Can any one give a step by step process for adding a power assist to regular brakes on a 1970 F250 SportCustom Camper Special, 360 w/auto transmission?

About how expensive and the difficulty level for this project?

The truck has 4 wheel drum brakes now with no power booster. I would like to add a power booster, if possible.

What parts would have to be aquired and would all brake lines have to be changed? Is it worth it?

 

Dan, this is an easy upgrade to do and well worth it. A lot of posters go a step further and add the disc brakes too. I did a power drum upgrade a few years ago, got tired of having to stand on the pedal, lets see if I remember everything.

1. Trip to the boneyard. To make things more straightforward, search for any ’68 thru ’72 F250 with a 360 or 390. Find the most intact and unmolested truck if you have a choice. Truck must have drum brakes for the correct size master cylinder, one inch bore. Don’t worry about the brake pedal assembly, they’re the same.
2. Remove the power booster/master cylinder/mounting bracket as an assembly from the firewall. It attaches with four bolts, two on the top of the bracket and two on the bottom. First disconnect the brake lines, vacuum hose and brake pedal before pulling out the assembly.
3. Grab the vacuum tree on top of the intake manifold, it has the large vacuum fitting to supply the booster. Get the hose and bracket that holds the hose against the firewall.
4. Judgement call time. I used the booster and master cylinder as a core for a remanufactured assembly. Cost around $150. Yours might be in better shape. Keep the mounting bracket, they don’t come with them.
5. Now to install on your truck. Remove the master cylinder and install the power assembly and attach the brake pedal. Bench-bleed the master cylinder on the workbench first, that way you don’t make a mess in the truck.
6. Your brake lines will have to stretch out a little farther because the master sticks out further due to the booster. Unbolt the brake line retaining bracket from the steering box and CAREFULLY move the lines up to the master cylinder and attach to the fittings.
7. Install the vacuum tree on to the intake manifold. Connect the vacuum hose to it and the other end to the booster. The right-angle fitting has a check-valve built into it, check for cracks and proper operation. Don’t forget the hose bracket against the firewall.
8. Bleed the whole system.
9. Finally, start the truck. Check for vacuum leaks on the fittings and the booster itself. When you press down on the pedal you might hear a little wisp where the rod goes into the booster but that’s all. If you hear a constant sucking sound, the booster is leaking and needs replacing.
10. Hopefully the pushrod between the booster and master is adjusted properly. I believe the distance is just shy of one inch from the booster housing to the tip of the rod. You’ll know it if your brakes don’t release and eventually lock up. Well, that’s all there is to it. Makes a world of difference!

Barry

 

Barry,

I appreciate the step by step, now if I could just find the parts.

I have visited a couple of my regular junk yards in north Georgia, so far I have not had any luck locating a 67-72 truck with a power booster and master cylnder. Can you or anyone else offer an alternative. Will a 67-72 model be the only master and booster I can use?

 

Sorry to hear about that, there’s a ton of ‘em down here in So.Cal. Maybe I should pull off a few extra brackets and hoard them up.

You could expand your search up to ’79 but there may be some small differences you will have to work out, no big deal. The master cylinder may have the ports on the opposite side and the brake pedal hangs a little differently. Stay away from the booster mounting brackets that use a lever assy. between the pedal and booster. Those have a flat rod that attaches to the pedal. Look instead for the ones that have a round pushrod that goes straight from the pedal into the booster.

Here’s another option; just get the mounting bracket sans the booster and master and buy a remanufactured assembly. The brackets are the same from F100 thru F350. You will have to eat the core charge but it’s about the same as the cost for the boneyard pieces anyway and you won’t have to worry about scrounging for the exact parts.

Barry

 

The boosters from 73-77 will work with your master cylinder; make sure you have the p/b master cyl. They are physically bigger but bolt in.

 

Hey Dan. Where exactly in North Georgia are you??? I'm in Crandall GA. About 25 miles north east of Dalton. I have a 68' F100, and I have done the same thing on my truck and it has worked out great. If you can't find what your looking for, let me know I probably can find it for you. I know alot of guys who have these trucks and the parts you need.
Looking forward to hearing back from you,
Bill

 

Barry with a little engineering you can make all of that work. I did when I used the 76 donor on my 66. I kept the 66 pedal also.

Dan all 65-79 is boltup exchange on the big parts and some minor mods with the little stuff. Nothing a good ol southern boy can't figger out.

John

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In the cool still quiet of night you can hear chevies rusting away.

 

try looking at this place, i dont remember the name but it is on hwy 411 about 5 miles or so into tenn. Benton Tn to be exact. but there is a huge boneyard there on the left(as you are heading north) they have several older ford trucks

 

I would like to know what are the differences, pros and cons, on the power booster brackets that use the flat bar lever assembly versus the brackets that use a rod that goes directly from the brake pedal to the booster? What year did they make the change? Is a donor truck the only place to get these brackets?

 

I found the parts.....YEA! I had to go to more of a truck junk yard near Hiram, Ga. Then I found another yard with more older trucks. I got the bracket, booster, and master from a 1970 F100, that had a 360. I am swapping those junk parts for remanufactured parts from a parts store, I do not want to mess with inferior brake parts.

Thanks Barry for the step by step.