I am installing a Toyota power steering in a 1950 F-1 Ford pickup with 302 Ford motor and C-4 transmission. There is not enough room with current headers. Any help on any make, model or manufacturer of header to fit this power steering conversion?

 

I had to move the engine over 1" to the passenger side, but I have a C***Y motor.

 

I'd check with Sanderson (directly, they pretty much know what will fit what), a set of center outlet, block hugger shorty style or maybe up swept and extreme rear long tubes if you are going for the pro street look.

 

I agree with the axracer on the alignment issue. Caster comes into play more than people think. Try getting on a bicycle and turning the handle bars around and see how much steering comes into play. That is what caster will do. The caster shim usually has a center hole or a groove so it will fit with your center bolt. Good luck.

 

Wow, those used boxes are hard to find. Tracked 4 of them on ebay in the last 3 weeks. $175 to $300. Has to be ford guys making the swap. Core charges are 125 to 200 depending on the vendor, so a used box with the pitman arm, nut and fittings may be worth that much, but not to me.

Axracer... you mentioned adjusting the play in "both" directions. I am only familiar with the one adjustment on the side.
can you explain?
thanks

 

try Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market
There are about a dozen currently listed for 60-120.00.

 

I got one with the hoses from Yota Yard. It was in good shape.
Yota Yard - Intro

 

I meant try turning the one adjuster in both directions to see what affect each direction has on the free play. There is only one adjuster. My truck had the ram assisted power steering with the stock box on it when I bought it, about 4" of free play in both directions. My wife and I drove it home that way all the way across the country. Really got to be "fun" in the mts. especially when passed by an 18 wheeler. The truck would suddenly swap lanes. My wife is a national champion autocross racer and she was turning green. She demanded I fix the steering immediately before she was going to drive it again (it's her truck, she bought it!), so that was my very first project.

 

thanks to all, and especially AXacer. Tried that site, found a box for under $100, with freight. Installed it and test drove it today. This is more like it. Typical trammelling, but I can control it. No more slop in the steering.

Now for a confession... My driver is an 06 Magnum, with a hemi.
We also have an XK8 convertible, a 41 Pontiac coupe and a 28 ford Hot
Rod. This pickup was intended to be a grunt to support all the beautiful cars.
Instead, it's the first one out. Even before I fixed the steering. I just WANT to drive it every day.

Thanks again for all the help on this and other issues. I love my truck.

 

The tramming may be too little caster (even originally Ford called for minimal caster for driving over dirt roads and field ruts, too little for today's hiway driving) too little toe in, or bias belted tires. Glad you like the box tho.

 

New radials and 1/8th toe in.
I agree, it probably needs more caster. I added 4 degree shims, but it has a little rake and only reads 3 on the machine. It's very drivable, but when one wheel dips in a low spot it wants to walk. Have you ever put a sway bar on one of these? And does it help?

 

that's pretty much a characteristic of a beam axle. A swaybar would help.

 

Any tips on what sway bars work well. I have access to an old yard with lots of 50's and 60's cars.

 

As AX says, that's exactly how a beam axle behaves, but I don't see how a sway bar would help? When one side drops in a hole, the axle swings in an arc, there's no way to change that.

 

double post.