I really don't see a point in going thru all the trouble and expense of changing from power to manual brakes. You can check to see if your power booster is working simply by removing the vacuum line and plugging it. If it makes little to no difference in the amount of pedal pressure then the booster is bad. This will also give you some indication of what having manual brakes would be like. If you need a new master cylinder you can buy one from rockauto for under $20 bucks and a power booster for around $80. Best of luck to you. Joe
I think the pedal ratio is different on the power setup so pedal feel may be a little off compared to the manual set up but can give you an idea. The pushrod on the power set up is part of the booster and isn't removable. The original manual drum brake push rod 74 and earlier should be the correct length.
