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Customs Steering Box Swap Craziness

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Kato Kings, May 16, 2021.

  1. Kato Kings
    Joined: Aug 22, 2006
    Posts: 707

    Kato Kings
    Member
    from Minnesota

    I am in the middle of swapping a power steering box into my 57 lincoln. The lincoln box has a wandering issue that is notorious. I could have had my box rebuilt. No guarantee the issue will be fixed from my research. I did a lot of research, not a lot of 56 or 57 lincoln owners attempting this. 56 ford guys use a jeep grand cherokee box. Looked at a jeep box to compare to my lincoln box. Looked like it would work. The crazy part is that the pitman arm from the lincoln box fits on the jeep box. Same exact splines. Do a lot of these steering boxes have the same pitman arm splines? I will update this thread as I finish the swap.
    20210516_102318.jpg 20210516_102325.jpg
     
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  2. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 56,043

    squirrel
    Member

    The lincoln box is in the first photo? If so, it's a Saginaw box, quite GM....and Jeep got a lot of steering gears from Saginaw over the decades also, so it surprises me not at all that the splines are the same.
     
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  3. Kato Kings
    Joined: Aug 22, 2006
    Posts: 707

    Kato Kings
    Member
    from Minnesota

    The jeep box is made by Delphi, The lincoln box is saginaw (first photo).
     
  4. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 56,043

    squirrel
    Member

    Delphi is the company that took over Saginaw, Delco, etc, isn't it? They're all GM subsidiaries, or something.
     
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  5. Kato Kings
    Joined: Aug 22, 2006
    Posts: 707

    Kato Kings
    Member
    from Minnesota

    Makes sense if that is the case. They would want to reuse broach tooling. I just thought it crazy, that 58 years apart stuff still fits together.
     
  6. Elcohaulic
    Joined: Dec 27, 2017
    Posts: 2,213

    Elcohaulic

    I would take that box and that power steering pump to Lee and have them build you a box that will have that big link handling like a dream..
     
  7. Mike Colemire
    Joined: May 18, 2013
    Posts: 1,431

    Mike Colemire
    Member

    I know Jeep used the 525 manual GM box.
     
  8. dana barlow
    Joined: May 30, 2006
    Posts: 5,123

    dana barlow
    Member
    from Miami Fla.
    1. Y-blocks

    Cars/trucks, that have wondering down the road,are many times thing/adjustments done to them,an not just it got old! Or was poor design to start with. It's not always just one adjustment by one guy ether,can be a number of bad moves over time come together.
    So I'll make note about fixing a number of things found wrong often with steering boxs an there efect when wrong setting are used.
    I'll try to say it,so I brake through the BS bubble of old wife-tails,that get passed around.
    So reread about 6 times if needed!
    Lot of guys adjust there steering box ,but do it wrong*****,mostly with it out of "box" on own center****<<not axle center or tierod center+/But the box center all by it's self.*........Take the rod off the pitman arm,then run the box all by it's self from one side to other<counting the turns? Come back too real 1/2 way.=real *center of box/then adjust box<there an only there*. After set front wheels straight ahead*,then re-adjust rod so it will fit on pitman arm with out moving box or arm off center.
    What many fail too understand,is steering boxs teeth spacing are made with less space dead center of each/so there is less play going straight down the road. Steering to ether side goes to bigger spacing designed in to the gears for EZ movement; but more play.
    There can be lots of other stuff wrong as well,but fixing this type crap in my speed shop over 40+ years on hot rods an racecars= Was most found screw up that came in steering wise!!!
    Never adjust steer rod or tie rods to make steering wheel look straight in cockpit: Take the steering wheel off,put it back on shaft straight,when car is straight ahead........

    Hopefully that saves some one blowing $ on new stuff,that can be just set right!
     
    Last edited: May 16, 2021
  9. Kato Kings
    Joined: Aug 22, 2006
    Posts: 707

    Kato Kings
    Member
    from Minnesota

    Thanks Dana for the informative info. I read it 6 times. But the original post isn't asking for help on adjusting my steering box. I went through every option before going down the road I went down.
     
    dana barlow likes this.
  10. nobby
    Joined: Jan 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,217

    nobby
    Member

    hello
    the lines into it are m16 and m18
    the smaller side is the high pressure side = m16
    if you search the interweb
    -look at the grand cherokee return line, they have a real nice small rubber mounted power steering fluid cooling radiator in them.
    plus you could probably utilise the stock return line from the box to the cooler, then back.
    find the high pressure line too, as it will probably have a real nice internal stiffening spring, noticable as it will have a crimped on ferrule half way up, i think the inner springy bits spin the fluid and takes out the pulsing of the pump?



    fyi the saginaw 800's - power boxes are all 1 1/8'' sector manual 525 are `1 1/6
    the 4 master splines are clocked straight gm but I have found... - a ford version is NORMALLY 45 degrees off
    so I would check that your sector shaft is orientated the same
    just to be sure, as if you search a ford power steering pitman, the master splines are normally clocked 45 degrees - maybe you are good?

    i bet if you pull of the at input cap, its 30 splines 3/4 - for example if you have the second uj at 36 splines, you might be able to get the steering wheel on straight!

    they are a massive box them!!

    oh another one
    IF you fit a saginaw 800 into a 35-40 ford.....
    use the pitman arm from a
    1971 TO 1974 PONTIAC PITMAN ARM # 7809957 GMTI7A
    the part number is actually 7809956
    but they are forged with the 7 on the end.
    erm, they are 6 and a smidge long
    BUT they share the early ford tie rod taper perfectly 1.5'' per foot 7.? degrees

    oh and its the early 93-98 ZJ grand cherokee i think that has the 60 inch wide axle, with 4.5'' pcd, the 99 on is 5 on 5 and 65'' wide
     
    Last edited: May 16, 2021
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  11. Kato Kings
    Joined: Aug 22, 2006
    Posts: 707

    Kato Kings
    Member
    from Minnesota

    Thanks nobby. That is brilliant info.
     
