Doing the PS swap on my 69 F100 with 360, 3 speed on the column. Did any of the later trucks with 3 speed on column have PS with the Ford PS box or did they use the Bendix box with 3 speed? What about 73-79 3 speed trucks with power steering? Did they make them? And which PS box did they use with 3 speed? Any info appreciated/needed.


Thanks,
Keith

 

You can use a 3-speeed power steering column up through '79. They all used the Ford boxes. They are a little harder find than the automatics.

Mike

 

Keith, There are a few 3 on the tree ps columns and you will have to find them. I saw three at ***'s in Elm City, North Carolina a short while back, so they are out there.
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Thanks for the help. If I were to find a Bendix PS gear box, would it bolt up and work with the original manual steer 3 speed column? I think I have located a Bendix box, but want to be sure before I buy it (very pricey).

Thanks,
Keith

 

Hi,
WHile I was getting and finding the parts to swap P/S into my 67's. I was told all you had to do was swap the steering shaft from a p/s column to a non p/s column. The shafts are the difference. A manual steering is longer than a p/s shaft. Maybe easier than finding a 3 spd p/s column.

 

Swapping the shaft only will not work on a three-on-the-tree using the Ford box. You have to get the whole column. The shift tube is shorter and the lower end of the housing is different. I think the shaft swap only works on automatics.

Sreve

 

This business about just swapping the shafts is a lot of hooie as far as I can tell. I did the PS conversion on my '68 CC with C6 Auto trans and just swapping the shaft would NOT have worked. The whole column is shorter. That means the outer case, the shaft, and the shift tube are shorter, not just the shaft. If anybody has actually done this and can prove me wrong, fine, but from my perspective this would not have worked.

Having said that, if you use a Bendix box, you do not need to swap the column AFAIK. I looked for one because this is what I was told but never found one. I ended up using the Ford box. It is HUGE compared to your manual box. You will need a PS column, but as stated, one from a 69-79 will work AFAIK.

Besides just the column assy., you will also need the bracket and collar that attach it to the firewall (non-ps unit is too long for the short ps column) AND you might need a new left-side motor mount perch (I did). Look at where your existing perch bolts to the frame rail. You should see an exposed, unused bolt hole. If the bolt hole is behind your perch, i.e., closer to the firewall, you are OK. If it is in front of the perch, i.e., closer to the radiator, then you need a new perch to clear the Ford box.

Hope this helps.