Idler Arm Help

[Topless Shark]

I'm rebuilding the front end of the shark. It is a 68 Barracuda, 318 car, with power steering I got my kit from PSC in Phoenix, a company that I've used before and like. They sent a McQuay-Norris idler arm PN FA604. It seems to have to little "bend" in it. Compared to the old idler the end that sits in the cross link is about 1/2" higher and that's enough to keep the tie rod from clearing the torsion bar, let alone the exhaust and the oil pan. It doesn't appear to have the same height as the Pitman arm either. I had them send me another part in case it wasn't made properly, but they are both the same.
Has anyone had similar problems with McQuay-Norris Parts?
The car is still largely disassembled and sitting in jack stands back at the the torsion bar frame member, could it flex enough to cause this until I get the wheels on the ground?
I have access to a large press, would "tweaking" the new part be a good idea?

 

[Topless Shark]

After tons of letter writing and with the help of many good parts stores, I've gotten largely to the bottom of the question. There is a problem with how the mid-grade parts are built!

First, the NAPA part listed for the 1969 Barracuda fits fine, but they have made the mount bushing shorter so that it will fit various models and you will have to pile a couple of washers on the mount bolt to take up the room. No big deal though. NAPA was not able to tell me who made theirs, only that all of their suspension parts come from either MOOG or Spicer.

Second, all of the $30.00-$40.00 idler arms from McQuay-Norris, Auto-Zone. Checkers Etc. come from the same foundry (yeah, it's probably in China) and they are wrong. The mount bushing sits to high and the angle is off by just a tad. You could cut the bottom of the mount bushing off and fill in the space with washers, just like the NAPA part requires, but due to the slight change in angle, your crossover steering link is going to sit high. This will place the ball joint of your Pitman arm in a slight bind and require a slightly larger dent in the oil pan of your 318 than you had before (might be OK with other engines, I don't know).

Finally, and strangely, at least at Autozone, the cheap $16.00 idler arm must be manufactured somewhere else, because it fits just fine.

I did write all of the companies selling the improper part and they were all quick to let me know that they will look into the problem and remedy it. Since I can't imagine rebuilding this front end again in my lifetime, someone else will have to let us know if they actually do so.

By the way, PSC of Phoenix is still high on my list of places to do business with. After sending me a second idler arm (which proved that both were built wrong) they had me buy the NAPA arm at my local store and refunded me the money out of my kit price for the unused M-N part. No questions asked. They were also quick to get me in contact with someone at M-N so I could find out where the parts came from and who else might be selling the improper ones.

 

[FISHBREATH]

Thanks for the info, Topless, you have probably saved a lot of people from heartburn (and busted knuckles).