74 Duster, resto mod 6.4 front end rebuild questions

Ozyduster said

Have you fitted steering column? Any issues about to fit mine and seen few guys having clearance issues to the valve cover. I am using the power steering column with the extender on the manual box. Obviously will need to cut the column shift stuff off the column. Think this will be last piece of the puzzle for motor fitment then to see what lines dont fit and/or need relocating. Think once motor fitted may get the pipes made before i run fuel lines and brake lines

Click to expand...

I haven’t fit a column in, but I fully expect to have to cut the tube back to the firewall. I have some ideas that I want to try that might mean no tube through the firewall at all, but that is just a foggy idea right now.

The instructions say the factory coupler won’t work, but I did stuff a manual steering shaft and coupler down there to see and didn’t see why it won’t work. Something to be aware of.

Seems like the number I remember is 3” off the column tube. So I would cut 2” off and stuff the whole thing in there and see if the tube clears and if the coupler and extension work and go from there.