Power Brakes

Im looking to upgrade to power brakes, what booster would work the best and will i need a different master cylinder..is there anything else needed for this upgrade.. i am going to upgrade to all wheel disk in the future but $$$$ is tight so im going to spend a $ here and a $ there, you know what i mean..... 1978 Zephyr, 2.3, 4 speed,

Ok, this is fun...What booster do you have now ? Or do you have a booster in it now ?
I have 4 wheel disc in mine, I used my stock 9" original booster and then picked up a master cyl. from the early 80's Mustang SVO. Since I have '98 Stang GT brakes I used the proportioning valve from that Stang. You can use an adjustable add on valve instead.

No power brakes at all on this beast just Flintstone power, no power stering either its hawg to drive lol........ I like the idea of using an adjustable valve. So ill need a booster and master cylider off of any early 80 mustang, it looks like strut housing will be in the way so i will have to notch it ...

They way I did mine...had did not have to notch or dent the shock tower, all totally bolt in and cheap. SVO master cyl. is is the same as your stock...just taller for more fluid needed for 4 wheel disc. The booster....order one for an '83 Fairmont...the 9". Thats what mine is.

Thanks for the input buddy, im putting together my wish list im going to go junkyard diving this weekend..... My dad called me tonight and is twisting my arm to keep it all original and just rebuild my 2.3 but im thinking drag car still..... i told my wife im going to swap my 5.4 out my 99 f150 and put in the zephyr but she didnt like that idea....

lol, no problem. Let me know what I can do further.

I ordered my car with manual brakes.
Since that time, I have added just about every option available.
Adding power brakes and power steering did not really change much.

Here is what you have. MANUAL MASTER CYLINDER

The loop at the end affixes to the brake pedal.

Here is what you need. POWER MASTER CYLINDER

And a POWER BRAKE BOOSTER

The loop at the end affixes to the brake pedal.
The center of the booster, pushes the back of the power master cylinder.

The length of this center rod determines the stroke.
Some are adjustible some are not.

I used items that were meant to work together, meaning I used "Power" items made for the '78 Zephyr.

I remember having a problem with the lines to the cylinder being a different thread/size.
Went to the junkyard and got the right ones.

If you are changing to disk all around, you might want to use something different.
My 5 lug disk and drum/disk set up both use the regular power booster and cylinder, and have had no problems with either one.

If you go to the junkyard, make sure you get the vaccum line that runs from the booster to the manifold.
Get that connector from the manifold as well cause you car may or may not have a plug threaded in it.

Thanks alot Red the pictures helped alot......

Having never owned a check book built car like most others on this site, it may be an option to use fox body car parts, they are plentiful in the bone yards and auto parts stores. If you want to have rear disc brakes, it may be wise to use a diff from a 94-98 Mustang that already has rear disc set up. Just about any fox booster up to 93 is a direct fit, although 94 & up will fit, there is a small amount of drilling involved to one bolt hole and maybe have to message the strut tower. Mustang or MKVII master cylinders are usually pretty cheap and will fit most boosters up to 93, although the later v-6 m/cyl’s will fit the earlier boosters, the modular 4.6 master cylinders have a different mounting bolt orientation.
If you really want to go wild, you could add power steering and fit a hydro boost type booster and m/cyl from the v-8 with the 4.6 eng, this will give maximum engine bay space and looks really cool on a Fairmont, although drilling the one hole is necessary.
Sticking with stock ford parts is usually cheaper and delivers maximum reliability, this is the route that I chose.
I took the front end from a 2000 mustang from the ball joints up to the shocks, including the brakes. This will give you larger brakes, better steering angles and the coveted 5 lug conversion. there is also the opportunity if you like to add the cobra front brakes, the rear disc brakes are the same for the v-6, gt or cobra, which is cool, but you"need to modify the parking brake actuator.
By using the stock parts, they are abundant and cheap, and work well. Name brand parts are cool and may work better in some applications, but they are cost prohibitive in my case.
5 lugs are cool as they offer a better wheel choice. But if you want to be different you can use the 4 lug mustang wheels and send them to the local wheel repairer and he can cut them in half and add an inch or two to widen the rear wheels.
If you use a 5.0 or 302, or even the v-6, you can add a 3g alternator from the 97 mustang v-6 and get a 130 amp alternator for a fairly cheap price. This is cool and easy to do.
I would like to suggest that you read thru all the articles written by other club members and maybe some mustang sites and just keep an open mind you may find some useful info. Once you’ve decided what you want to do now or in the future, just stick to your plan. It’s not all about money, a lot is just plain old American ingenuity, savvy and determination.
Good luck with your project.

Thanks Fangar for responding, Ive bookmarked about 20 sites and i have been taking plenty of notes.... With money being tight im going to use the junkyards to my advantage. Im going to refurbish everything i can.. Im in no big hurry im going to start on the body weld in some sheet metal get it sanded and primered.....