Switching to Manual Steering

RedFish said
I cant say about headers. For my stock example, I drop the Y pipe from manifolds. I might have unbolted the big OEM starter for more wiggle room too. I really don't remember. I do remember the manual steering gear came out easier than the power steering gear went in its place.
Past the head? As in coming out the top? Try drop it out underneath.

This is worth a shot...I had assumed that taking apart the rest of the steering linkage and removing the torsion bar (two more things I wanted to avoid) would be the only way to make that happen but I'll take another look before I lift the engine. Again, thanks!

adriver said
Manual Steering Box...assistance needed...
No. Just use the nut to push it on.
It's a tight fit.
Wedge a block of wood between the arm and something.
Got a big box end wrench?
Or a socket with a breaker bar?

It may be optional but it's worth it.
Don't beat yourself up.
Laying on your back and doing this for the first time is challenging even for someone with more experience.

Cool...I suspected the nut might be enough to push the arm on but thought I'd ask!
As for the supportive words...much appreciated.

As simple as these old A-Bodies are, they can also spoil you by just not breaking. I put 40,000 miles on this car before it needed anything other than oil changes. A bit more trouble from this car in my teens and twenties probably would have made me a more capable wrencher in the subsequent decades.