Need help!!! 1965 power steering nightmare

[BillGrissom]

Perhaps not as easy as some suggest. While the p.s. gear doesn't care what p.s. pump you have, the hoses do. You need hoses w/ the correct fittings, or change the valve body on the gear to match your hoses. As I recall, TRW pumps were inverted flare h.p. fitting, while Federal pumps were O-ring fitting (Saginaw too?). The fittings on the gears varied over the years, perhaps in sync with the pumps. Return hoses varied in ID. Of course, some people can make hoses from scratch, or if you have old fittings. The 1965 h.p. hose had an in-line reducer, at least in SB and BB engines. Re brackets, perhaps not all combinations work since the later alum water pumps are ~1" thicker. They also don't have the hole required for the TRW brackets. The Bouchillon web site sells brackets. It appears the TRW pump was never used with the alum w.p., so perhaps the reverse is true for the Saginaw pump (never used w/ cast-iron w.p.?).

 

[slantsixdan]

You need hoses w/ the correct fittings, or change the valve body on the gear to match your hoses.

Not really. See post № 8 in this thread.

Re brackets, perhaps not all combinations work since the later alum water pumps are ~1" thicker.

There is no thickness difference in Slant-6 water pumps, and the OP's car has a Slant-6 engine.

The Bouchillon web site sells brackets.

Not for Slant-6 engines, they don't.

It appears the TRW pump was never used with the alum w.p., so perhaps the reverse is true for the Saginaw pump (never used w/ cast-iron w.p.?).

Also not applicable to the OP's Slant-6 car.

 

[kesteb]

A better question would be, why do you need power steering in a '65 Dart? Install a manual box and be done with the mis-mash of parts.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I completely understand your balding problem, Dan. You've pulled it all out.

Not really. See post № 8 in this thread.



There is no thickness difference in Slant-6 water pumps, and the OP's car has a Slant-6 engine.



Not for Slant-6 engines, they don't.



Also not applicable to the OP's Slant-6 car.

 

[slantsixdan]

A better question would be, why do you need power steering in a '65 Dart?

Ummmmm...because it's his car and that's what he wants? Just guessing, LOL.

 

[BillGrissom]

I apologize for the confusion, I forgot the engine in question is a slant (I have slant, SB, BB). Makes it slightly easier since less variations in pulleys and water pumps over the years than small-blocks, plus slant stuff is almost free (people replace w/ V-8). One data point I'll throw out is that the factory p.s. pump bracket in my 1969 Dart custom 225 cracked ~1987, around the 3 mounting holes to the block. I got another bracket from the junkyard, probably late 1970's slant. It bolted up the same, but was a different design, perhaps "improved", so look for that if you can. Pretty sure my Dart had the Federal (aka Chrysler) p.s. pump. I was pretty clueless then (no internet searches) so lucked out that it fit.

If you later want AC, consider that now since might conflict w/ the p.s. pump. If you grab AC compressor, p.s. pump, and pulleys from a slant, it all "should fit", though 1965 has a narrower engine bay (and shorter?). Factory AC on slants was usually the massive RV2 compressor, so aftermarket AC brackets might be better. Some Volare/Aspen used a Sanden compressor w/ Saginaw p.s. pump (better). I have those. They barely fit in my 1964 engine bay. After trimming the bracket edges I have an amazing 1" clearance to the battery (still looks threatening). But, future batteries may be smaller, indeed some are already 6" wide in new cars.

 

[Darren65Dart]

I thank all the imput, got 2 mopar cars within a month , first time. This 65 Dart has been slapping me around good with a little slant six. The reason putting power steering is because I got the car with the ps box in it. I actually could care less about having manual steering, just box already installed. This has the original engine and for first time I wanted to leave it alone. Its 50 years old and I've butchered to many cars already buy swapping engines.

 

[Darren65Dart]

My 67 firebird has manual steering and drum brakes at all 4 corners. It doesn't bother me, I tell my wife and son believe it or not, there was a time a 85 year old lady drove these to grocery stores with a 3 speed on tree. They managed. Lol