[steve]

My firebird came with manual steering. I have a bunch of power steering components and have been considering the upgrade to power steering. Has any one else done the swap ? It seems pretty straight forward and easy. Are there issues in doing the swap I am unaware of ? Was it worth it ? The only time I miss power steering now is when trying to park in tight spaces....

[Ballast]

I just did it on a 64 GTO. Was it worth it? Hell yes. I hated that manual steering, way to slow and way to hard to park. Could hardly do a left hand turn and haul it in before the centerline - right hand turn in your case Steve.
I got the box from Chip at Power Steering Services and he was good to deal with, the box has decent road feel.
The only issues were lining up the serpentine pulleys ( they didnt), getting the hydraulic hose bloke to put the hoses to the right spots on the box, and getting all the air out of the system.
I have a engine similiar to yours and was worried I wouldnt be able to correct it quick enough if it stepped out. Dont worry about that anymore,
cheers
Steve

[steve]

What did that box cost ya ? Any special ratio ? Was it hard to get the manual box off ?

[chrisp]

Better try to find a pitman arm first , the power steering box uses a different pitman arm . I think they are tough to find . All else is readily available .

[Ballast]

Originally Posted by steve

What did that box cost ya ? Any special ratio ? Was it hard to get the manual box off ?

Chip charges $325 with a core. $425 without. I got it shipped to oz, but still good value. You can check on his website powersteering.com
3 turns lock to lock.
Yes the pitman arm is a different size, and the rag joint was also. The man rag joint is smaller than the two sizes I know of for the PS boxes. And I know there are two rag joint sizes for PS boxes cos I ordered one and it fit a PS box I had, but it didnt fit the one I got from Chip. I managed to find another rag joint bracket that fit Chips box. I should have just got the rag joint from off Chip so i knew it would fit.
Getting the box off was easy enough - I borrowed one of those wedge forks to release the pitman arm from the centerlink, and a tri-puller to release the pitman arm from the box.
Steve

[Leftyarmstrong]

When I bought my car the ps was missing. Took awhile to gather up the stuff. Hell yes. Put an aftermarket kit on my truck. Expensive. Alot of work. Hell yes. Why do you think I was calling myself leftyarmstrong when I signed up here? Injured my right shoulder and had to steer with my left. Power disc brakes too. It was among the first things. My wife came home one day and asked if I'd put that power disc kit in yet. I said no. She said "we should get that." Next day I was at http://www.abspowerbrake.com/. Give them a call. They do steering too.

[chrisp]

Have a good 3 turn power box if needed .

[Leftyarmstrong]

Just remembered this: Guy with a '65 Buick asked me about my close ratio box. Said he'd tried it and didn't like it because it didn't want to return on its own. True enough. The close ratio I installed tends to not return on its own and it is a bit annoying. Anyone else have that experience?

[steve]

will the power steering brackets bolt onto Eheads without mods ?

[BVR421]

Originally Posted by steve

My firebird came with manual steering. I have a bunch of power steering components and have been considering the upgrade to power steering. Has any one else done the swap ? It seems pretty straight forward and easy. Are there issues in doing the swap I am unaware of ? Was it worth it ? The only time I miss power steering now is when trying to park in tight spaces....

Upgrade? maybe if grandma is going to drive it.

what a bunch of weenies! I suppose you namby pambys want AC as well?

[steve]

Originally Posted by BVR421

Upgrade? maybe if grandma is going to drive it.

what a bunch of weenies! I suppose you namby pambys want AC as well?

thanks. very insightful

[Leftyarmstrong]

Funny you should say that. After restoring my '57 3600 dually with a dump bed, my 86 year old mother came over to borrow my F150 to move an antique. I said, "No way. YOu have to take that one." pointing to my stovebolt Chevy. She looked at me and said, "I'd be proud to drive that truck."

[rolling money pits]

Originally Posted by Leftyarmstrong

Just remembered this: Guy with a '65 Buick asked me about my close ratio box. Said he'd tried it and didn't like it because it didn't want to return on its own. True enough. The close ratio I installed tends to not return on its own and it is a bit annoying. Anyone else have that experience?

its possible its the pump.

ive read over the past couple years on these close ratio/hi-effort box swaps that the pump needs to be matched to it. matched in the sense of the pressure valve in the pump.

i dont know if doing that increases or decreases the fluid pressure to the box, logic sorta says the "low effort" boxes are thay way due to high fluid pressure. but who knows....

i also dont know what role, if any, line pressure plays in the steering wheel return of saginaw style boxes.

if it does play a role, and IF high effort boxes require higher pressure than low effort, i guess it's possible the pump doesnt have enough oomph to help that along.

[J_JAMNIK]

Did the conversion on a 67 FB. Made the car a lot easier to drive(manual trans) especially once the power brakes were installed!

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by Leftyarmstrong

Just remembered this: Guy with a '65 Buick asked me about my close ratio box. Said he'd tried it and didn't like it because it didn't want to return on its own. True enough. The close ratio I installed tends to not return on its own and it is a bit annoying. Anyone else have that experience?

More! Positive! Caster!

Negative caster makes the steering easier to turn. Spec'd for manual steering.

Positive caster makes the steering return to center; and makes for more-stable high-speed highway cruising, but Grandma can't turn the wheel to park the car unless it has power steering.

[Ballast]

All this fixation on grandma's makes me think you seppos have a wrinkle fetish.

Is power steering a more pleasurable experience - hell yes. Thats all the bloke wants to know.

[steve]

Originally Posted by Ballast

All this fixation on grandma's makes me think you seppos have a wrinkle fetish.

Is power steering a more pleasurable experience - hell yes. Thats all the bloke wants to know.

ha. these guys just like to yank your chains. they probably have all power accessories and AC on their grocery getters so they are comfy when they are out picking up feminine napkins for their women.

[Leftyarmstrong]

HA! These days something is wrong with the wife's thermostat. AC is next.

[Ballast]

Originally Posted by steve

ha. these guys just like to yank your chains. they probably have all power accessories and AC on their grocery getters so they are comfy when they are out picking up feminine napkins for their women.

Yep, thats what I figured.
cheers