67 camaro

[Guest romko]

I have a 67 camaro with a 327 and want to add a power steering pump and power brake booster. My mechanic tells me that I need a metric power steering pump.Is this right and where can I get one. Also my power brake booster has to be a dual baffle because the 11" booster wont fit on the fire wall. Is this right and what type of booster should I get?

[CarlLaFong]

I can't imagine anything on a 67 Camaro being metric. Just go to Rock Auto and order the correct parts

[F&J]

1 hour ago, romko said:

I have a 67 camaro with a 327 and want to add a power steering pump.   My mechanic tells me that I need a metric power steering pump.Is this right

This could go really badly, because we don't know if your 67 still has the original "type" of water pump, pulleys, and alt brackets etc.

 

67 still used what is called the "short water pump" on small block V8s.  Somewhere around 68-69 GM switched to the "long pump" and all of the brackets for alternator, P/S pump were different, because the belts would not line up, due to everything moved forward.

 

so, if your 67 does still have a short water pump, then you need the older P/S pump with it's mounting brackets that are made to work with a short water pump.  Like I said, 68 or 69 on passenger cars, so make sure you get the older style stuff.  But, Chevy/GMC pickups and suburban/blazers, still had the short pump through the end of 72, so that is more choices of finding them.

 

If you don't have a spare unused belt groove on your lowest engine pulley, you need to add one to drive the P/S pump.  I believe those are available new.

 

 

Ok, Metric versus non-Metric.   I can only guess why he wants Metric:   It has to do with the type of hydraulic pressure hose "fitting style".   Up to around 1980 or so, the hose fittings were "inverted flared tubing" on each end of the rubber hose, (flared like a steel gas line).   Then the Metric which replaced those Flared Fittings, have a rubber O-ring instead of a flared end.  The threads are metric on the part that screws into the P/S box and P/S pump.   So, maybe he already bought the Saginaw P/S box that has the later metric fittings????

 

Why this can end up bad:    The newer Metric pump fits to the long water pump style brackets, so it won't line up with your 67 "stock" water pump and pulleys.   The older short water pump style P/S brackets for your short pump, will fit on the OLDER P/S pump(up to 68? car, and up to 72 truck), but these need flared fitting hose, not Metric.

 

 

I thought there is a special aftermarket adapter fitting to change that, I am not positive.   Or, you can just have a custom hose made, metric to the box, and flared to the older pump.

 

I'm not saying you CAN'T use a newer pump, but it would require making all new brackets to get the belts to line up.

 

 

Ok, brakes.  Just plain hard facts;  If you have drum brakes, you sure don't want a dual diaphragm booster.  It will make the brakes so touchy that you will go through the windshield if not gentle with the pedal.  A small single is what you want for drum.  Some Camaro resto places must be able to get one, as some guys restore these cars to factory stock looks. 

 

 

 

this whole swap can be so easy and done right, "IF" you had the correct stuff.  Mixing wrong things leads to constant headaches, that won't be cheap when having a shop battle these issues.  

[padgett]

My 67 (bought new) had power steering and manual disk (4 piston) brakes. Factory wheels had short cap. Also 4 speed, gauges, and AC. Had to add posi for autocrossing.

[JACK M]

Speedway has the metric adapters.

[lump]

F&J is right, Romko. Chevrolet V8 engines on 1968 and older passenger cars used a set-up with the alternator on the driver's side of the engine, with a shorter water pump. This is true for both big block and small block engines. See photos of a 67 Camaro and a 63 409 Chevy below: 

[lump]

Then in 1969 Chevy big block and small V8 engines got a new design, with the alternator on the passenger side of the engine. The new water pump was longer, and the alternator used a totally different style of alternator mounting bracket, which was secured by a long bolt which threaded into a bolt hole in the top of the cylinder heads, near the valve cover gasket surface. See big block Chevelle engine photos below. 

[lump]

1968 and older SMALL BLOCK cylinder heads don't even have bolt holes for mounting the later style brackets, so you can't use the 68 and older system unless you have 1968 or older cylinder heads.

[lump]

Here is a photo of the crank shaft pulley with TWO belt grooves, as required for power steering. This is on a 1970 SS 396 Chevelle. Note that if you had Air conditioning or an A.I.R. pollution system, a third pulley groove would be needed. 

[lump]

I actually wrote a rather extensive book on Chevy V8 Engine casting numbers and identification features for Amos Press some years ago. It was a big project, and I learned a ton of info doing it. 

[padgett]

Was that the same with AC ? I seem to remember the compressor on the driver's side.

Edited December 16, 2016 by padgett (see edit history)

[lump]

Compressor was on the opposite side of the engine compartment from the alternator/generator, for access and clearance purposes. So 1968 and older, it was on passenger side (see pic of 1964 small block below). For 1969 and newer, it was on driver's side (see photo of 1969 Impala SS 427 engine below). 

 

Like anything else with factory-built cars, there are a few exceptions, of course. But those are uncommon.