There are some enthusiasts who insist
that a hot rod be bare bones and
basic-no power windows, no air
conditioning, no power steering. That's fine, but anyone who drives a musclecar
with manual steering on a regular basis knows what a pain it can be just
getting into a parking space, not to mention the fact that manual steering
boxes on '60s cars usually came with very slow steering ratios. Fortunately
there is a lot of interchangeability among the steering boxes found on GM
cars over the years, so upgrading to a power box is fairly simple.
That's especially true for Chevelles, which accept one of the more popular
GM power boxes-the Saginaw 800. This box was used in various incarnations
under a variety of full-size and intermediate GM vehicles, from A- and G-Body
Chevelles and Monte Carlos to Second- and Third-Generation F-Bodies and
even some trucks. We recently added power steering to a small block powered
'65 Chevelle using a rebuilt 800 box from Classic Performance Products (CPP).
In fact, CPP supplied us with all the parts we needed for the swap, from
the box and pump to the necessary brackets and pulleys. Depending on your
particular application and engine, a power steering conversion like this
can range from a simple afternoon operation to a frustrating chore and parts
hunt. We're passing along the lessons we learned hoping that it will make
your swap a little easier, whether you buy new parts, scrounge for used
stuff, or mix and match a little of each. Keep in mind, however, that we're
concentrating on parts that are readily available, and we're not concerning
ourselves with numbers-matching originality.
STEERING BOX
Like we said before, the Saginaw 800
box can be found in a wide variety of GM
cars. Though the basic design remained
the same through the years, there are some differences to watch for. For
starters, some cases are held to the frame with three bolts, while others
use four. Either style will work, but some four-bolt cases have a little
extra casting on the upper rear bolt boss that has to be ground off so the
box will fit properly. Also, early 800 6oxes use flare hose fittings, while
later versions have metric O-ring fittings. You want to make sure you have
the appropriate hoses for the box you get. And finally, some 800 boxes have
13/16-inch, 36-spline input shafts, while others use 3/4-inch, 30-spline
shafts. |
You'll want to make sure the size and spline count of your
rag joint coupler matches the one on your box.
In addition to the external differences,
Saginaw 800 boxes came with a plethora of internal variations depending
on their original application. The choices are staggering and include variances
in steering ratios, tension, and internal steering stops. To simplify matters,
Classic Performance Products offers three boxes: a stock-ratio box, a quick-ratio
unit, and one that falls
somewhere in-between. Quick-ratio boxes have become popular with enthusiasts
who want to wring as much handling prowess out of their cars as possible,
but we've also talked to folks who find them a little too jittery. The intermediate
ratio (approximately 3.5 turns lock-to-lock) seems to provide a happy medium
of improved handling and
highway comfort. Of course, the ultimate
choice is up to you.
PITMAN ARM
In addition to a power steering box,
you'll need a Pitman arm to go with it. The power steering Pitman arm differs
from a manual steering part. In fact, there are two variations of power
steering Pitman arms to go with the different centerlinks found in early
A-Bodies-one has a larger boss and hole on the small end that attaches to
the tapered stud on the centerlink. You'll want to compare your new Pitman
arm to your old one to make sure it properly matches the centerlink in your
car.
STEERING PUMP
Chevelles came equipped with many
different power steering pumps over the
years, including an unusual pump with a
remote reservoir used on big-blocks from
1965-69. Aside from the big-block unit, there are only a couple of pump
designs that you're likely to find rebuilders and restoration companies
offering today. The biggest difference with these is in the reservoirs.
Earlier pumps use a small reservoir with a distinct filler neck, while the
newer (and more common) reservoir is slightly larger with more of a teardrop
shape. And just like steering boxes, later-model pumps (typically post-'80)
use metric fittings. We used the older, smaller unit on our swap, but it
appears that the teardrop-shaped pump will fit, too. If price is not an
issue, several aftermarket companies also offer compact, street-rod-style
pumps with remote reservoirs. |
PUMP BRACKETS
Here's where things get a little tricky,
especially on early ('64-68) Chevelles with driver-side mounted alternators.
If you've got a stock engine with original exhaust manifolds, you'll obviously
be able to use original-style pump brackets without many headaches. But
for cars with headers, things may not fall into place so easily. On our
car, which has a 327 with a short water pump and a 350-style balancer, we
were able to use the factory-style brackets, but we had to modify our alternator
bracket to properly mount the upper pump bracket (see photos for details).
By the time you read this, CPP should be offering an alternator bracket
that will help you avoid the dilemma we faced. Similar modifications might
work for big-block Chevelles with headers, but we weren't able to try it
ourselves before going to print. Of course, several styles of aftermarket
power steering pump brackets are also available, but most require the use
of a compact aftermarket pump or the
relocation of the alternator (to the inside of the valve cover or to the
passenger side of the engine) to avoid belt or bracket interference. Others
will work if you convert to a long water pump.
PULLEYS AND HOSES
Here's another area where there isn't
always a one-size-fits-all solution. Naturally, you'll need a two- or three-groove
crank pulley if you don't have one already. But finding the right steering
pump pulley may require some trial-and-error fitting. We tried a couple
of different single-groove pulleys before achieving the belt alignment we
needed with a dual-groove unit from CPP.
You've also got several options for
power steering hoses, including having
custom hoses made, searching for off-the-shelf hoses, or buying OEM-style
hoses from restoration suppliers. We took the easy route and used new hoses
from CPP.
CONCLUSION
Though it may seem like a simple upgrade, converting your Chevelle to power
steering isn't always a cut-and-dried procedure, especially on modified
cars.
Our suggestion would be to trial fit the
power steering pump before you take anything else apart. Once you've got
the
pump fit, everything else should be pretty
straightforward. With a few of these tips
and a little persistence, you should be in
good shape. |
