Hi guys. Hope you can help another Ford out, though a little older model. My 65 twin Ibeam shares quite a few design features with yours.

I am in the process of upgrading to power steering. I have the steering box from a 78 (the power steering gears are the same for all years 73-79 I think, at least in 2WD). I have a PS pump and brackets from a 300 that was some vintage in the 70-80s.

The parts places list a variety of different hoses, depending on what year I search for. Anyone know why this is? I presume that I should go with hoses for the year of pump I have, right? But I don't know that! Anyone know if the brackets are the same for all years at least?

The return hose seems to be listed as a cut to fit item. Does it just have hose barbs at the ends, or what?

Do you guys all have filters in you lines? Does one put the filter in the pressure or the return line?

And finally -- how hard does a truck steer when the PS is disconnected completely, with no oil in it? I may have to drive the truck some AFTER I have the PS gear installed, but before I have the pump and lines working. Would that be bad? Impossible?

Thanks, and sorry to be so ignorant, but I have no pictures and nothing to go off.

 

Is the box a round metal cannister type? A flat metal type shaped sorta like an isosceles triangle with the cap at the apex? Or is it a plastic type with a wide round mouth?
In all three cases, the return line is just what you described, a long metal tube with hose clamped on with a regular hose clamp. I would get a steel one out of a bone yard and use new fuel line for the rubber part!
The pressure hose is another story. I can't help with the second type.
The first one, ask for a pressure hose from a '76 F-150 with a 390. It should fit.
The third type, MAKE sure there is a large nut on the side. That large nut holds in a pressure control valve. People often take the large nut off and end up losing the valve. If yours is missing, get a new pump! The line will have an O-ring around it on the end where it fits into the pump's retainer nut, and is designed to swivel inside that nut. Ask for a hose for a '78 F-150 with a 351M engine. My '78 had that type, and when I transferred the '78 pump to the '76 because the '76 pump blew up, I asked for the '78 line and it worked just fine.

Hope this helps.