I'm going hog wild with all my questions on this new forum....

I've been researching the conversion to a Bendix power steering setup for my stock '65 f100 and have a few questions for folks:

I have looked all around my area for a used bendix core to take to a local machine shop to have rebuilt....can't find one anywhere. I've scoured craigslist across the country with the same results. I've found guys on ebay selling complete reuilt bendix conversion kits for around $900. Any thoughts on how well these may be rebuilt? would you trust them? Any alternate ideas about how to track down the parts? Seems the really hard pieces are the box itself and the pump bracket. I managed to find a bracket and I'm thinking the pump, pulleys & hoses should be kinda easy. A used Bendix box seems to be impossible.

Any suggestions?

Murray

 

From everything i have read, DO NOT USE THE BENDIX BOX! insted use the later ford steering box form like a 73-79 truck and shorten your stock steering column, or use the later 73-79 column, i'm sure most everyone would agree.

Bendix=junk.

 

I put a complete front end of a 75 f100 under my 65.. ibeams, brakes, powersteering, power brake, pulled a column from a 4speed floor shifted 67
( ive got a gennie shifted c6 on the floor) I pulled the shaft out and put in a shaft from the 75 that way it looked original to the 65.

The Bendix will over heat.. and is weaker (so im told) than the newer ford ones..

im little over 1 turn stop to stop on my steering.. it makes for a great driver.
go with the newer ford one you wont be disappointed.

 

Murray bad idea. The 73-79 upgrade as noted is a much better choice.



John

 

No P/S was available for 1965, so the Bendix unit (which is a POS) used 1966/68 and in some 1969's will not work without modifications.

The other problem with the Bendix unit is, the master seal kit for the gearbox (C6TZ3E500A) is obsolete, and its retail price was over $100.00 when last available 25 years ago.

Today, there are only a few remaining seal kits at obsolete parts vendors.

Call Green Sales @ 800-543-4959 and ask what they want for theirs. Make sure you are sitting down first!

 

I concur as well: DON'T USE THE BENDIX power steering box.
I tried it, and it was a terrible experience.
I tried it because I didn't want to deal with the steering column changes that must be dealt with when putting in the later Ford (Saginaw) power steering box. However, I found that although the steering column work did present some challenges, in the long run the end result was cheaper, easier and well worth it.
Plus, using a donor truck also gave me parts for the power disc brakes, rear brake upgrade, automatic transmission, and electronic ignition.
And selling the engine almost paid for the truck - which made all the other upgrades free.

 

Wow, I'm surprised there is such an overwhelming consensus to use the Saginaw box. I spoke to a local ford mechanic that's been in business for 45 years and has done two conversions on his own trucks. He said he'd never recommend the Saginaw option.Can the Bendix box be a good option if it has a good quality rebuild done to it?

I have to admit, I like the "idea" of a complete factory bolt-on conversion rather than cutting a steering column to adapt the Saginaw box. What would a rebuilt Saginaw complete set of conversion parts run me?

Thanks again. FYI: I posted pics of my truck under the album Murr's '65 F100.

Murray

Murray

 

Ok, if i go with the consensus and do a Saginaw conversion, what are folks' opinons on how best to get a rebuilt Saginaw box: i can buy a rebuilt one (with all the other parts...pulleys', bracket, etc) for about $500 on ebay or i can buy a non-rebuilt Saginaw for about $100 and have a local guy rebuild it for $300. But, I still have to buy all the other parts. Do these prices sound reasonable?

Murray

 

Does your opinion apply regardless of whether the truck is 2wd or 4wd?

 

(sigh)

The term Saginaw box is a mis-nomer, as the P/S gearbox and P/S pump used in 1975/91 Econoline's is the Saginaw type.

These Econolines do not use the same P/S gearbox & pump as the F100/350's do. Which means that Saginaw P/S in not the same thing as FORD P/S.

1966/68 and 1969 F100/350's before serial number D96,001 use Bendix P/S.

1969's from serial number D96,001, 1970 and later use FORD P/S.

Peeps here on FTE insist on calling the FORD P/S by the Saginaw name, but FoMoCo never called it that.

The seal kits used with FORD P/S are the same as: 1965/2002 passenger cars:

D7AZ3E501B (input shaft seal kit) replaced C5AZ3E501A / F3AZ3E502A (sector shaft seal kit) replaced C5AZ3E502A.

Bottom Line: If you go to an autoparts store and ask for Saginaw P/S seal kits...guess which vehicles the kits fit?!

If you wonder why I know this, I was a FORD partsman for 35 years. Peeps that call FORD P/S by the Saginaw name, never worked one day in the Ford partsbiz.

This info is not meant to give anyone a bad time...I'm just setting the record straight.

 

Murray, I didn't realize that I had my current truck as long as I have, but I saw the hitch sale receipt yesterday dated 1998. I have 76 I-beams, steering gear, and steering column in my 66. Didn't cut anything, didn't buy a rebuild kit. I did have to put a seal kit in the gear. The gears aren't bad for wearing out.

Bill, you are accustom to dealing with what Ford said because you had to. There are some of us that believe that Saginaw built the gears for Ford and refer as such. an nobody says we have to. go figure


John

 

John, Saginaw (owned by GM doncha know!) may have made the parts for the Ford P/S gearbox (I dunno one way or t'other), but...

 

So, you put in a used Saginaw (or Ford PS...depending on your automotive background).....from a '76 and never had to do anything more than new seals in the past 10 years?

Is there any way to play with the pitman arm or gauge what the internal condition of the box is prior to installing it and finding out on my first highway drive? I'd hate to go through all this effort only to find that my newly installed gearbox causes me to wander all over the road.

Also, if i find a PS column from an automatic, how tough is it re-wire the column with all my automatic shifter wires rather than cutting down my existing column? i was hoping to avoid all this column work with the bendix option.

murray

 

Murray, you can pick up a power steering box at autozone with a 1 year warranty for around 220 bucks, they are remanufactured and you do not need a core

maybe this link will work.
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/cat...questid=718550

 

Okay Murray, the autozone part # is 7505
the cost is 137 bucks an extra 51 bucks if you dont have a core
My local store has one in stock

the link above is for an e100 part # 7506, don't know why the link went to an e100?? my search was for a f100 the part # is 7505

Call your local Autozone and check!