Need help bad with my hydroboost setup guys

4X4Merc

New Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
Location
Willow Spring
Hello everyone, I'm trying to do a hydroboost conversion on a project. I decided on the 76 Mercury booster and went and bought one from the parts store earlier today. My problem is when I got it home and opened up the box to check it out, there was a slip of paper inside saying I "must reuse my old master cylinder pushrod assembly." :mad: Now I know theres a bunch of you who have done a hydroboost conversion and know that I'm talking about the rod that sandwiches between the master cylinder and the boost unit, not the valve rod that comes out the back and goes to the pedal. It has that, were golden there. :D I called every parts store I could think of, 8 Ford dealers and I don't know how many junk/salvage yards looking for this part, or the whole unit so I could get the pushrod assembly out. All of the parts stores tell me NONE come with it. The dealers all say it's completely obsolete (no surprise there really.....) most salvage yards tell me they have none of them. I checked out the LKQ website and searched and actually found a salvage yard in NC that listed they had one, plus it was only an hour away! Well..... the lady I talked to said the car had been crushed and scrapped already and the hydroboost hadn't been removed. aww SCREW.
So to my fellow enthusiasts, does anyone have one of these units fully intact, or know where I can get the pieces I need? Its a 1976 Mercury Grand Marquis hydroboost unit. Im pretty sure it came on Continentals and Custom 500's too from 75-78. I can't do anything without it and I've seen people make a "rod" for theirs but I say that is just plain dangerous, I'm not doin' it. If I can't find these parts then I will have no choice but to go with a different unit.... Thanks everyone for any info
 
thanks Crackerjax for your advice. I attempted your method to no avial..... I think I figured out why. Your average run of the mill Reese's piece is approx. .531 inches and the bore id of the "cup" for my pushrod is closer to 1.273, so its a no-go. :( I thought about Skittles but they are made by Mars so we all know they just wouldn't be compatible LOL

But for real guys if there is someone who can help me find the parts or a whole hydroboost unit with the parts still in them, or just point me in the right direction I would be very grateful for it. Let me know anything you think would help. I posted in this section because after browsing in the other sections it seemed like there were more threads about brakes here. If I should post somewhere else then please let me know.
 
I've never done this conversion, but could you use an adjustable pushrod like this one?

$53.99 @ Jegs: http://www.jegs.com/i/Stainless-Steel-Brakes/884/A1726/10002/-1&parentProductId=1224562
awww.jegs.com_images_photos_800_884_884_A1726.jpg
 
All you need is a 3/8" rod cut to size & placed between the masted cyl. & hydro -boost.

Measure from the mounting points of each (master cyl. & hydro-boost) go to lowes & buy some 3/8" rod, cut to fit & grind the ends to a ball.

In other words make your own. All you need is approx. 3-5"
 
x2 ^

I just put a 93 chevy 2500 hydroboost on my 78 f150 and I'm using a 78 F350 master cylinder so I have all kinds of different parts cobbled together. The chevy pushrod was too short so I went to lowes and got a grade 8 bolt that was the same diameter (I think it was 3/8, not sure though) I measured and cut to fit and ground the ends to a rounded shape. Its working great for a year now.
 
thanks for your help guys. Yea I've seen people make a rod longer/shorter before and it seems to work and everything but some of them are modifying an existing setup and already have a spring and star washer and all......I'm pretty much building mine from scratch so I don't have the other parts that go in there with it. I know it's a long shot but I figured maybe someone here might have the exact booster and would let me buy it or would know where I could get these.... Without the other pieces to gauge from I may be just wrong enough to randomly fail. I'll make brackets and other things all day long but with this I just don't know. In the end it's kinda just a simple rod but if I get it wrong I will be endangering everyone around me. I hope I don't sound like I am dismissing you guys or anything I am very grateful for your help, ya'll know where I'm coming from. I am just trying to be Mr. Safety here. Thanks again
Matthew
 
4X4Merc said:
thanks for your help guys. Yea I've seen people make a rod longer/shorter before and it seems to work and everything but some of them are modifying an existing setup and already have a spring and star washer and all......I'm pretty much building mine from scratch so I don't have the other parts that go in there with it. I know it's a long shot but I figured maybe someone here might have the exact booster and would let me buy it or would know where I could get these.... Without the other pieces to gauge from I may be just wrong enough to randomly fail. I'll make brackets and other things all day long but with this I just don't know. In the end it's kinda just a simple rod but if I get it wrong I will be endangering everyone around me. I hope I don't sound like I am dismissing you guys or anything I am very grateful for your help, ya'll know where I'm coming from. I am just trying to be Mr. Safety here. Thanks again
Matthew
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Why couldn't you just buy the booster with MC attached? A little pricey, but if you're concerned about safety I would spend a little more.

Here's one I found, not sure it it'd work but I'm sure you'd know. :)

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/details/QQMercuryQQGrand_MarquisQQA1_CardoneQQBrake_BoosterQQ1976QQA1503302.html?apwcid=P1135867996W43b3f85c7ab9e&gan=1
 
oh man thanks you looked it up and everything..... well I checked out that site and they did have a couple of hydroboost units one of them just like the one I bought at advance, part number 52-7076. But none of their hydraulic units come with the master cylinder attached :( I dont understand why no autoparts stores have one with the master attached......
 
4X4Merc said:
oh man thanks you looked it up and everything..... well I checked out that site and they did have a couple of hydroboost units one of them just like the one I bought at advance, part number 52-7076. But none of their hydraulic units come with the master cylinder attached :( I dont understand why no autoparts stores have one with the master attached......
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I have a buddy who works in parts, what is the year and model you're looking up? I'll see if he can find you anything.
 
Thanks man I just got off the phone with Van of Vanco hydroboost I figured I would ask him if he had a solution. I probably should have done that to begin with. :eek: I decided after his advice to go with a hydroboost unit of a different truck maybe a Chevrolet. I knew I would have to anyway if I couldn't find these parts and he really set me straight. Thanks everyone for trying to help me with this issue...... :beer:
 
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