Power Steering Conversion
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Freshman User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 35
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From: Melbourne, Victoria
Power Steering Conversion
G'day guys,
I have a 1970 F100 and i'm looking to put power steering on it. I know that the engine can have a p/s pump attached, but i'm looking for a power steering box that would bolt straight in.
Does anyone know of another model or an aftermarket unit that might be fittable to my 1970 F100 chasis without any modification?
Any help is much appreciated, i know about a conversion but i'm looking for a bit easier and cheaper alternative. thanks again
I have a 1970 F100 and i'm looking to put power steering on it. I know that the engine can have a p/s pump attached, but i'm looking for a power steering box that would bolt straight in.
Does anyone know of another model or an aftermarket unit that might be fittable to my 1970 F100 chasis without any modification?
Any help is much appreciated, i know about a conversion but i'm looking for a bit easier and cheaper alternative. thanks again
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 3,613
Likes: 6
From: Coal country
Search on this upgrade in the '61 - '66 forum, but be sure to only use information about '65 and later trucks. (The '64 and earlier trucks are a completely different animal under the hood.)
Use a '70 - '79 truck as a donor. Get the PS pump, hoses, cooler and brackets from the same engine you have, and get the PS box and steering column from any truck '71- 79 F-250 or under, and you can swap everything over.
Don't use the pressure hose, buy it new, but take the old for a match up. Same with the pump and box, if you can afford it. I would hate to have a dirty or contaminated pump spew out metal shavings into a good gearbox, or vice versa.
It is a bolt up, only minor modifications may be required to the wiring for the different steering column.
Of course, if you get the column from a '70 - 72, you'll have no modifications!
Use a '70 - '79 truck as a donor. Get the PS pump, hoses, cooler and brackets from the same engine you have, and get the PS box and steering column from any truck '71- 79 F-250 or under, and you can swap everything over.
Don't use the pressure hose, buy it new, but take the old for a match up. Same with the pump and box, if you can afford it. I would hate to have a dirty or contaminated pump spew out metal shavings into a good gearbox, or vice versa.
It is a bolt up, only minor modifications may be required to the wiring for the different steering column.
Of course, if you get the column from a '70 - 72, you'll have no modifications!
New User
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 14
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If using a newer(saginaw) box you will need to do a few other things, namely shortening the steering shaft. You will also need the power steering firewall bracket as it changes the angle of the steering shaft a little. Depending on the year of truck you may need to either do a little grinding on the left side engine perch for steering box clearance or you need to find a perch from a truck with power steering. I am trying to do the same thing with my '70 but it is a 3spd manual column shift and there isn't enough room at the box end of the steering shaft to remove the needed 2 inches. This can be remedied by converting to a floor shift but i can't find any articles or links on an easy(cheap) way to do this.
Does anybody know if you can use a 4spd shifter and modify for a 3spd. Since it's a simple H shift pattern, will it work? Would you have to modify or make your own shift linkage? Which shifter off which tranny? I know Hurst makes a kit but is there a way to do it by scouring the salvage yard?
Does anybody know if you can use a 4spd shifter and modify for a 3spd. Since it's a simple H shift pattern, will it work? Would you have to modify or make your own shift linkage? Which shifter off which tranny? I know Hurst makes a kit but is there a way to do it by scouring the salvage yard?
Last edited by Diesel Digger; Sep 23, 2005 at 09:48 AM.
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,697
Likes: 3
From: Marengo, Iowa
I'm going to go out on a limb and say you could make it work, but I don't know absloute. I had and mabe still have a 3 speed from a 73 that could be made to work. It isn't real pretty as it has seen weather for a few years, before i got it. The truck was beyond salvage, the windsheild had been rodbbed for a number of years before I got it for parts.
J C Whitney has one, listed for cars, but perhaps you can make it work.
part #SD811085B $62.95
J C Whitney has one, listed for cars, but perhaps you can make it work.
part #SD811085B $62.95
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 129
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From: Fayetteville, N.C.
