Guest 55nail Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Been searching forums and found lots of posts about manual to power conversions etc but can't find anyone discussing the merits of installing a later year power steering pump. One post mentioned that the pump and the box need to have somewhat matching flow rates (apparently depends on the orifice size inside where the pressure hose connects to the pump).I'm considering putting a 60's or 70's (pre metric) power steering pump on the car and connecting it to the stock power steering box. Anyone know if this has been done / do the hose connections mate up / will the newer pump overdrive the box?History - this is my first post! I found a '55 century that's 'driveable' but needs some TLC. Bought a shop manual and have been reading that and a lot of posts from this forum. I'll address some other issues in another post...Thanks in advance to all those that share their experience on this site. I've learned a lot about these cars already and I think I've barely scratched the surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 I'm considering putting a 60's or 70's (pre metric) power steering pump on the car and connecting it to the stock power steering box. Anyone know if this has been done / do the hose connections mate up / will the newer pump overdrive the box?I don't know about your exact situation, but I have seen GM pumps mated to Ford box and vice-versa with no issues. You will probably need to have custom hoses made and custom mount.The stock pumps were used by many GM cars for a few years and are available if yours is completely shot. They can be refreshed easily with inexpensive parts. See this page on my web site HERE.Willie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 55nail Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Thanks Willie. I just finished browsing thru your website, I don't even want to guess how many hours you have in the restoration on your convertible... good info in the low tech tips on the steering pump rebuild - and the shocks too. I think I'll have a go a fixing the stock pump before I resort to adapting a new one.Pic of my 'new' toy attachedThomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Stock pumps are plentiful, are easy to rebuild, work very well and last a long time.........Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 The ultimate pressure of the system is determined by the size of the orifice behind the fitting where the pressure line attaches to the back of the pump. This and the "blow-off" spring are where the pumps were calibrated for the vehicles they were to be installed in. As Chevy pumps might not be quite as high pressure as the pumps for heavier cars (Bigger Buicks, Oldsmobiles, and normal Cadillacs, for example).This is ONE reason to rebuild what you have, to keep the original orifice! Reman pumps might not come with the one sized for your vehicle, as many probably consider them to be "generic" rather than "application specific". Even on later vehicles, it's always best to swap out the orifice from the original pump into the replacement pump, as some of our customers have found out AFTER the fact.Nice looking car!Enjoy!NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWS Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I have a rebuilt unit with brackets. $50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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