Brakes Hydroboost Conversion On Fox

Mustang5L5 · Oct 28, 2016

I think I want to start looking into a hydroboost conversion. Notice the MC/booster combo on Ebay tends to fetch around $200 for the pair, and that's what the parts go for new/reman on rockauto.com.

Anyway, I know they share the typical Sn95 booster mount pattern. Shouldn't be an issue as I've already installed an SN95 booster, so I modified for the bolt pattern already.

Big issue is the brake pedal arm. It shares the same straight pedal arm as the 96-98 vac booster which usually you want to avoid for binding reasons. How do people address this?

2000xp8 · Oct 29, 2016

I drilled a 4th hole (if I remember correctly), hooked it on the brake pedal and I think that was it.
The arm had a little angle to it, but had no effect on how it worked.
I considered heating it up and bending it a little, but I never did.

For the hoses, the ends are what is most important, a hydraulic shop can cut, extend, shorten and join them as necessary.

I can't remember which hydro I used, I think the earlier model, at some point it changed, I can check later.

Do not buy the hydroboost with the hoses, the hoses cost quite a bit individually and some are discontinued from ford.

Mustang5L5 · Oct 29, 2016

So are the hoses all pretty much custom? No off the shelf lines?

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2000xp8 · Oct 29, 2016

Mustang5L5 said:
So are the hoses all pretty much custom? No off the shelf lines?

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Well, you will be hooking it to the fox power steering pump, I doubt that is in the same location as the 03 cobra pump.
The 4.6 hoses are all oddball to go around a much wider engine with a lot more in the way.
The 4.6 also has a reservoir and if I remember correctly the fox fluid just goes in the pump.

I only cut one line and had it altered ($40), but mine were all meant for the engine I was using.

And I meant in the first post, don't buy WITHOUT the hoses.

Mustang5L5 · Oct 29, 2016

Ah. Gotcha. Makes sense now considering the cost of hoses on eBay.

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2000xp8 · Oct 31, 2016

I think you could always make up your own hoses, i'm pretty sure russel has all the fittings necessary.

I'm not so sure I've ever seen anyone run the hydro with a fox pump.

And i do have the earlier 96-98 hydroboost, that's why i had to cut the one line.

Mustang5L5 · Oct 31, 2016

2000xp8 said:
I'm not so sure I've ever seen anyone run the hydro with a fox pump.

Found a couple guys over on Corral.net using it with the stock fox pump. Also a few guys are running earlier Mark7/continental hydroboost setups.

More of a direct bolt in, but the downside here is parts are a bit harder to find. Even if you buy a reman unit, you need a few unique parts that don't come with the remans, so you are scouring ebay/yards for them.

The problem I'm finding is that nobody really has documented this well. Pictures are broken links, and it seems as if everyone does it a different way

2000xp8 · Nov 1, 2016

I can see the documentation being an issue. I know i'm not a documenting type of guy, I fly by the seat of my pants sometimes and i'm more concerned with getting it done than taking pics.

I think if you get the hoses to the right ports and they don't leak it doesn't really matter how you get it done.

Another problem I found was all the damn diagrams were one dimensional and sometimes it was confusing on where the hoses went.

When it came to the plunger angle many people chose to make some type of change, but I couldn't find anyone that physically tried it at an angle. There was no engine in my car at the time so I figured what the hell..

Mustang5L5 · Nov 1, 2016

Well, I mean more of parts used and such. For instance, on another forum it was stated that the 96-98 units are more preferred due to the hoses for the PS being on the driver's side while the 99-04 units hoses would interfere with the wiper motor. Not sure if this was the case as I've found no mention elsewhere, but I also notice a lot of guys swapping in hydroboost on their terminator/coyote swaps aren't running wiper motors either, so they could simply not care. While I don't drive my car in the rain ever, I still want to keep the wipers intact, so this little detail would be critical to me.

Still exploring this for now. Haven't pulled the trigger on buying a part...yet

baileygruwell · Jun 24, 2019

sorry to revive this post, but looking to do this conversion on my 5.0. no plans for a coyote or a mod motor swap as of right now, mainly looking to work my 4 wheel disc but without putting a huge vacuum booster in it and “massaging” my shock tower seeing how i just spent houra upon hours shaving and painting my engine bay. i wanted to go hydroboost but don’t have any idea on how i would mount the 4.6 power steering pump so i thought about the 5.0 pump, but if you used the stock 5.0 power steering pump how would it get plumbed since there aren’t any holes made in the pump for a hydroboost provision. i thought of maybe putting tee’s in certain lines but then would i push enough pressure to work the hydroboost system and the power steering at the same time?

