Power to manual steering

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katman
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Power to manual steering

Post by katman »

I have a 79 Camaro drag car. I want to change from power to manual steering. I've heard that the box to get is from an S-10. What I need to know is what years and which pitman arm to use , Camaro or S-10?
TIA
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BOOT
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Re: Power to manual steering

Post by BOOT »

I did that swap for my 85TA luckly had a doner S-10 the right year. Not sure if it's the same for 2nd gens, and don't rem the exact year S-10 range. I'd try checking out thirdgen.org or a 2nd gen similar site for the info. I can tell you that I used the TA pitman arm. I liked the swap, drove plenty of V8 non power w/o skinnys and never had a prob, just how you drive it.
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crazyman
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Re: Power to manual steering

Post by crazyman »

You could always just recirculate the fluid from one port to the other port on the box itself. Crude, but effective.
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Re: Power to manual steering

Post by katman »

crazyman wrote:You could always just recirculate the fluid from one port to the other port on the box itself. Crude, but effective.
Tried that in the past. Way too much effort and weight, But thanks for the suggestion.
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Re: Power to manual steering

Post by MagnumTPI »

Friend of mine ran a 67 Chevelle drag car. Emptied most of the fluid out of a power box and ran it that way. Blocked the openings for the power assist lines.
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Re: Power to manual steering

Post by rustbucket79 »

I too have a 79 Camaro, I got a box from the wreakers, but it's been a while now. IIRC it was an 83 model. I used the Camaro pitman arm, but in my case the master spline moved the arm about 3 splines off of center. At the time I just adjusted the sleeves on the steering arms. I have since machined the master splines out of the pittman arm so I can clock it wherever I want. Otherwise, it was a bolt in.
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Re: Power to manual steering

Post by katman »

Thanks!
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Re: Power to manual steering

Post by pdq67 »

Please tell me if I am wrong, but I think a rear steer 1st Gen manual steering gearbox will be fine if you reverse the pitman arm.

Or for that matter, a 2nd Gen gearbox right out of a new shipping box. (IF SUCH a box WAS EVEN MADE???)..

Oh, and you have to watch rag-joint spline upper and lower counts at the box and on the end of the steering column too.

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Re: Power to manual steering

Post by gearhead969 »

We just did this to a buddies 80 takes the manual box off the square body style s-10 and use the arm off the power box that's on the car now drives great and steers fine with bb looping the lines doesn't work at all and must be old stock car trick
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Re: Power to manual steering

Post by rebelyank »

Looping the lines does work. Did it on my 81 Regal with a 455 Buick. It does steer harder than a manual box because the manual boxes have a much slower ratio to make them easier to steer. I had an S10 manual box but didn't use it because I wanted the quicker ratio and didn't mind the effort.
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Re: Power to manual steering

Post by John Wallace »

Here is what I have in my notes:
use the heavy duty steering box out of s-10s.
The number on the top of the steering box is 7843962.
The only other thing you have to do is change the pitman arms,
so that you end up using the stock one for your car.
Also make sure that you take the rag joint out of the pickup with
the steering box.
I also have this in notes:
Kragen (also known as Checkers, Schucks, and Advance Auto Parts) sells a manual box
from Lares. It's part number 1275. It's the exact same part number as the manual box
for the S10. They also sell a rag joint which is also the same one for the S10.
The rag joint part number is 200.
:)
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