orangemonster
Member
Which factory steering boxes work on 65 Valiant? And with mine being auto on the column, can I use the Mancini steering coupler to compensate for the length difference?Shaft and splines the same?
Changing to manual steering.
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JDMopar
Well-Known Member
I would think the adapter should work. The difference in length between the PS box and a manual box are the same, no matter which car they're sitting in. You should probably get a manual box with the smaller output shaft, so you can use the proper pitman arm for an early A. Check your steering coupler to see if it needs to be rebuilt while you have it apart. Might as well do it all at once so you don't have to pull the column loose again to fix it if it's loosey goosey!
orangemonster
Member
Steering coupler meaning the pot that attaches to the steering box? Or under the cover up near the firewall?
JDMopar
Well-Known Member
The thing that actually attaches the column to the steering box. It will either have a bolt or a roll pin holding it in place on the steering box splines. You can buy kits to rebuild them, or you can get the whole thing if the inside of it is worn too badly.
JDMopar
Well-Known Member
All A/B/E body manual steering boxes had the same diameter sector shaft. The power steering boxes changed from a small to a large sector, but the manual boxes stayed the same.
Only C-body and van manual steering boxes had a different sector diameter.
orangemonster
Member
Thank you guy's for the info.
pishta
I know I'm right....
I went cheap a long time ago and cut 6" off a steering shaft from a junkyard car and cut and welded it to my auto column for manual length. Worked like a charm and you dont need t take column apart (I did though). Hot rodding at its rawest form...hot metal!
Rob Eppler
My Dart Charger...home made!
I just ordered parts from Speedway Motors 3/4" X 36 spline universal joint a 24" section of 3/4" solid round stock and a coupler 3/4-3/4. I doing away with the factory steering coupler at the gear box just in case of exhaust clearance issues. This is my way around buying a used steering column and cutting it up. Not for this car...but a 66 Dart GT project car.
cudamark
Well-Known Member
Up to '72 that is true. From '73 up they all came with the large sector shaft.....just like the power steering gear boxes.
100% false.
There was only one sector shaft size for the A/B/E body manual steering boxes. Nothing changed in '73 for the manual boxes. Which is why I can run a 73+ manual steering pitman arm on my small sector power steering box with a 73+ center link on my '71 Dart. Otherwise, there would be no way to use a small sector steering box with a 73+ center link.
This is where I would normally link the Big Block Dart tech page with pictures showing exactly that, but they changed software so I may have to work harder to see if I saved that info somewhere. Only C-body and van manual steering boxes ever got a larger sector shaft.
***Edit***
Apparently I was smart enough to screen shot that particular tech page at BBD. It probably won't be very legible once the site shrinks it down, but it says what I already did- all A bodies from 62-76, all B-bodies from 62-72, and all E-bodies from '70-74 all had small sector shaft manual steering boxes (1.11" diameter). The only large sector (1.22") diameter steering boxes were either power steering boxes from 73+ OR manual boxes for C bodies and vans, up to '88. And the difference is easily visible in the casting and the cover plate.
If you can't read first screenshot, send me a PM with your info and I'll email the original, which is larger and legible.
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65MagnumFish
65MagnumFish
65MagnumFish
65MagnumFish
Phishta, old thread but wondered what is the difference in length between manual and power steering? I read 6” cut but was that the difference or the rough cut to make your piece? Great photos by the way. Figure if I have the total length I can fabricate something up.
pishta
I know I'm right....
Aargh, I didn't measure it but the 6" was the rough cut at the junk yard and that was the basis for the cut off of the power shaft I had. I wanna say like ~2" but whom ever has a firm feel adapter could possible measure the bottom of the socket to the splined tip?
The measurements I have written down are 40-5/8" for manual steering and 37.5" for power steering. Obviously the steering shafts are collapsable so it's possible those are off a little bit, I don't remember taking the actual measurements at this point so i won't swear that they're perfect. But the manual to power adaptors are over 3" long, so they should be fairly close.
Also, those measurements are not off an early A, they would be 70-76 as everything I've got has the ignition key in the column.
Also, those measurements are not off an early A, they would be 70-76 as everything I've got has the ignition key in the column.
Have used these, they work great. Power Steering to Manual adapter.
pishta
I know I'm right....
Yes, those are the ones but anything over $30 seems high to me. To each his own. I think they may be had from Van steering columns? Thought I saw that somewhere with a Mopar part number: P4510637 Manual Steering Adapter
65MagnumFish
65MagnumFish
65MagnumFish
65MagnumFish
Looked up the part on multiple websites. $213 was the cheapest price. I do like the idea of the part.
65MagnumFish
65MagnumFish
Sweeet! I assumed the pic from earlier was an older one. I’m on that. Thanks I didn’t find it.
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