73 Swinger Power Steering Header Nightmare!

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Spacegrass

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Recently got a set of Patriot headers for my 73 Swinger. They’re at the shop now being installed and while the passenger side cleared with a little motor lifting, but the drivers side is having trouble with fit due to having power steering.

Some searching the forums shows a multitude of answers, including just disassembling the coupler and reassembling after headers are in, getting a new coupler kit if it rubs and buying a whole new set of headers and trying again.

I’ve only had the car for two months, and I’m not super knowledgeable about this kind of stuff - and many of the people who have been helping me out don’t seem to be super knowledgeable about this car. Any help would be appreciated!
 
Spacegrass said:
Recently got a set of Patriot headers for my 73 Swinger. They’re at the shop now being installed and while the passenger side cleared with a little motor lifting, but the drivers side is having trouble with fit due to having power steering.

Some searching the forums shows a multitude of answers, including just disassembling the coupler and reassembling after headers are in, getting a new coupler kit if it rubs and buying a whole new set of headers and trying again.

I’ve only had the car for two months, and I’m not super knowledgeable about this kind of stuff - and many of the people who have been helping me out don’t seem to be super knowledgeable about this car. Any help would be appreciated!
Click to expand...
Make sure the headers are for a car with power steering.
 
Spacegrass said:
It hasn’t been shimmed, maybe that’s the issue?
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You can move the engine around quite a bit by loosening all the fasteners thru the engine and mounts, the trans mount, then using ratchet straps, a long pry bar and jacks, move the engine as poss and tighten the bolts with the best clearances.

Then shim as nec.
 
Do you know how easy it is to drop the column out of that car?
There are three small nuts at the cradle, 2 screws at the floorplate and a pin in the coupler. Plus two wire couplers. and a quick-pin/cotter-pin if column-shifted I think 10 minutes should cover it.
Pull the starter as well.
If the steering goes thru the header, drop it outta there too.
Now you got lots of room.

Install the header,then
fit the steering, then
fit the column back in, then
fit the starter last.

Solve your problems as you go.
Be prepared to pull the header a couple of times for massaging. Start early in the morning and quit when you get frustrated. Then come back the next day.
Unless you have a buddy helping, then take a break and trade jokes for a while.
 
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There’s a reason why people spend the money to get TTI and Doug’s headers. While they aren’t perfect, it usually beats buying “cheap” headers and then spending many hours and more dollars remaking the car to fit the cheap headers.
 
AJ/FormS said:
Do you know how easy it is to drop the column out of that car?
There are three small nuts at the cradle, 2 screws at the floorplate and a pin in the coupler. Plus two wire couplers. and a quick-pin/cotter-pin if column-shifted I think 10 minutes should cover it.
Pull the starter as well.
If the steering goes thru the header, drop it outta there too.
Now you got lots of room.

Install the header,then
fit the steering, then
fit the column back in, then
fit the starter last.

Solve your problems as you go.
Be prepared to pull the header a couple of times for massaging. Start early in the morning and quit when you get frustrated. Then come back the next day.
Unless you have a buddy helping, then take a break and trade jokes for a while.
Click to expand...

There’s some issue fitting the power steering box in, now that the headers are on!

64-BED950-F55-F-499-E-8-DB3-4-D00276-DB911.jpg
 
I have never taken a steering box off to fit headers.

In really difficult cases I have undone the engine mounts. and cherry-picked the engine over to the passenger side with that side header not yet mounted. I have always left the P-side for last, cuz it usually falls on.

But now that the driver side header is in fact on, you can at least clearance everything else; like the bottom of the column, the shifter mechanism, and the T-bars; which I usually remove.

Instead of a cherry picker, you can jack up the engine at the pan, but you must use a load spreader between the pan and the jack so you don't create more problems for yourself by collapsing the pan.
 
BTW
With my year 2000 TTIs, I was able to remove the POWER steering box several times, for modifications. But I split the pitman arm off.
I cannot remember if I dropped it out the bottom or top. I bet it was the bottom cuz I do remember it was pretty heavy.
 
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