Hello, I've looked into corvair and vega box reversal. I have a falcon, 2 falcon boxes (so i can make a mistake if needed), and too big of a motor to fit the starter and steering box in the same space. Moving the box and reversing it puts it in much better alignment with the passenger steering arm and pretty much solves my problems. for my combo, i'm going to cut the long shaft down, move the box forward and lay the box flat (like a vega) so that the input is true horizontal and the pitman shaft is pure vertical. I get the whole process, but all the tech articles on Falcon Mustang boxes are too old to still show pics. QUESTIONS: 1. The part i'm curious about is the factory core plug at the rounded end. Does it need to come out or drill in place? If its to come out, does it push out or in (taking the bearing race in with it)? 2. Since i'm laying it flat and want lube to stay in, i'll need a decent input seal, any recommendations on how to put a seal on the new input end? The shaft is already cut and it's 3/4". The original input on the box can easily be closed with a core plug and sealant. thanks, Rick
for those of us who forgot what they look like, can you post a few pictures of the stock box or it's parts?
This is a late 60’s style so it has a spline instead of a long shaft that accepts the steering wheel. Basically the same as Falcon & Comet. I have one of these in the Cyclone. https://secure.cougarpartscatalog.c...1967-1970-ford-mustang.html?sessionthemeid=26
it's likely that the core plug has to come outward, and that the bearing race would be removed "into" the housing. You need a seal that fits into the hole that the core plug fills now. It's likely that you'll need to make a sleeve to fit between what seal you can buy, and the hole...do you have a lathe? if not, this is the perfect excuse to buy one. but you might get lucky and find a seal with the correct OD, that fits a 3/4" shaft.
Yup thats the short version. The long one is what I have and I've already chopped it to about 11 inches to let me finagle it around the frame and engine.
I know it's short term economics, but my budget is more geared towards paying the local machinist to bore the hole, instead of purchasing a lathe, lol. The box is stone simple. Behind that factory plug is the race and a simple ring of ball bearings. Im****uming you cant/wouldn't machine the case to become the race, so I suspect you're right that it presses out (into the case). I'm fairly sure the plug could be popped out by smacking a drift (socket) placed down into the ID of the race. The proximity of the race to the plug gives me concern, when the seal joins the party. My hope would be that the id of the roller cage is big enough that the seal doesnt fight for room, ie. The 3/4 inch shaft is hopefully small enough to have good gap around it. I'd like to reverse it, as a hot rodding right of passage, but there is an argument for leaving it as is, and purchasing a reverser gearbox from Coleman. The L shape of the box means it hangs on the engine side of the framerail, and I want to move it 3 inches towards and under the snout of the engine to avoid the pitman getting pinched between frame and leaf spring (67 chevy g10 axle and leaves). If I use Coleman reverser I can simply double up the thickness of the frame rails to move the pitman shaft inboard, whereas, if I reverse it, the L takes more work to move the pitman that same 2-3 inches inboard So im conflicted, lol : right of passage with more difficulty, vs easier more sensible approach with an ugly, modern shiny, red, reverser box sitting there like a turd in the punchbowl. LeSigh... -rick
It’s been at least a decade since I did one, but it was rather easy. As you said, plugging the old side was easy. I might have had my machinist buddy clean up the hole, but pretty sure I used a simple core plug to seal it. The new input side was slightly more complicated. I had my buddy machine a stepped collar that pressed into the old hole where the plug used to go. On the collar that sticks out, the OD was the size I needed for my column tube to clamp to ala 1930’s Ford. The ID of the collar fit a seal that I probably found at McMaster Carr with a 3/4” inside. Sorry no part numbers for any of those.
Take it apart and see what the end with the plug looks like inside, and measure the hole to see what seal might fit.
First step is to take one of them apart and see if you can reverse the shaft without big issues. You just reverse the shaft in the block and don't reverse the block it's self. The big issue is going to be if you need a bushing or bearing for the shaft. That might call for a sealed bearing that fits in where the plug came out of and has the correct Id for the shaft. It just takes a plug for the other end.
Ive freshened one up before and know about flipping the nut. The box is pretty basic. It's got the same bearing top and bottom for the worm to spin on. I can see the backside of the factory plug through the center of the race, I just couldn't see for certain in which direction the race must be against a locating step in the casting. Wasn't wanting to go full Rambo pushing things out that should go in or vice versa. If I was mounting up at an angle, I wouldn't sweat the seal so much, but its gonna be flat on the framerail Thanks, -rick
Yeah, I feel a bit better about popping out the factory plug after ruminating a bit and talking about it here. Thanks! -rick
I've always followed Squirrel's advice. I think he should get credit for Nike's "Just Do It!" directive.
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