Am I nuts? My truck is a 68 F250 with the original bendix power steering, which works best as an undercarriage lubricator. I assume it would not be too difficult to round up the parts needed to swap to manual steering. From what I am gathering, I would have to at least swap the box/pitman and the column. My main question is; is the manual box robust and known for reliability and steering tightness? My truck wanders all over the place and both the pump and the box leak like sieves. I've talked to redhead about a saginaw gear and doing that whole swap ($$$) too. My truck is real solid, is my daily driver, and I love it, just thinking maybe this would be a quicker, cheaper fix for the steering and I can move on to more interesting projects on the truck. Part of me is thinking it would be great to just get rid of the pump and all that crap and go with manual steering. What'cha got to say 'bout that idea? Any advise, opinions, experience appreciated.

Thanks in advance

 

IMO, it might be cheaper in the interim but I think you'll grow to hate it in the long run.

I think ya need to take a step back and really think this through. I mean, maybe the quality of the parts is in question. I suggest swapping in a 78-79 Saginaw PS pump (the canteen) and investing in a quality product from Benchwork steering or Red-Head steering.

It is possible to reduce some of the costs with JY parts but put your hard-earned money where it counts.. the pump and the steering gear.

Some sources:

Saginaw pump to FE: Power Steering Pumps and Alternator Brackets (mid-page)
or;
Ford FE Saginaw Power Steering Bracket (390, 427 & 428)

Benchwork Steering: benchworks steering
Red-Head Steering: Steering Gears | Steering Gearbox | Rack and Pinion | Red-Head Steering Gears, Inc.

Good luck with your decision.

 

The only experience I have with this is your perfect description of undercarriage lubricator. My hoses and box leaked. When I swapped in the CV IFS I still had a leak somewhere. When it got bad enough I found the left end of the rack was blown. Believe it or not you can manage to have PS and no leaks. Just like Toyota "Oh what a feeling". I have a barely opened 5qt container of Mercon now that just sits. Best not complain about that.

I would start with replacing the hoses. Run her through a car wash using the pressure wash to clean the frame off as best as possible. If it still leaks I would be looking at the box. One thing to remember is these are 40 yr old trucks. They have spent their lives as trucks. Nothing lasts forever. If you do swap it out for manual steering you will still want to buy a rebuilt or new steering box. Can't imagine that big of a price difference between the 2.

 

I appreciate the feedback, I have looked into all of the power steering stuff ad nauseum. I'd like to explore this other option seriously to see if it's an option for me. Thanks!

 

I guess it's not really a monetary issue. It's more of a "simplifying" issue. I love simple mechanical things. It's why I drive a 44 year old truck in the first place, I suspect a lot of you are the same in that regard. I've had rigs in the past with manual steering and I never really minded it. Grant had some great 17 and 18" steering wheels I could use, which would be pretty trick I think. I would buy a manual gear from Redhead if I did it... I don't know, seems like it would be a great simple way to put the steering issues to bed for a long long time, plus less drag on the engine and one less belt too!

I'd love to hear from folks that have done this, or have manual steering themselves. Have any problems with the manual box? is it known to have problems?

 

I had manual steering in a 69 F100 back in the day...my first truck and I drove it everywhere for almost 10 years. Didn't mind the manual steering, but it was Arm-strong steering to say the least...okay if you're rolling, but no bueno for nada at a standstill...but you learn how and where to park so you don't have to deal with that too much. That said, I've have four other Ford trucks since then, all with PS. You couldn't PAY me enough $$ to go back to manual steering. I had the same problem you have in the 69 F250 I'm driving now...bottomless Bendix box. I kept feeding it Lucas PS fluid until I stumbled across a dead donor truck in a yard with a Bendix box. Paid the guy $75 for it, and paid his buddy $75 to swap it into my truck. It was a gamble and I think the Bendix box design is a POS, but it does the job and doesn't leak...slight leak on the hose by the pump, but that's my laziness not the truck's fault. It works good enough. When it dies, I will invest in a good Redhead rebuild...Bendix or Saginaw. I would go that route if I were you...in the meantime, just keep feeding the Bendix box some fluid when you have to. The swap to manual requires manual gearbox, different Pitman arm, ragjoint and shorter steering column...more work than I'd want to do to go back to dead stick, 3-ton steering.

 

Definitely would not go to manual, swap to the 69 and later Ford box. I second the above to go with a quality rebuild from Redhead in Seattle. I just wouldn't spend the money on the Bendix box.

 

Something to note, the heavier truck will be harder on you than a 100.

 

I have had both manual and Ford power steering, and while both were functional I preferred the power steering. The Ford power steering is light and overboosted, but easier to handle than the manual steering. My main complaint is that the manual steering is very imprecise and also requires quite a few more degrees at the wheel to get the same amount of turn as the power steering box. I would never again consider a manual steering setup with a small wheel either.
To go manual from Bendix, just get a donor box with a pitman arm, and put it in. The column is the same.
You'll likely never get less than 2" of play at the wheel rim, and when driving on the highway you don't so much control it as guide it. If you try to keep the truck perfectly straight, you will be all over the road.

 

I didn't realize that the column was the same, I thought that it was a good deal shorter for the manual boxes. "Guiding" my truck is what I do now with the Bendix box. The rest of my steering is tight, but the sloppy box more than offsets that. I have to put in slight suggestions about where I'd like my truck to go, as you say, if I grip the wheel and drive it like a modern vehicle it downright scary! I was thinking maybe a redhead manual box would be really tight, and I would just put on a larger steering wheel, but it sounds like the consensus is that I'm barking up the wrong tree. I'm still intrigued though. You're sure that the column is the same?

 

I have '68 F-100 with manual steering. I think the steering rack is from Mustang but not sure.

It's obviously a bit stiff but I don't find it that PITA even though when it comes to turning this thing around, since it's so low, turning radius is miles so your normal "3-point turn" is more like "9-point turn"...

 

I'm as sure as I can be, speaking from information gleaned off the internet. The general consensus seems to be that the manual column and Bendix column are the same. The Ford PS column is shorter.
The Ford swap is pretty straightforward, I don't know if you saw my article on it, but here it is:
Power Steering & Disk Brakes 2wd 65-72 .: Articles

 

The Bendix column is shorter than the manual column. Ask me how I know.

 

That is good information to have- That didn't come up at all in any searches I did before doing my Ford PS swap.
How much shorter is the Bendix column than the manual column?

 

I just changed mine today. It's Alot shorter, maybe 6-8"? I can measure it if it is important to you