88firebird400

i wanna change my power steering box to a manual steering box becuase i dont wanna run ps pump so i can only have 1 belt on my motor to the altonator only. but any way i cant seem to find any that are a good price and not alot of money. ive looked on summit, and jegs.com and they are about 599.99 so i was wondering if maybe someone has done this conversion and can tell me if i can use another steering box out of maybe another vechile or what id have to change around to be able to make it work. thanks

1983cameroman

how about s10 box you just change pitman arms install and you can find on ebay cheap somtimes on third gen

whatever84

Mine still has the power box but no pump, I just looped a line from port to port on the box. I am in no way recommending this but I have done this on 3 cars now and this car is the easiest to turn without the pump and it will work until I find a manual box from a S-10 pick up. Good luck.

Mark.

88firebird400

so just get the s10 steering box and pitman arm. if thats the case ill just get one from a jumkyard or from my local auto parts store.

88firebird400

any year s10 or like 88 same year as my car??

oh and thanks alot

AlkyIROC

84+ S10's. The box with 4 bolts on the top cover. Only S10's with the 2.5L 4 cylinder engine came with manual steering boxes but not all 2.5L S10's had manual steering.

The earlier boxes with a 3 bolt top cover will work but they're not a direct swap so I don't recommend them to someone who doesn't know how to properly convert it. The later boxes are a direct replacement for the power box. Steering shaft, pitman arm etc all bot right up. You can keep the S10 pitman arm but it's a slightly different length and will change the steering geometry slightly. Using the F-body pitman arm is a better choice but you're going to need a puller to swap it.

Looping the lines on a power steering box doesn't really make it a manual steering box. All you've done is eliminated the power assist. The power box does not have the same steering ratio that a manual box has so without power assist, it's harder to turn the wheels.

If the local junkyard didn't keep raising the cost and fees for all the parts, I'd still be pulling them and selling the manual steering boxes on Ebay. I can't get one from the junkyard for less than $50 now. I used to be able to get them for $20 then sell them on Ebay for a good profit. Taxes, environmental fees, core charges have all added up plus the base cost has gone up. Add in the much higher Canadian dollar and shipping across the border has become very expensive so I can't compete with American sellers any more.

whatever84

AlkyIROC: Looping the lines on a power steering box doesn't really make it a manual steering box. All you've done is eliminated the power assist. The power box does not have the same steering ratio that a manual box has so without power assist, it's harder to turn the wheels.

If this was intended for me, I know it doesn't make it a manual box, It is much harder to turn like this and not the "right" way to do it, but it gets me by for now. So are you saying that all I would have to do is get the manual 84+ 4 cly box and put my pitman arm on it? Thanks.

Mark.

Ross85Camaro

iTrader: (1)

whatever84- that is correct. Find a manual box from an 84+ s10 and just swap it out. Easy as 1, 2, 4. But like Alky said, you will need a pully puller to get the pitman arm off. Good Luck! Its a pretty easy swap though.

whatever84

Thanks!!

Mark.

onefast85

got the s10 box on mine also..easy swap for sure.