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,391
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From: South Central Boise
I had to shorten my shaft. Not too difficult but not as easy as it sounded. Everything turned out strait.
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 304
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From: South Central MN
im fighting with the same thing right now....i have the pump n box from a 75-ish pickup, and was told that it would bolt right in to my 69 f100 (once a 3 spd, now a 4 on the floor w/ the 3spd column still in it)....well whoever said it would bolt up didnt know what he was talking about....to put it lightly....ive called him a few names, of course, but in a way he was right....the box will bolt right in, the pump bolted right on, but after all of this, i come to find out the column shaft is about two inches too long....is there any EASY thing i can do w/o having to take the column apart and shorten everything? is there a column i can find and put in that will work?? The pickup is all tore apart now and it kind of torques me off.....
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 129
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From: Fayetteville, N.C.
I did this same swap using parts out of a 77. You will have to use a power steering column. The best thing would be to get the column out of the same truck you got the Steering gear out of, but any PS column up to 79 should work. On the bolts that attatch the column to your brake/clutch pedal bracket under the dash you need to be careful and shim the column properly or you will distort the lower part of the dash when you tighten it up.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 24,552
Likes: 74
From: Creedmoor, North Carolina
Originally Posted by huronfarmer
im fighting with the same thing right now....i have the pump n box from a 75-ish pickup, and was told that it would bolt right in to my 69 f100 (once a 3 spd, now a 4 on the floor w/ the 3spd column still in it)....well whoever said it would bolt up didnt know what he was talking about....to put it lightly....ive called him a few names, of course, but in a way he was right....the box will bolt right in, the pump bolted right on, but after all of this, i come to find out the column shaft is about two inches too long....is there any EASY thing i can do w/o having to take the column apart and shorten everything? is there a column i can find and put in that will work?? The pickup is all tore apart now and it kind of torques me off.....
John
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 304
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From: South Central MN
well that nightmare is over....haha, now that ive read the posts, i pretty much did it anyway.... i dug through the collection of steering columns and found one that was shorter....took the rod itself and swapped it into a nicer 4spd column, painted her all black n purdy, n put it in....that was the easiest part.....next was getting the box to mount up, i didnt expect problems, but had them anyway.....the front bottom part of the box hit on the motor mount..... so, after more cussing about the person that told me it would work (no one on the forum), i took my anger n got the torch to the motor mount.....10 minutes later, the box fit like a dream.... and no, i didnt cut a big chunk out of the mount, i made her cherry red and beat it to a shape that better fit my needs....haha....after two days of cussing, screaming, and smashing various body parts with various pickup parts, my 69 f100 2wd now has power steering...now i just need a nice fancy grant steering wheel to put on top...
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,622
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From: nevada
When i did my ps conversion last yr, i bought kit from the famous guy in Iowa. Turned out it took over 3 months to get it, and after getting everything torched, bolted ground off, etc, i find out that he sent me a junkyard box and pump. (Pump had dirt in it, and box had a bad leak, aside from dirt on the dipstick and outside of pieces. Well he reimbursed me for the $50 pump, but had to buy another rebuilt box for $175. Wrote him about this but never heard back. Buyer beware! Scam artist that sounded good on the phone, but thats as far as it went.
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 6,305
Likes: 18
From: Boulder Creek, Ca
For informational purposes, came across an article on how to shorten the steering column, also, how to install power steering in an F100 4X4, which is an entirely different animal. Unfortunately, the articles are in another Ford truck forum but running a google search under ' 67-72 Ford Pickup Resource' should locate the forum, pic's included, suggest browse the forum.
Completed the p/s upgrade few years back on 65 F100 and found some of the articles on the subject do not mention taking the driver's side engine perch from a donor truck with power steering.
dave
Completed the p/s upgrade few years back on 65 F100 and found some of the articles on the subject do not mention taking the driver's side engine perch from a donor truck with power steering.
dave
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