  12. nobby
    Joined: Jan 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,217

    nobby
    Member

    oh - the other thing....
    get the metric pump, because
    rather than bodge together the high pressure line using the old one, with its imperial fitting
    the jeep comes with v8 , inline 6 and diesel engines - placement of the pumps all differing
    PLUS!!!
    the marque IS available in right hand drive too!!
    so, there will be at least 6 SIX variants of high pressure line available off the shelf
    PLUS
    I found it was cheaper to get a new line from the rock auto than buying a used one from ebay
    PLUS
    you get the same metric boxes in cherokees and rubicons with metric lines
    so 18!!

    don't be tempted with the banjo what ever you do, as there is no rubber to get on the barb as the rubber lines have the steel spring in them all the way to the steel pipe,

    yes i remember now
    2000 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 4.0L L6 Power Steering Pressure Hose | RockAuto

    under ten bucks for a new line - note rhd / lhd length differences
    used ones - they wanted 75 quid FFS - and I bought one, incorrect and imperial!
    no idea when they go metric - 1980 and up - looks like acroos all makes and models gm/mopar.......

    2000 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 4.0L L6 Power Steering Return Line End Fitting | RockAuto

    fitting to the box 4 bucks
     
    Last edited: May 16, 2021
    dana barlow likes this.
  13. Kato Kings
    Joined: Aug 22, 2006
    Posts: 707

    Kato Kings
    Member
    from Minnesota

    I was hoping to use the lincoln pump. I can go to the jeep pump, but the pully is serpentine. Is there anyway to know if the pump pressures are vastly different? I can have lines made to work either way.
     
  14. nobby
    Joined: Jan 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,217

    nobby
    Member

    thats the thing that got me stumped.
    but more using a pump deigned for a steering rack going into a steering box.
    I reckon its more to do with the diameter of the pulley than the pump itself
    as i am reckoning they all share a similar centrifugal vane set up using common parts perhaps
    = no idea
    shame you cant re swedge the fitting to the old line maybe?
     
  15. Kato Kings
    Joined: Aug 22, 2006
    Posts: 707

    Kato Kings
    Member
    from Minnesota

    That is the challenge, merging the pressure line fittings. I think I can make it happen.
     
  16. Canuck
    Joined: Jan 4, 2002
    Posts: 1,104

    Canuck
    Member

    You guys probably know this. Looking to replace a leaking hose on my 64 Malibu, all available parts house hoses were universal, sort of fit, a make do fit that I didn't like.
    Went to a local hydraulic hose shop here and had a talk. Tech told me if I could bend up the two ends and mark them for orientation they could set me up. I bent and flared two pieces of 3/8 line with fittings and put a orientation mark on each one. They crimped a hose on the pump end and crimped a fitting on the steering box end. The fitting installed on the line at the steering box end installed with a compression fitting. I just slid it on and tightened it up. Like doing a plumbing fitting at home, but designed and made for hydraulic pressures. Looks good, fits perfect, no leaks and reasonable cost. You can just see the compression fitting below the alternator pulley.

    Might be a solution for some of those odd ball combos.

    upload_2021-5-16_20-14-53.png
     
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  17. Kato Kings
    Joined: Aug 22, 2006
    Posts: 707

    Kato Kings
    Member
    from Minnesota

    Yep. This is why I got the hoses at the junkyard from the jeep box. Good info.
     
  18. nobby
    Joined: Jan 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,217

    nobby
    Member

    IMG_20210517_141153[1].jpg
    its all fresh for me.....
    this pitman came today!!
    doing it again in a 39 pickup

    put a link up to the correct compression fittings!!

    rock auto are out of stock with the cooleres - damn, I bet that was me letting the good info slip!
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: May 17, 2021
  19. Canuck
    Joined: Jan 4, 2002
    Posts: 1,104

    Canuck
    Member

    Nobby, sorry about a part no., no.s on the fitting but illegible due to the crimping. I got these from a shop that specializes in hydraulic lines, for anything, not specifically autos, a division of a larger Machine corporation. I am sure if little old Winnipeg has a shop a small town like yours would have the equivalent.

    They crimped the fittings on each end of the hose and gave it to me that way. I bent up the lines at each end to point where I wanted. Slipped the fitting with nut and compression sleeve onto the lines and compressed the sleeve the same as you would a plumbing fixture (or at least on this side of the big pond).

    The lines are 3/8" OD galvanized tubing common here for gas lines (or at least it use to be), same as used by GM back in 64. The nuts are SAE to fit the steering box and PS pump. Still common here. Don't know about on your side, but I would think whatever is available as hard line and fittings to fit the box and pump, the hydraulic shops would have the equivalent high pressure fittings and hose.
    upload_2021-5-17_16-45-8.png
    This is a better picture of the hose and fitting on the line going to the box. Hope there is something available on your side. I liked how it ended up looking, almost factory on the fittings and the lines and hose route fits perfect, as good as factory. All the parts house hoses that are suppose to fit end up looking like you just grabbed something off the shelf and said good enough.

    Might be something here that would work for you: Hydraulic Compression Products for Any Application (fairviewfittings.com)


    Keep Safe
    Jim
     
    Last edited: May 17, 2021

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