power steering swap problems

[tcb1969]

I just switched out the manual steering box in my 67 f100 for a Bendix power steering box. I am having/had several problems.

First, the Bendix box didn't exactly "drop" into place - it was quite a struggle. I had to slide the steering wheel into the cab as far as it would go and when all was back together the column sticks 1" farther into the cab and there is a gap between the wheel and column. But the wheel turns fine and doesn't bind.

The real problem is that the pump pulley doesn't line up with the crank pulley. This setup must have come off a truck with a/c as the pulley looks like it would line up with a 3 groove crank pulley.

Did they make multiple pump pulleys? and will a pulley of any similar year ford product work?

Anyone do this swap and have similar problems?

thanks,

John

[flyboy2610]

The steering columns for manual steering trucks are not the same as they are for power steering trucks. Your best bet would be to find one at a bone yard. You could even get a tilt column but then you would have wiring issues to deal with.
Can't help you with the pulley question.
Good luck with it!

[FORDification]

The manual steering columns and the Bendix-box steering columns are identical (for the most part). The Saginaw box is 2" longer, though....so to hook up one of those boxes you'd need either a different column or at least a shorter shaft. I'm not sure why your steering column would be extending into the cab any farther. It shouldn't. Do you have the rag joint fully seated onto the steering box input shaft?

Did the steering pump and brackets come from a similar engine as yours?

Let us know what you find out.

[tcb1969]

The brackets I got from you Keith! The box and pump are supposed to be from a 67 f250 - that's all I know. I have a 70 mustang w/ power steering and the pump is identical but the pulley is different - in the truck the front edge of the pulley groove is flush with the end of the shaft - in the mustang the front edge of the pulley groove is 3/4" farther in from the end of the shaft.

I'm not about to start taking the mustang apart - so, I guess a junkyard trip is in order. I can't image that ford used that many different pumps in 67-70 - so I should be able to find something that will work.

John

[FORDification]

The brackets I got from you Keith!...

That's right, you did! Well, those brackets came off a '70 F-250 Camper Special with a 360 and factory A/C, just so you know.

I've heard of some people who have had to reposition the pulley on the shaft to get it to line up properly with the crank pulley.

[willowbilly3]

If you get out a factory parts book you can probably find dozens of pulley combos for any given year. I always tru to get everything off the same truck when possible. As Keith noted, on the pwer steering install of my 72 300-6, I pieced it all together and had to pull the pulley back out about 3/8 inch from the normal bottomed out position, to get proper pulley alignment.

[lobuck76]

I put the bendix gearbox in the '71 the other day. I had to slip the column up alittle, maybe a half inch or so. Looks to me like the folks at fomoco allowed for some variance in the parts with the adjustment slots under the dash.