Manual Steering?
 

Hi i know u can use a manual sterrin box off of a 80's s10 but could u just buy a new one or remanufactured on from like pepboys or anyone that carrys them? becuz im thinkin of doin that to my car sometime when i get the time to think of gettin it all together to do it. or should i just go to the junkyard and try my luck and see if they have one?

also what would u do withthe brakets from the power steering? would i just take them off and throw them away or what? also how hard is it persay to put a manual steering box in over the power steering?

i know people have done this i just wanna know what all is involved with this kinda projected. also how long should it take?

thanx guys

What power steering brackets? You mean from the pump?

As long as the brackets are not used to hold any other accessory, you just remove everything related to the power steering.

When my car still had a 383 SBC, it was street legal when I bought it. Removing the power steering box, pump and bracket assembly, hydraulic lines and oil cooler shaved a lot of weight off the front of the car and made a lot of access room on the left front of the engine. I threw out everything except the close ratio steering box. That was sold in less than a year.

You can always try your luck the the local auto wrecker. I've seen many but since I already have one I don't go looking for another.

The box is a bolt-in (sort of). Unbolt the power steering box and bolt the manual box right back in the same place. The steering shaft hooks right up. You should use the third gen pitman arm since it's a slightly different angle than the S10 pitman arm. The only place where there might be a problem is if you still have a front sway bar. People have mentioned that the manual box contacts the sway bar. The sway bar can either be removed or relocated down with some spacers to move it out of the way.

so basicly just remove all the power steerin stuff and then just bolt the s10 box right where the power steerin box was and then just hook up the pitman arm and steerin colume? what would i do about the pulleys? becuz ive already tossed my AC and my smog pump is way gone. so all that leaves me with is water pump, crank and alt.

how much weight do u think it shaves off from the power to manual? also how do u use the 3rdgen pitman arm off the power steerin box, i thought that couldnt be taken off?

I looked up the manual box on advanced auto's website months ago and a remaned box was in the vacinity of $150.

One other problem you will need to look for what steering box do you have? In 82 GM used cheap 605 steering boxes in some cars, How to identify them is on top of the 605 steering box is a 2in dia round snap ring, holding the top cover on.

You have a z so I dought you have a 605, most likely you have a 800 series box, look for 4 bolts holding the top cover on. this is a good thing.

If for some reason you do have the 605 box you will need to get the steering shaft from the same truck, Not a big problem.

With 800 use your original shaft
As for weight savings, When I changed mine over Power box and pump w/o oil weighed 48lbs, Manual box 28lbs.

If you want to see a manual box in a car I have pics of wha mine look like on my website, click the link in the sig.

Later
John

My manual steering box is from an 87 S10. The steering shaft bolted right up with no problem.

You'll need a pitman arm puller to remove the pitman arm from the steering box. Pull the S10 arm off the manual box. Install the third gen pitman arm onto the manual box.

As for routing the belt with the power steering gone, you'll have to figure that one out yourself. I only use one belt and that runs from the crankshaft to the alternator. The water pump is electric drive. Your 82's water pump will be standard rotation so it's just a matter of finding the correct length belt to go around all 3 pulleys.

Stephen as long as we're talkin steering boxes and belts, etc... Unfortunately my cars at the shop having a makeover so I'm stock piling all the other goodies for when she comes back. Once the manuel box is on, I got a CSI electric water pump, now here's the thing. Right now my alternator is the serpentine belt style pulley. Is there enough room to mount the alternator on the drivers side down low with the after market bracket kit? If I need an older alt. that's no biggy, but I want to know if there's enough room to get it down low and out of the way, preferable on the drivers side since nothing is down there important anyhow. How's your set-up.

Sorry. Can't help you there as to what will work best. There are aftermarket brackets for mounting it low. You'll need a short water pump crank pulley. I don't think there are any for serpentine except maybe in the aftermarket so you'll need to convert back to V belts. Any kind of changes like that require some sort of fabrication work. There's no such thing as a direct bolt on part.

I made all my brackets. I positioned the alternater where it would work best then fabricated brackets for that position. I've had it high mounted on both sides of the engine looking for the best place for it to work. Now that my engine has front motor plates, I need to remount the alternator again. I'm just waiting for the heads to be finished so I can check clearances. I may have to low mount it or mount it very high above the motor plates. I have enough room that I could even mount it backwards if I need the clearance. It might be easier and cheaper to just buy a generator to charge the batteries in the pits and run without an alternator.

The key is to make sure the pulleys are all lined up with a straight edge or you'll throw belts.

well i dont have the surpentine belts becuz well this is a 82 and im pretty sure they didnt have them back then.