jrichker · Jun 26, 2019

baileygruwell said:
sorry to revive this post, but looking to do this conversion on my 5.0. no plans for a coyote or a mod motor swap as of right now, mainly looking to work my 4 wheel disc but without putting a huge vacuum booster in it and “massaging” my shock tower seeing how i just spent houra upon hours shaving and painting my engine bay. i wanted to go hydroboost but don’t have any idea on how i would mount the 4.6 power steering pump so i thought about the 5.0 pump, but if you used the stock 5.0 power steering pump how would it get plumbed since there aren’t any holes made in the pump for a hydroboost provision. i thought of maybe putting tee’s in certain lines but then would i push enough pressure to work the hydroboost system and the power steering at the same time?

I had a 4 wheel disk brake setup using 73 MM Lincoln calipers up front, a 94-95 V6 master cylinder, and 87-88 Turbo Coupe or 93 Cobra rear disks with a stock booster from a 5.0 Mustang (87-93 model) . I have had people tell me that is won't work, but it did and it was great.

Mustang5L5 · Jun 26, 2019

You can get the larger booster in without resorting to beating your fender. All depends on the angles you take and how clear your bay is.

I got mine in by removing the upper intake, trimming the booster studs slightly and slotting the firewall holes slightly to the pass side. Never touched the fender.

Compuguy2142 · Jul 17, 2019

baileygruwell said:
sorry to revive this post, but looking to do this conversion on my 5.0. no plans for a coyote or a mod motor swap as of right now, mainly looking to work my 4 wheel disc but without putting a huge vacuum booster in it and “massaging” my shock tower seeing how i just spent houra upon hours shaving and painting my engine bay. i wanted to go hydroboost but don’t have any idea on how i would mount the 4.6 power steering pump so i thought about the 5.0 pump, but if you used the stock 5.0 power steering pump how would it get plumbed since there aren’t any holes made in the pump for a hydroboost provision. i thought of maybe putting tee’s in certain lines but then would i push enough pressure to work the hydroboost system and the power steering at the same time?

I'm looking to do this as well. Searching for documentation. Maximum Motorsports has a conversion kit. They have some tech data on what to use. They suggest 99-04 Mustang for donor to get the best pedal feel. I found a really good picture for the line hookup.

baileygruwell · May 4, 2020

So i've recently changed my setup just a bit and also learned a couple things too. I now have received a flaming river rack that was in a notch that i bought for $50 (mainly bought for the rack and other odds and ends i didnt have), i kind of want to use the rack considering i already have it. I also have Caddy ats brembos that i am installing as well. i know i can get the calipers to work but i want to use hydroboost. I just bought a unit + MC off a Mach 1 and i am retaining the 5.0. I mainly want to use the hb simply due to size comparison and im going to be using a pretty aggressive cam. i also dont want to use manual brakes. i read somewhere that an 82-86 continental used hydroboost on the 5.0 so i was curious if the power steering pump would work on my application since i plan on using a manual rack. I get this is kind of a unique and strange setup but if i can get it to work i think it would be one of a kind and super cool. any help is very appreciated.

Mustang5L5 · May 5, 2020

You can use the stock 5.0 pump. It's all about using the correct adapters for the job. The low pressure line is simply a hose on a barb fitting with a clamp. The high pressure side needs to be adapted to fit the stock 5.0 pump.

I think I'm still going to go ahead and do this. I have my engine out, and booster out at the time. While the vac booster is simple, I do kinda like the idea of going hydroboost even despite the cost and additional plumbing.

I'll likely use the MM kits to simply the mounting and brake lines, and then just plumb the hoses the best I can and use the stock pump.

Hydroboost into Fox Conversion Kits

I'm seeing 99-04 hydroboost setups (with hoses) on Ebay for $200-225 shipped. I'll likely be getting into this in the next month or so after I paint my bay.

2000xp8 · May 5, 2020

I think you can do AN fittings and make the hoses now.
I've had half a dozen different hydroboost hoses and the way they are routed is crazy.
With a pushrod engine you may have hoses that are 2 feet too long.
If you can just make them, i'd say that is the way to go.

baileygruwell · May 5, 2020

so ive got a plan, im gonna get a 82-86 continental power steering pump and bolt it onto my 5.0. the 82-86 continentals had a hydroboost option so the pump has the ports to support it. im gonna supply pressure to the hydro and then return it back but then block off the ports going to the rack. i cant imagine that blocking the ports would affect the performance in any way. If i cant get any of that to work, ive got a lead on a 96 cobra rack for cheap that ill use instead and just hook it up like its supposed to

Brakes Hydroboost Conversion On Fox

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