBennett]

My 1985 Factory Toyota Manual says use ATF Dexron or Dexron II.

My 1994 Factory Toyota Manual says the samething - ATF Dexron or Dexron II.

My Haynes Manual says the same.

[Renaud33]

I am almost ready to start reassembling my box.  There is very little information on reassembly.  Maybe I missed it.     What do I need to do to ensure that I have it back together correctly??  I am speaking in terms of the splines lining up as they were when everything was removed.

Thanks,
Kurt

[alwayzbroken]

I am almost ready to start reassembling my box.  There is very little information on reassembly.  Maybe I missed it.     What do I need to do to ensure that I have it back together correctly??  I am speaking in terms of the splines lining up as they were when everything was removed.

Thanks,
Kurt

Kurt did you get it back together? How does it work?

[Renaud33]

Kurt did you get it back together? How does it work?

I got it back together.  I think I got it lined up correctly.  If not it should be very close.  I don't have my hydro installed.  I will email you an update.

[alwayzbroken]

I got a different reservoir made. I replaced my conglomeration of 3 tanks welded together with one tank split in half and a 4" section of 3.5" exhaust pipe welded in place. The tank I made first must have restricted the flow with the stock baffling still in place as the pump still cavitated.

3.5" exhaust pipe is about 10$ a foot where I am at and must be ordered, but I discovered that the outer casing of most cheap glasspack mufflers is 3.5" pipe. If you chop the ends of the muffler off, the inside will slide right out leaving the round outer 3.5" pipe. The diameter of the stock tank is damn near 3.5" and with a little work the pipe can be slide into the top but the bottom must be butted up against the exhaust pipe then welded. This is a very cheap and easy setup if you need more fluid capacity.

[AJ Johnson]

one thing to add to this thread... When drilling your box, put a magnet, weather it be a pen type or  whatever on the backside of where you are drilling. It will save time in cleanup, cause the magnet will gather the chips.

[ddog87]

Once out, turn the restrictor upside down on a hard surface and tap a couple of times. A bushing will fall out. Now drill the orifice in the restrictor out to 13/64 and then bolt it back together.

Stupid question, do you put the bushing back in??? thanks

[freds40]

Yup. Sorry, always find another detail I left out.

[oz31p]

is this to drive at 80 down the freeway??

just seems a little scary

[FatAzzRunner]

I wouldnt do 80 down the freeway with mine.

I just finished mine recently and going 40 on the street with 5 psi in the tires felt safe as before but today I aired up to 36 psi and just went around my neighborhood and it felt MUCH looser and like it MAY be unsafe at highway speeds

just my .02

[freds40]

I've been thinking about this a bit lately as I've had more people ask me about it. I've been thinking that when the orrifice is opened up, it makes the system extremely responsive. I'm thinking that if you opened it up, say half of the amount I originally did, it "should" be a decent balance between responsiveness and sluggishness. I no longer run a Toy box and pump, otherwise I'd find a replacement orrifice and try stepping up in size until I got the right balance. For mine, I ran my SXs @ 15 and would do 40-50 regularly. It was awesome on the trail so I never put much thought into better street ability.