Power Steering Conversion
This page explains how I used a ABS Power Brake integral power steering box conversion “kit” to install power steering in my Falcon. If you had a little chuckle when you saw the word “kit” in quotation marks, then you probably have some experience with custom auto work. This was by no means a seamless operation, but then again the kit is intended for Mustangs, and most of the shortcomings of the kit where due to the differences between Mustangs and Falcons. The remaining challenges where due to the fact that my car has a six, and with a few exceptions the aftermarket completely ignores us sixers. Since it took some ingenuity to pull off this conversion, I’ll do my best to detail what I did and what I learned so that others might not stumble in the same places as I. {Notes: I had already converted to V-8 steering. This conversion may not be applicable to cars with stock 6-cyl steering without additional modification. Also, the kit has been improved since I did mine, so your experience may be easier.}
THE KIT
The basic kit includes a remanufactured Toyoda steering box, a Flaming River u-joint, a re-splined Pitman arm, bolts and spacers, hoses (that won’t fit an i-6), a GM pump with V-pulley, and brackets to mount the pump to a 289/302 that are totally useless if you have an inline six. To be fair, I was clear about what car/engine I was using and ABS was very clear that certain parts probably wouldn’t fit and that I would have to improvise.
FIRST STEPS
My first goal was to make sure I could fit this pump to this engine. In order to do so I had to swap in a two-groove harmonic balancer for my one-groove and make a custom bracket for the pump.
I started with the balancer swap. Although I had already sourced a two-groove unit from a recycle yard Maverick, I found that the Damper Doctor had good deals on reconditioned balancers. For $95 I was able to opt for a known-good unit rather than the mystery piece I pulled at the junkyard. The swap is straightforward and quick. Despite having to pull the radiator I was done in about ninety minutes. Of course, I left the radiator out so that I’d have more room to work on the next phase of the project.
With the damper in, I could turn my attention to mounting the pump. In preparation for this conversion I had grabbed two different kinds of six-cylinder brackets in a scrap yard. In addition I had the bracket that came with the kit. While the two scrap yard brackets fit the engine, they did not fit the pump. Conversely, the one that came with the kit fit the pump, but not the engine. I did some fabrication with my limited metal-working experience and tools and fashioned this bracket combining one of the junkyard brackets with a piece that came with the kit:
While I was driving the car around with this bracket I made note of the forces working on it and began working on a new design. By the time it broke I was ready to install this new one, fashioned by modifying one of the junkyard pieces. For those of you you thinking that I would have saved myself considerable trouble by just using a Ford pump that fit this bracket instead of the Saginaw one that didn't, you are probably right. However, the tech at ABS told me that the Ford pump would not provide enough pressure. I never confirmed this independently.
Having developed a suitable mounting solution for the pump (still on version 1 at this point) I began the installation of the steering box.
This page explains how I used a ABS Power Brake integral power steering box conversion “kit” to install power steering in my Falcon. If you had a little chuckle when you saw the word “kit” in quotation marks, then you probably have some experience with custom auto work. This was by no means a seamless operation, but then again the kit is intended for Mustangs, and most of the shortcomings of the kit where due to the differences between Mustangs and Falcons. The remaining challenges where due to the fact that my car has a six, and with a few exceptions the aftermarket completely ignores us sixers. Since it took some ingenuity to pull off this conversion, I’ll do my best to detail what I did and what I learned so that others might not stumble in the same places as I. {Notes: I had already converted to V-8 steering. This conversion may not be applicable to cars with stock 6-cyl steering without additional modification. Also, the kit has been improved since I did mine, so your experience may be easier.}
THE KIT
The basic kit includes a remanufactured Toyoda steering box, a Flaming River u-joint, a re-splined Pitman arm, bolts and spacers, hoses (that won’t fit an i-6), a GM pump with V-pulley, and brackets to mount the pump to a 289/302 that are totally useless if you have an inline six. To be fair, I was clear about what car/engine I was using and ABS was very clear that certain parts probably wouldn’t fit and that I would have to improvise.
FIRST STEPS
My first goal was to make sure I could fit this pump to this engine. In order to do so I had to swap in a two-groove harmonic balancer for my one-groove and make a custom bracket for the pump.
I started with the balancer swap. Although I had already sourced a two-groove unit from a recycle yard Maverick, I found that the Damper Doctor had good deals on reconditioned balancers. For $95 I was able to opt for a known-good unit rather than the mystery piece I pulled at the junkyard. The swap is straightforward and quick. Despite having to pull the radiator I was done in about ninety minutes. Of course, I left the radiator out so that I’d have more room to work on the next phase of the project.
With the damper in, I could turn my attention to mounting the pump. In preparation for this conversion I had grabbed two different kinds of six-cylinder brackets in a scrap yard. In addition I had the bracket that came with the kit. While the two scrap yard brackets fit the engine, they did not fit the pump. Conversely, the one that came with the kit fit the pump, but not the engine. I did some fabrication with my limited metal-working experience and tools and fashioned this bracket combining one of the junkyard brackets with a piece that came with the kit:
 |
| This was good for about one week, but between some design flaws and my shoddy welding, it soon broke. |
While I was driving the car around with this bracket I made note of the forces working on it and began working on a new design. By the time it broke I was ready to install this new one, fashioned by modifying one of the junkyard pieces. For those of you you thinking that I would have saved myself considerable trouble by just using a Ford pump that fit this bracket instead of the Saginaw one that didn't, you are probably right. However, the tech at ABS told me that the Ford pump would not provide enough pressure. I never confirmed this independently.
 | |
| This is the bracket I have been using for three years now with no problems. |
Having developed a suitable mounting solution for the pump (still on version 1 at this point) I began the installation of the steering box.
