Power steering
Freshman User
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
From: American by birth, Southe
power steering made easy
I converted my '66 & a friends '69 to power steering. I got the box & lines from a '73-77 F100 AND the SHAFT that goes through the column. That & the brackets & pump to fit your motor. You may have to notch the motor mount where it bolts to frame(had to on the '66, didn't have to on the '69), AND you will PROBABLY have to shorten the threaded section of the shaft. I used the original steering wheels & horn buttons on both trucks. You may also have to adjust the steering column where it comes through the firewall. I have had this done to my daily driven '66 for 13 years now with no problems. 
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 709
Likes: 0
From: Mesquite, Texas
67 F100. I took the Bendix ps gear box (leaking badly), pump and column out of it and installed a Ford/ Saginaw gear box, pump and column out of a 73 F250 donor truck I have. The Ford Saginaw gear box is longer than the Bendix box. You need the shorter column with the F/S box and the longer with the Bendix box. If your truck has a V8 you need to move the left engine perch forward to another set of holes. I found this out after I notched mine. Good luck, Charles
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Post Fiend
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,658
Likes: 4
From: "Islander"
Going from a manual to a Bendix box all you need to change is the box as the Bendix is the same length as the manual box. Get the pitman arm with the Bendix box if you must have one. If your going thru all the trouble why not get a Ford box, column, lower column support, pump, pump brackets and left motor perch from a donor as this is a straight bolt in and you can use your old wheel. A Ford box is 100 times more available and seal kits are 10 times cheaper. It took me 3 weeks to get a Bendix seal kit at $153 (a Ford kit) as Ford no longer lists it. The Bendix is more sensitive and twitchy vs a Ford box and prone to leak at will. That is why I converted to a Ford box, leaked twice at 72K original miles, now it's collecting dust in the garage.
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Elder User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 839
Likes: 0
From: outback
I just dont want to go to the trouble of finding and then paying for shipping of a column and all the other parts (I have not found any bone yards with them by me in the chicago area), plus it is kind of nice to keep it as stock as possible. I already have a bendix box so i guess i just need the pump, belt and hoses. And maybe a rebuild kit? I hear if you ad a cooler to the bendix it will last much longer. Is this possibly true? Thanks
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Post Fiend
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,658
Likes: 4
From: "Islander"
It's true the Bendix makes more heat for some reason. Yes I ran a cooler even with the Bendix before switching to a Ford box. A newer Ford cooler under the bumper up front in the air stream. The hard pipe also helps cool. The steering shaft input seal shouldn't work from day one, thats the only leak I had. Far as being original i'm one of those people, you can not tell inside the cab because the only difference is 2 1/4" shorter column after the lower firewall clamp. If I were you I would locate a spare Ford box with pitman arm (Pick-N-Pull) for $30 and a column ($25) before there all gone in the future as that Bendix will bit you, but when? I went thru 2 rebuild kits, one had the input seal missing (wonder why?), the second from a steering box rebuilder, $167 and $153 each.
With leaks again and wasted money I went to a Ford box. Good luck.
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With leaks again and wasted money I went to a Ford box. Good luck.
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Last edited by "Beemer Nut"; Feb 13, 2006 at 11:03 PM.
Post Fiend
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,658
Likes: 4
From: "Islander"
Elemint,the Ford box was used after the 68 thru to 79 year production. The pump is a Thompson with a round can for the reservoir, the same exact pump as on the Ford box. I rebuilt 5 pumps from both Bendix and Ford boxes and the pressure relief spring is the same as well all internal parts. I find it better to change the left perch than to chop to fit the Ford box. Go thru the newer column and replace the bearings, repaint to your interior color, you'll look original. You need the Ford box steering column bracket mount, mounts on the firewall as it's different. On the pump mount I have a cast iron plate with rubber inserts, most I see are a stamped steel with adjusting bolt under the slot. Which ever you use get everything, i'm surprised you can't locate parts as there are plenty of trucks in wrecking yards everywhere for your picking.
Bring a puller as you need the pitman arm for the Ford box, plan on one greasy dirty day removing parts.
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Bring a puller as you need the pitman arm for the Ford box, plan on one greasy dirty day removing parts.
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Last edited by "Beemer Nut"; Feb 14, 2006 at 11:29 AM.
New User
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
With my '72 XLT to convert it, I had first found and bought everything from a 'boneyard' (plus the power brakes parts to also convert that) and ended up with a bad steering box. I bought a rebuilt box from a parts house costing about $165.00 and it has worked just like new. The master cylinder was bad, too, and also got a rebuilt one from same place. May want to consider the parts places for some of your needed parts, too.
Post Fiend
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,658
Likes: 4
From: "Islander"
So true with wrecking yard parts once in a while you get lucky, others you now have a cheap core exchange. I collected 2 Bendix boxes from the wreckers while running one in the truck, paid $25 each that I sent to a rebuilder, he was happy and cut me a deal on a nice core rebuilt Ford box. For his efforts he may get the third Bendix as they're hard to get.
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