BIG question for power steering conversion

-
Baghdad Dart

Baghdad Dart

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2008
Messages
96
Reaction score
0
Hello all, my son is building a 440 67 dart. He has read about the Shumacer kit and it said that he cant use power steering in this swap. The question is... can he just take out the power steering pump and then take off the hose conection mount on the gear box? That will make it manual wont it? Or do you really need to change out all the steering all togethere?

Jeff

1652 days IN Iraq..:clock:
 
Would be advisable to get a manual steering box.

Power box w/o the pump and hoses won't cut it........just not designed that way. :cheers:

Thank your son for his service to our country and let him know we pray for his continued safety.
 
I think it`s the size of the power steering gear box that presents a clearance problem, therefore you`d have to use a manual box. That creates another dilemma , the manual steering column is longer than the power steering column so your existing column would be too short. One thing leads to another when you start swapping out things.
 
Hey Jeff -
Two things:
1. Back in the very early '70s, I would take the power steering belt off to free up a few more ponies when racing my '69 340 Swinger at OCIR in SoCal. My recollection is the steering through the power steering box without the belt was much more difficult than a manual steering car. And this was with a small block. A 440 is going to put more weight over the front tires making steering response even more difficult.
2. Going to a manual steering setup is going to allow more room for the larger 440 and headers.

If you really want a bunch of room, eliminate the torsion bar front suspension with a RMS AlterKtion front end.
Good luck with your big-block swap.
 
The manual box is much smaller than the PS box because it does not have the hydraulic reservoirs on either side of the rack and recirculating balls. The 67 383s excluded power steering from the option list. I haven't seen a Mr. Norm's big block with PS either.

PS with the reservoirs capped off is manual steering. It is harder to steer because the PS gear box is 16:1 where the manual is something like 24:1. It would be ok at speed, but a bear in close quarters. Mopar makes a 20:1 gear set for the manual box that will speed it up a bit, but the effort will go up too.

I built a rig for a pull truck back in the mid-80s where I connected a power steering pump to a starter motor. I had hoses made up so the unit could be mounted in the bed. The driver would turn it on to manuver in the pits and turn it off for pulls. If the PS box will fit but not the pump, this solution might work for you.
 
Are You Or Your Son In The Service? Thats A Lot Of Days,over 4.5 Yrs? Cant Imagine Being Away From Family And Home That Long. I Have To Tip My Hat To You And Salute. Thank 's For Your Sacrifice And Service To Our Country, Even Though I Dont Quite Understand It All. May Be Able To Help You Out A Little, Would Donate A Manual Gear Box For Shp Costs, Maybe Some Other Members Might Be So Kind To Help With Other Parts, You Will Need A Manual Column Also,which I Dont Have, If I Had I Would Donate It To You. You Can Pm Me With Add. And Zip....thanks....Ken
 
It was me in Iraq for that long. I was one of the very few semi civialians that whet into the red zone almost every day. I was in the Mosul bombing of 12/21/04 lost a lot of friends in that one, I received someones bone stuck into my head. Went threw a dual car bombing on the road of death 5/14/06, got my clock cleaned real good in that one....I even have it all on video. A sniper friend of mine was watching over me and took it. I cant say exactly who I was associated with there, but sometimes they are known as THE agancy. I have tons of great pics and just cool stuff. Gotta love it...lol.
 
Come On Guys Lets Help A Fellow Member Out, Give Something Back I Assure You It Will Come Back To You, Lets Rally In The Troops For The Troops That Rallied In For Us When We Didnt Even Know They Were.....................pay Forward................ Ken
 
Jeff, Sorry for misreading your first post and thinking it was your son in Iraq.

:salut: Thank you for your service and please stay safe over there. How nice of you to try and help your son with his Mopar from thousands of miles away. Gotta love the "super highway".

Great job as a Dad :usa2:
 
Actually I am here now in Texas with him and working on it everyday. God,
I work less doing the do in Iraq. he is trying to kill me here sanding and
wrenching so much..HAHAHA. But honestly guys..THANKS... for the respect
that you give to guys that do the do. For those that have loved ones
there...dont wory so much about them. Honestly only about 25% of them
are really in harms way, yes there are rockets and mortars that come into
the camps, but not like it was in the early years. Not that many are the real SHOOTERS.. and they are in the most danger. I cant say what I did there, but it was on par with the most dangerous, I like it. Love the rush, cant wait to get back to it.

Jeff

:rambo: Baghdad Dart
 
Manual steering box headed ur way in 1-2 days , all need is address and phone. PM'D YOU......PM ME BACK WITH INFO..THANKS
 
Why won't the power steering work? I helped a friend fit a 440 in his '67 Barracuda and he ran B-body HP manifolds and a cop car power steering box. The cop car box return comes out at a 90deg. angle that helped clear the exhaust manifold where the regular box didn't. The Schumacher exhaust is supposed to have lots of room and allow power steering. What's up with this?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top