manual steering conversion

I just saw the manual steering conversion on Dearborn Classics website for $189. You can make that part yourself. Also if you just remove the hydraulic slave cylinder completely isn't that making it manual? Gearing won't be the same as a true manual but effectively works like a manual, right? Right now I don't have the end of my hydraulic slave cylinder connected to the frame and I just steer it (in and out of the garage) by hand (no steering wheel just turning the gearbox).
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On 2004-01-07 13:24, jeff63390 wrote:
I just saw the manual steering conversion on Dearborn Classics website for $189. You can make that part yourself. Also if you just remove the hydraulic slave cylinder completely isn't that making it manual? Gearing won't be the same as a true manual but effectively works like a manual, right? Right now I don't have the end of my hydraulic slave cylinder connected to the frame and I just steer it (in and out of the garage) by hand (no steering wheel just turning the gearbox).

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I would think the powervalve would dry out with out fluid going through there and fall apart on you after a while. I'm guessing that the replacement part they have there is more stationary and is packed with grease. But I really don't know how that would work. I do know what it's like with the pump tossed in the junkpile and hoses tied up though. Actually not bad except for sitting still and then it's a real bear to turn. Bout like when the car isn't running and you turn the wheels. Worse than any manual as far as I can remember anyway.

Deb

Also think that the steering boxes themselves are different. I don't know much about the conversion though. Even with the leaks I like the power steering. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Deb

Here's a couple of previous topics here on the forum. Might do another search and find more also. Maybe some of your questions can be answered by reading these.


http://www.fordmuscle.com/phpBB/view...37&amp;forum=1

http://www.fordmuscle.com/phpBB/view...93&amp;forum=1

The steering boxes have a different ratio from Power to Power steering by Armstrong. The el cheapo , not hooked up pump cars are very hard to turn.

I purchased my adapter from mustangs unlimited. It has worked well . my alighnment guy did not like the angle that the centerlink sits at but seems to work well .I also run a donohue bar in the front to lock the cusion link . I have a manual box and power no ratio difference . I t is all in the size of the steering wheel .1" difference.

I have driven my car many times without the power steering working at all. It wasn't that bad, but I am also used to a daily driver that doesn't have power steering. I think that all you have to do to make that dummy conversion is put a metal slug into the control valve on both ends of it so the ball stud can't move anything internally and you have a manually controlled rack. I just rebuilt mine and I was looking at it and thinking how easy it would be to convert to manual, but I also have access to a machine shop to help with that task.

I am definitely going to try to make my power steering work as I have already rebuilt the control valve, a new slave cylinder, pump rebuilt, and new p.s. lines, but if it starts spitting again it's going to be a manual setup after that.

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On 2004-01-07 13:24, jeff63390 wrote:
I just saw the manual steering conversion on Dearborn Classics website for $189. You can make that part yourself. Also if you just remove the hydraulic slave cylinder completely isn't that making it manual? Gearing won't be the same as a true manual but effectively works like a manual, right? Right now I don't have the end of my hydraulic slave cylinder connected to the frame and I just steer it (in and out of the garage) by hand (no steering wheel just turning the gearbox).

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Why go through all of this [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_bs.gif[/img] trouble and expense when it's not that hard to find a complete manual steering setup? Greg, correct me if I'm wrong but all that has to be changed is the box, pitman arm and the idler arm. I see that you live in Kent. I live in Niles OH and can tell you where there is a boneyard where you can likely find the parts. It's Bob's Auto Wrecking in Milan....up by Sandusky. On my last trip up there in the late suummer, there was a complete '64 Custom 4-door with the parts you need. Bob's doesn't crush older cars so I'm relatively sure it's still there.




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