Thread: Power Steering Troubles 48'ford drop top

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I am working on a 48' ford convertable with a 70's 301ci gm small block, turbo 350 trans, ford 9" rear and buick steering column. I have a ps sector box off a 65 gallaxy 500 which i have bolted in there (space is tight around the headers), and a ps pump for the 70's gm small block. From what i can find my pressure and flow rates are compatable enough but when i crank it and start to turn the wheel the wheel begins to jerk back and forth until i shut it off. The system was bled according to instruction for the steering gear and it is a new rebuilt gear and pump. the lines are not backwards. ANY IDEAS would be WONDERFUL!!!!!

This has been a thorn in my side ever since the first moron mounted a GM pump and expected it to work with a Ford box. If you're any kind of a hot rodder at all, make up some mounts to put the Ford pump on the motor.

Some other yoyo will come on now and suggest pressure reducers or some other crap. Do it properly. Mount the Ford pump.

I am working under the constraints i have been given as it is a 76 yr old lady's car and her brother was building it before he died. she is requiring me to use the parts he ordered for it so that it is how he wanted it. to beat that it is a totally finished car otherwise with a 10k+ paint job

Originally Posted by jmiicustomz

I am working under the constraints i have been given as it is a 76 yr old lady's car and her brother was building it before he died. she is requiring me to use the parts he ordered for it so that it is how he wanted it. to beat that it is a totally finished car otherwise with a 10k+ paint job

Understand. OK, so your best bet at this point is to do some research and find out what pressure each pump produced, then restrict the pressure from the GM pump so that it matches the Ford pump and doesn't overpower the Ford box. Some of the hot rod shops such a Heidt's make a pressure reducer, but I think it's normally for the MII rack. The W&S Ford box may take a different pressure, I don't know.

Not being known for my diplomacy and finesse, I'd call the old girl up and tell her that her idiot brother took the "me too" approach after reading too many hot rod magazines and screwed the pooch with incompatible components. I'd tell her that the Ford pump needs to be mounted on the motor and that I would have to make brackets to do it. Actually, if there is no known valving that will work off the shelf, mounting the Ford pump may be the cheapest way around the problem by the time you add up your labor going through several combinations trying to get it to work. Just my thoughts on it.

Could you define "compatible enough"?--Not sure what the requirements are on an old Ford box, but I'd think they were low...the old Ford P/S pumps weren't that great... As for using the parts he wanted, if they don't work, they don't work......