I just rebuilt my hydro boost with a seal kit because it was leaking power steering fluid. I carefully separated the halves of it and just replaced the one oil seal that sits around the piston, and then the figure 8 seal. My hydro boost was acting normally except for the P/S fluid leak up until this point.

 

My hydro boost is not leaking power steering fluid anymore, but now when I start the pickup or I'm moving slowly, it acts like the brakes are self applied without pushing on the brake pedal, because I can give it throttle pedal pressure and it takes more power to move the pickup now. I understand that this is most likely caused by a plugged/restricted return line from the hydro boost, but is there something that I did to cause it when rebuilding the unit?

 

Thanks,

 

Doug

Doug, 

you can check for a restricted return by just blowing through the return line with the power steering reservoir cap off.  (do it with it on too, to check that it is breathing properly...  we ran into a plugged one the other day causing troubles.)

 

The easiest problem for this to happen is somehow the rod from the pedal to the hydroboost was not put back properly.  (the rounded end didn't go into the little socket just right.)  Did you remove the booster push rod from the brake pedal?  or did the ball come out of the back of the booster? 

 

On the GM hydro's the input rod has to be removed from the brake pedal and taken out as an assembly with the booster.  A careful measurement of the rod length is made before disassembly.  I am not sure how the dodge comes apart. (The FSM says to remove it this way.)  If this is how it came apart, were you able to get the input rod back installed in the proper place? (relative overall length?) 

 

HTH

 

Hag