Power/Manual Steering Column Swap

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CornDog

CornDog

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This is my first time to do a manual steering to power steering swap. Before I go to all the trouble yanking out two columns I just wanted to make sure that I'm not missing anything. With much research already being done on this site, I still have a few questions....

Here is what I have:
I have a '71 Duster that has a 6cyl and auto trans. The car has manual steering with the shifter on the column.

The other car is a '72 Duster that also has a 6cyl and auto trans. This car has power steering with the shifter on the floor.

What I would like to do is swap it out so that the '71 Duster still retains the manual steering but shifts on the floor. I know the shafts at the end of the column are different (manual being long and power being short). I have heard that all I need to do is swap out columns and then swap out the shafts. My biggest concern is what to do with all of the internal linkage on the column shifted unit.

Just to have a floor-shifted auto, is this more trouble than it is worth?? Any advice is greatly appreciated... Thanks!!!

Justin
"CornDog"
 
Install the power steering column and get a power to manual adapter. Several companies make them. Flaming river, Mopar Performance, etc......

I just changed my power steering car to manual and used one. Very simple.

You can see the one I chose in this pic.

faucet pics 642.jpg
 
So, you're just trying to put a steering column from a car with power steering in a car with manual steering? Firm Feel has adapters to adapt power steering columns to manual boxes. They go for about $125.
 
I rebuilt a manual steering box and picked up a floor shift column off of E-Bay. I wasn't planning on swapping to manual steering at the time so I had bought a floor shift power steering column. I shopped around for the best price on a worm gear for the steering box and the adapter (to adapt a power column to a manual box). I ordered both of them from Mancini Racing because they had the best price. I was not impressed by the craftsman ship of it and actually disappointed at the fitment of it on the worm gear they supplied. The hole in the adapter for the role pin was too close the to worm gear and actually crushed the roll pin as it went in. ](*,) I was so frustrated I have had bad luck and lots of wrong shipments and bad parts from them before. I have had to call them and :director: to get them to correct it, on more than one occasion it took multiple phone calls to remind them my returned parts were waiting to be returned, "Something got sat in front of your box on the shelf and they couldn't find it in shipping". I waved the BS flag on that one, they didn't like it. :pain10:

So the whole point of this is that you should invest in a quality adapter, I would have to say Firm Feel is a good choice. My Mancini Racing experience was not good.

Here is mine:
DSCF0012-4.jpg
 
I am really confused. If you have both columns out of the car, why aren't you just going to swap out the center shafts and matching them to your needs? Swapping them while the columns are on the bench is very easy and there's no adapters or expense.
 
DartDad Too said:
I am really confused. If you have both columns out of the car, why aren't you just going to swap out the center shafts and matching them to your needs? Swapping them while the columns are on the bench is very easy and there's no adapters or expense.
Click to expand...

Not only are the two columns different... one being a manual steer and the other being a power steer... they are also different in the fact that one is a floor shift column and the other is shifted by the column.

I know it isn't much trouble to take the floor shifted column and swap out the shafts. But will it be much trouble to swap the column shifted unit back into the other car that supplied the floor shift column. I know... this is getting very confusing. I am tempted to just say screw it and swap out the COMPLETE setup..... column, steering box and all. Manual steering... or power steering isn't the biggest concern. The biggest concern is swapping the column shift car over to a floor shift car.

Justin
"CornDog"
 
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