Im building a 41 olds and keeping the frame stock but considering doing a power steering conversion. Have any of you guys done this to a similar car without subframing it? And what gear box and other parts should I be looking for?
I have been eyeing my '40 Buick with the same intention. Given they are both BOP GM cars of common era, the chances are they are the same similar. From what I see on mine, there is a fairly long drop from the box to the pitman arm. While I have not yet measured it yet, it appears close to what is being used on '55/'57 Chevy conversions. Those that I have seen are modified Saginaw 605 power units. The 605 is more compact and lends itself to swaps better than the 700 series. I think Borgeson has these modified 605 units as well as suppliers like Cl***ic Performance Products (CPP). If the sector shaft length is close, it shouldn't take much to mount the box to your frame, keeping the bottom of the sector shaft in exactly the same place as the original. It is very possible the sector shaft splines are the same on the 605 and your original steering box. Swap the pitman arm and the linkage is done. Next, either modify your existing column with a lower bearing and coupling (rag joint or U-joint) or install a later model or aftermarket column. Next you need a power steering pump on the engine and you are in business. Currently I am adapting an stock configuration 605 box to my '55 Chrysler using exactly the steps outlined above. Fortunately, the Chrysler box and the Saginaw 605 are configured with nearly the same dimensions and the Chrysler pitman does fit the Sag box. Ray
Okay, I know nothing about those cars other than my parents having gotten rid of a Buick of that vintage a little before I was born. That said...measure the stock box - in particular, the output shaft housing length - and post a couple pix. The Saginaw 605 box has been used in tri-5 conversions for quite a while but it's the weakest and least 'tunable' design of the GM boxes and, while I guess there's a place for them, I'd personally use it only as a last resort. The later 600/670-series boxes (commonly referred to as 'the Grand Cherokee box' around these parts) are somewhat more compact than the 700/800 and might be another option. Just for giggles: Top to bottom: Gen 2 Camaro Saginaw 700 box Jeep Saginaw 670 box ZF Servotronic box from '98-03 Cadillac Catera (Opel Omega MV6) wearing a reworked Ford pitman arm. Stock '64 Galaxie box (manual) The Catera/Omega, Jeep, and Galaxie boxes. Jeep output shaft shortest, Galaxie box 1/2in longer, ZF box 1/2in longer than that. BTW, the ZF box is $50-75 used w/modest mileage ($1500 new) and a VERY high-quality piece, similar guts to those used in a whole lot of BMW 7-series and higher-level 5-series cars from '86-03 (the BMW case shape is very different, though.)
Thanks Jem I can use that info . Can anybody tell me do the gear boxes have numbers cast or stamped in them to tell me what they are?
On the part numbers: depends on what box you're talking about. The ZF Catera boxes - there's only one kind in the US from '97-03, other flavors without the Servotronic variable-***ist were used on non-US-market Opel Omegas. The Jeep box...I'll have to go look at mine. It was used on '99-04 (?) Grand Cherokees, with one year of 4x4s in there somewhere that used something different. Do a little googling and look it up in car-part.com for interchange details. Rag joint - yeah, rag joint or Borgeson vibration-isolating U-joint unit. The ZF box input shaft has something like a 72-spline pattern, there's no aftermarket piece that fits it, fortunately the factory rag joint is a very good part and the input side is 3/4 DD.
a pal did this swap in his 41 years ago uses a saginaw from a 2wd gm pickup had a pitman built to match olds tie rod not a hard one to do.he still has the car and drives it often the car runs a 394 olds....Dave
Thanks to all. I took a bunch of measurements and took a trip to the junk yard , I think I can make an s-10 box work every thing looks close but I'll wait to get the car on the road to see how it acts first. Thanks again
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