Projects Add Power Steering 1937 Ford Sedan

I've been a member for a while but this is my first post. Thinking about adding power steering to my 37 Ford sedan with a SBC. Current steering box ix a Borgeson Vega style which can be replaced with a power box by Classic Performance products (along with the proper idler arm and u-joint). My question is, can a power steering pump and alternator be driven by the same fanbelt? If so, the power steering pump would use the pulley closest to the engine. If the power steering pump and alternator can't use the same fanbelt then I would have to add a third pulley to the crank. The current SS flex fan is about 1 3/16" from the radiator and about 1/4" from the closest fanbelt. I'm guessing that adding a 1/2" spacer behind the fan would give enough room to add the additional pulley? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I've learned a lot on this site, thank you!

 

There’s only been a couple bazillion SBC’s with an alternator and a power steering pump. It can be done with two belts, probably even on a short pump if you want to. Just finding the right combination of brackets and pulleys is the key. Alan Grove is a maker of simple brackets for hot rods.

https://www.alangrovecomponents.com/

 

327 SBC, short waterpump.
Use the 3’rd pulley for powersteering pump, it only lines up there with the aftermarket bracket.
2’nd pulley for crank, waterpump and generator.
1’st not used

 

points worth noting
IF you are going to fit a SAGINAW 800 series power steering box
in a 1937 ford
this 37 pickup runs a mk1 jeep cherokee saginaw power steering box 'its a quick ratio box because it is fitted to a jeep with long steering arms'

so find a lhd jeep cherokee pas steering box and get the long bolts that come with it, the bolts are 7/16 unc, so the head bolts from a sbf fit quite nice.
note the saginaw 800 series steering box at about 1980 goes METRIC - -this is on the ports only, the mounting bolts remain imperial.
do not get a grand cherokee box as they are different, although do get the grand cherokee power steering fluid cooler that is situated in the rear line
so IF I were you I would go for a lhd mk1 jeep cherokee or cj7 power steering box - -note there is mighty confusion
over what is what as there appear to be at least three differing ratios available on that website AND you can only really calculate the ratio of the steering wheel lock @ 2.5 IF you run a 6.3'' pitman and about 6.1/4 inch long input steering arms.
the details you can never seem to find on the tinternet
1. a vega out put shaft for the pitman arm - they are call the SECTOR shaft - -a vega sector shaft is 1'' wedge mated spline
2. a saginaw 525 manual and a 600 pas sector shaft is 1 1/16
3. the saginaw 800 series power box has a 1 1/8 sector shaft
be mind ful if using a stock unsplit wishbone the closeness of the pitman arm - -F you keep the steering box's plane the same as a stocker - -i.e. all in a straight line as you have to calculate the swing of the pitman arm and box placement so it doesnt clack the bone.

 

1971 TO 1974 PONTIAC PITMAN ARM # 7809957 GMTI7A the part number is actually 7809956
search
7809956
on ebay - -will be a 1971 olds pitman arm
now BUY IT
for 4 reasons
1. it is a saginaw 800 1 1/8 sector spline count
2 it is the correct length at 6.3''
3 it has the correect slight step down
4 ODDLY this pitman arm STOCK has a 1.5 inches per foot tie rod taper, which equates to 7.3 degrees, which is the SAME as the early for taper, and the early ford tie rod ends fit them perfectly

 

96 97 98 Jeep Grand Cherokee power steering gear box used OEM | eBay
QUICK buy this as its damn cheap
PLUS YOU HAVE the lines
undo the nut holding the arm in a vice
AND CUT THE ARM OFF
do not try to pull it off
do not hammer upon it
cut through the thing carefully and throw it away.

note on power steering lines
you cannot simply connect them together in the rubbery parts
there is a continuous spring inside them here - -noticeable by a central ferrule.
remember the inputs are metric m16 and m18
the high pressure side is m16 - -the line pressure is massive
the low pressure return is the m18 port
NOTE
the grand cherokee uses a really nice power steering fluid cooler - so I i would say hunt one down and the lines and fittings

note, any 1980 onwards mopar jeep uses the same box, lhd and rhd, they come with 3 motor options so there are at least 6 variants of stock lines to pick there!!

 

thats the easy part - -
buy the box and the pitman arm
THAT cherokee steering box is the quickest ratio available
it has a 30 spline 3/4'' input shaft - -this is the same as corvette c3
I would guess your steering shaft is 3.5'' too long
worth noting
power steering fluid gets SUPER HOT find a cooler and fit to the return line.
also be mindful of choosing a power steering pump of which you can change the diameter of the pulley 'easilly'

if you are running a efi engine with single serp belt, you MUST run a power steering pump with a pressure sensing switch in it, As when doing the low speed manuerving, the ecu will up the idle to the power steering pump doesnt stall the motor under load - -same thing with aircon - -this is why the v belt squeals on non efi motors, its the load.

 

note the measurement the box sticks out
-the pokey out is 5.5 inches
will that clack your sbc?

this is a good one where you can actually see the difference between a stock 35/6 wishbone and a stock 37-40 wishbone, the latter is 1'' wider per side, they use the same spring, and the shape of the drop of the axle is much sharper on the magnum over the 48'' so cal version, the 35/6 is a 2'' perch the other 2 1/4, stock 40 tie rod is for 48.5'' king pin to king pin, the 48 axle just wants the tie rod ends wound in 1/4 per side, i think the drop over a stock 36 axle is only 2 3/4'', the spindles are different 35 36 to 37 model 78 up, so the steering arms only need dropping 2''.

 

Thanks for the reply alchemy. My car has A/C and an alternator that each have their own fanbelt. My problem is space. There is only 1/4" between the fan and the closest pulley and 1 1/4" between the fan and the radiator. If I add a third pulley, it will bring the distance between the fan and radiator to about 1/2" and 1/4" or less between the fan and the closest fanbelt. It seems like there would need to be more space on both sides of the fan. would that be enough space? Can the alternator and a/c compressor run on the same traditional fanbelt? I don't want to switch to a serpentine system and have to switch to an electric fan.

 

Kudos to Nobby for going the extra mile in his responses.