Brake issues.

Mud truck deal. 78 f150 stock brakes.
Doesn't stop very well.
Pedal stays on the floor.
Makes it real hard to stall it. Have to reach behind it with my foot and pull it up.

I'd like to do away with the booster for space. What might be wrong with the system now? What options do I have for a less space consuming system?

No vacuum, bad booster, bad master cylinder, pads full of mud, rear drums adjusted to low could all be problems. put a manual master('75 f-250 4x4) on it and probably replace the front pads with rotors being touched up will probably help.

I've checked a few places, but can't find a manual master for a 75 f250. Any suggestions? Also will it be a drop in deal?

We have a 86 mud truck and we just took the booster off and put a plate over the hole for renforcement and a mounting surface and put the same master cylinder back on it. We took the booster apart and got the rod out of it and dressed the end up a little and luckily it was the right length. We also added a return spring on the inside to bring the pedal back to a relaxed positiion. Pretty simple to do and dont cost anything

i have a 77 f150 4x4, replaced mine with a hydroboost setup and master cyl, off of a 2002 superduty, one of the best mods i've ever done

I ditched my booster too. I used a stock 91 ford master cylinder bolted to the fire wall with a piece of threaded rod welded to a washer on the pedal side. Works great. Also, I'd get rid of the rear drums and put front rotors on the back with early chevy 1/2 ton calipers. You'll have to fab up some brackets, or DIY4X.com sells them dirt cheap.

I know I said put chevy parts on a Ford, forgive me. There were two of them laying around so I used them since they were easy to make brackets for.

Ain't no sweat.

I'm not really worried about this thing stopping on a dime, just stopping when i pull it on the trailer, or if some moron walks in front of the pit exit.

Without the booster I believe a set of upright headers would fit nicely.

Anyone got pics of a boosterless setup?

You should be able to pick up a manual master for your truck, using the 78 F150 application, and it should come with a pushrod. Rock auto has them from a few different manufaturers, most in the $22 range.
The factory manual brake trucks have a nice little plate to block off the hole and center the master cyl, probably very much like WVmudracer built. The stock setup bolts the master to the upper 2 holes of the 4 the booster used.
This is an 82, and, definatley not a 385 under the hood(it is the firewall that rests behind mine now though... LOL) but, this is what my 82's stock manual brake setup looked like:
http://www.bigblocksix.com/f100swb/New3007.jpg

How much less force will the manual be, without the booster? Meaning will I still be able to stall it to the same place I can now?

This is the set up I'm running. Because of my headers through the hood, I moved the master cylinder inside the cab. I made a bracket to relocate it facing backwards. I also fab'd a pedal so instead of pushing through the firewall, the top of the pedal pushes in toward me, into the master cylinder. It works great. I don't really have to press very hard on it to stop my 59 in tires.

You should not have any trouble stalling I am stalling at about 2300 now and it seems easier than what it was with the booster. And yes the master cylinder will bolt right up to the top two booster holes.