I am working on a customers 52 Ford Crestliner. The steering box has worn splines on the sector shaft and pitman arm, and the box feels a bit chunky as it is rotated through its cycle and is ok at each end of the cycle. The car has a Nailhead Buick engine in it and only has single groove pulley system and only an alternator. So the question is do I try to find parts to rebuild the original steering box and other steering components, or do I jump into a full power steering conversion from Borgeson and have to deal with where and how to mount the pump? Has anyone dealt with these steering boxes? Looking for cost effective solution that will last.
Joblot Auto has quite a few steering box parts for the old Fords, they are great to deal with. http://www.joblotauto.com/pdf_list.asp?cat_id=18# The Borgeson box (hard to believe one box covers 1952-1964 cars...) has a lot of caveats that go with it. You definitely have to modify the steering column and may not be able to use the 3 on the tree shifter after you're done if the car is a stick. Join the '52-'59 Ford forum and get some opinions there. A great bunch of guys.
Thanks for the link bobss396. The car has an automatic and a GM tilt column in it. The steering shaft was cut off and a u-joint was pinned and tack welded to it. I backed off the adjuster on top of the box and that made it smoother, but I still have the issue of the worn splines on the sector shaft and pitman arm. I think someone tightened the adjuster up on the car trying to take out the play not realizing it was in the splines not the box. I will post some pics when I get home tonight.
Here are the pictures I promised. Wear on the splines of the sector shaft. Pitman arm on sector shaft, sorry it is a bit blurry. Not much room for a power steering pump. Where the steering box resides. What a slime pit. Some pics of the car, it is done in the fashion of old customs, looks is what counts and the mechanicals come last.
It looks like the most cost effective way to do this is to rebuild the steering box or find a good used one. It looks like I can buy all the parts to rebuild it for less than the cost of just the power steering box for the conversion. I would estimate $2000-$4000 with parts and labor to do a power steering conversion and less than $1000-$1500 to rebuild what is there and reinstall it. Thanks again for the link bobss396 it was most helpful.
I got the parts for the steering box and rebuilt it today. All new bearings and seals, new sector shaft and pitman arm, new worm. Froze the shaft in the freezer overnight and put the new worm on the wood stove. drove the shaft in with a small sledge. Mig welded the lower bearing race to shrink it and remove. The steering shaft had been cut off and pinned to the u-joint and the horn wire tube was pinned to the shaft as well so I shortened it and put a push connect flair on the end of it and crimped it back in the housing. Set the end play and the backlash on the sector. Just waiting for the new pitman arm ball stud and it will be done.
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