Thread: Ford R&P to GM Pump question

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Hi Folks,

My '38 Chevy street rod has an MII IFS setup. I'm using a Saginaw "ham can" style pump from a '74 Camaro. Of course, my steering rack was "twichy" beyond belief, because the Ford racks use much less pressure and volume than GM boxes.

I know that I can address the twichy feeling by substituting a flow reduction valve for the original in the pump. I can also control max pressure with the Borgeson shim packs.

I'm going to install the flow reduction valve in the pump, but don't want to do the shim pack part if the rack can already take the pressure. I suspect that on the wrong rack, doing shim-based pressure reduction would reduce the pressure to an unacceptable level, making the rack hard if not impossible to operate.

So, here's my question: I heard that, at some point, more modern Ford racks can take the higher pressure from the GM pumps without modification. I don't know when that time period was or what models are included. Do any of you?

The replacement rack I'm about to install is a Cardone 22-201F. It's a variable ratio rack, that was fitted to:
'78 - '79 Fairmont
'79 Mustang
'74 - '80 Pinto
'75 - '80 Bobcat
'79 Capri

I'm just trying to figure out if this rack is one the higher pressure models or do I still need to do the shim modifications in addition to flow control.

Thanks,
Larry

Larry38HA I don't know about the new ford racks but I use a GM pump with the restricting valve on my T-bird rack (older model) and it works fine so far. good luck

No big deal at all, and the reply adds information on an approach, but Larry's question was June 22 2018, a bit over 3 years ago. Answers provided may help someone down the road, but I expect Larry figured out what he needed.