New Hydrovac for '63-'64 disc brake Hawks?

[63 R2 Hawk]

I noticed SI has "new manufacture" Hydrovac boosters for GT Hawks with factory disc brakes for $375 USD. (P/N 802101, page 260). Anybody know if these are better than the rebuilt original boosters?

[jlmccuan]

BTW, I confirmed with Ed, even though a couple of his employees said otherwise. Even though they say "Made in South Bend, IN" they are from offshore. Guess when you tell some places to build it just like this one they really take it to heart.

[63 R2 Hawk]

I would like to find somebody who has actually installed one of these. I would *ASSume* SI would have to be pretty confident these repro "Hydrovacs" would be as good as, if not better than, OEM boosters, since brake safety is at stake....??

[studebaker-R2-4-me]

I would like to find somebody who has actually installed one of these. I would *ASSume* SI would have to be pretty confident these repro "Hydrovacs" would be as good as, if not better than, OEM boosters, since brake safety is at stake....??

I have one installed in my GT Hawk for about two years now. I was probably the first guy to buy and install one when my Hydrovac failed once again while on a trip in South Bend. There are a couple of minor issues with them; To install you have to replace the two nuts that bolts to the fender bracket from imperial to metric. You will have to do some minor plumbing corrections for the vacuum connection to make it as tight as possible, since the backflow valve interferes with the fender skirt. You will be scavenging the hardware store to find fittings to make it work. You will need a #10 metric wrench in your tool box for the bleeder screw.

That's it for the bad.

Here's the good news. I have not had to replace it yet, something I can not say for the many rebuilds that I have installed in my Hawk in the past 7 years. The banjo fittings (rings) are NEW and you can tighten them up and not have it leak (what a concept). It is brand NEW, may be manufactured overseas (but what isn't) from original castings. Looks just like the old ones and actually works!

I had the choice of buying a rebuilt one AGAIN or a NEWLY manufactured one for the same money. It was a hard decision at the time but I can honesty say I am happy with going with the NEW one. In hindsight it was a no brainer for me.

Allen

[swvalcon]

Nice to see its working good. I was thinking of one for my hawk project. I sure wish we could get back to building thinks here. Maybe we will when China calls in the marker for all the money we owe them and they take over the country.

[63 R2 Hawk]

Thanks for the input. Sounds like a better option than getting a rebuilt OEM booster. I haven't heard many good things about the rebuilts and was starting to think I might have to tackle rebuilding mine myself if/when the time comes.

[jimmijim8]

Rebuilders Enterprises from Illinois rebuilt my original for a fraction of what the new ones cost 1/2. 2 years and still working fine. The banjo fitting leak was taken care of by the old copper gasket and a smear/wee bit of copper head gasket compound from a spray can. Not LION cheers jimmijim

[Hawklover]

Ditto!!!!!!!!

Nice to see its working good. I was thinking of one for my hawk project. I sure wish we could get back to building thinks here. Maybe we will when China calls in the marker for all the money we owe them and they take over the country.

[David]

BTW, I confirmed with Ed, even though a couple of his employees said otherwise. Even though they say "Made in South Bend, IN" they are from offshore. Guess when you tell some places to build it just like this one they really take it to heart.

No sure that is even legal. Sad. No way I'd ever put one in my car. This type of thing is what puts the final nail in the coffin of already struggling US businesses that support our hobby with services like rebuilding. When your China made booster fails, you're on your own! Throw it in the trash and buy a new one.

[studebaker-R2-4-me]

No sure that is even legal. Sad. No way I'd ever put one in my car. This type of thing is what puts the final nail in the coffin of already struggling US businesses that support our hobby with services like rebuilding. When your China made booster fails, you're on your own! Throw it in the trash and buy a new one.

I'm not crossing that political line of rightness when too many American/Canadians shop at Walmart (the political right arm of the Chinese government) or Target. Personally I don't shop there and have tried for years to buy only Canadian/American products. Unfortunately those times are long gone and economically speaking Americans/Canadian have let that one go to supply higher technology goods to the world and now purchase cheaper goods from abroad. That is the basis of microeconomics and you cannot change that without the political will to apply tariffs and slow the struggling economy even more. ECON 101.

All I know after spending close to $1000 over the years on OLD worn out Hydrovacs that have often been used and rebuilt too many times, having banjo fitting bolts tear away the threads and having the pressed-in rings worn so badly that they do not seal copper washers and have caused the paint in my inner fender discolor from the drips.

The "Made in South Bend" is cast into the aluminum from the original mold and does appear in the offshore hydrovac. If you want to change where Ed is getting them supplied from, may I suggest that you make an investment in America and recast the aluminum, machine the surfaces, built them and sell them for the $375. All the more power to you, and when my made in China one fails, I will be happy to be first in line to buy one from you. Until then.....I am very happy with my new offshore hydrovac at a bargain price.

Allen

[showbizkid]

No politics please. Keep the discussion focused on the suitability of the parts, not where they're made.

[jlmccuan]

No politics please. Keep the discussion focused on the suitability of the parts, not where they're made.

I guess I started the little out of bounds excursion. I should have included that I was making no judgement or political affiliation other than to point out what a casual observer might not know. Ed does reputable business with reputable parts. No slight was meant in his direction either. I think he was surprised when I pointed it out a couple of years ago.