The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop power rack-pinion question

I always wondered why but maybe its obvious and I just didn't figure out but why not use the power steering pump that came with the r&p (MM2 or T-bird) instead of buying special valves and shims to make the GM pump work with the f*rd r&p ? Maybe just bolt on a special bracket (I think Allen Grove is one company that makes accesory brackets )to adapt the pump to a small block chevy and then everything else would be stock - off the shelf parts available anywhere .

You've got a good point bears......

As you can see it's a Commonly discussed problem!

It would certainly make some folks life a lot easier.

I don't have the ability or the funds to do this,but maybe one of our resident ace fabricators has an idea or two........

A shim kit is available from any speed shop to reduce the pressure on a GM pump to use with Mustang II rack. It costs about $10.
Modifing a Ford or any other pump and brackets is way too much work when chevy pumps mount right up and installing the washers in the control valve is quick, easy and cheap.
Fred

As rfs56 said, when you are running a small block chevy all the standard GM PS Pump brackets just bolt up to the block, and pulleys align correctly. Nothing to say you couldn't install a Ford or other pump, but would be a pain. $ 10 shim kit fixes the problem.

I guess I've just had bad experiances with getting my power rack working semi-acceptablly . Between playing with the shims , springs , f*rd rack to chevy pump hose/ends . I eventually got used to how the truck steered but if someone new drove it making a left hand turn could throw the passinger out the door - Front tires squeeling ! I just thought it would be nice to be able to get "Off the shelf parts" at any corner autoparts store . The parts guys around here know part numbers , not non-stock streetrod stuff , and they get mighty confused when I walk in need'in parts . I was just wonder'en .

Whenever you modify one thing you modify everything. You generally can't find non stock stuff in most auto parts stores, if they can't look it up on the computer they can't help you. Try to get familiar with specialty shops. If the steering is still reacting too fast it likely has too much pressure and is unsafe. A GM pump produces about 1300 PSI and the Mustang II operates on about 900 PSI. I have done several of them along with Toyota conversions and have had no problems using the GM pump with the shim kit in the control valve. It is a trial & error process though. Start with 3 shims and try it. You can add or subtract as necessary. Fred

I splurge and use the Speedway $23 unit on the GM pump but if you like the idea of a Ford pump then all the later ones with the plastic can are very small in physical size and super easy to mount. Pick one of the tapped holes on the front of either head that positions the pump where you want it (usually the right side) and drill that hole out to where you can tap it to 7/16 which is the mount hole size in the Ford pump. An alternative is go to an alternator rebuilder and get a sleeve to reduce the 7/16 hole to 3/8 and leave the hole in the head stock. Screw a temporary long piece of all thread into the head and stack washers on it till the pump pulley is in line with the crank pulley and then make a one piece spacer equal to the total of the washers. Use some 1" by 3/16 strap to make an adjuster arm and that's it. Ford just used the one 7/16 bolt for the pump to mount/pivot on so that's the way I do it instead of dropping down to the smaller GM bolt. That long of a 3/8 bolt tends to flex a bit. If your good at fabricating you can cannibalize a section out of the Ford factory bracket that will put the mount bolt in double shear.