Greetings

I have a 1975 stock Corvette & I am doing the power to manual steering conversion.
I know I need to replace the steering relay rod & the pitman arm and move the tie rod ends to the
outer spindle arms, this I will do.

My questions are:

1. The steering gear has the hoses attached to it, do I drain the fluid & plug them or should I fill them
with the regular GM steering gear lubricant then plug it up?

2. What other power steering components can I remove from the car? (I want to simplify the car as much as possible, to make it easer to work on)

Thanx in advance

N

 

You just remove the power steering pump and all the bracketry. Don't need it.

I did this same conversion, and absolutely love how the car drives. It has great road feel and feedback, and while it is a little tougher in slow speed parking lot situations, once above 10 mph, its all very direct and sports car like.

 

It is also wise to move the outer tie rod end where it attaches to the steering arm attached to your spindle. Move the outer tie rod end to the OUTER hole..which is the one closest to the end of the arm.. That hole is there for manual steering cars.

The INNER hole is there for power steering cars.

It DOES make a difference....obviously...you have more leverage. Because....if you were dealing with a manual steering car...and went to power steering and left the tie rod in the OUTER hole...your steering would be so hyper sensitive...you would not enjoy driving it.

Or leave it alone and live with it.

DUB

 

If you or anyone else is interested I have both a manual steering relay rod and correct MS pitman in bolt on condition available, if you or anyone else interested send a PM.

 

Thanks for your replies, but I would like to know since The steering gear has the hoses attached to it, do I drain the fluid & plug them or should I fill them with the regular GM steering gear lubricant then plug it up?

N

 

The control valve has the hoses and fluid. The pump centerlink with control valve, hoses and pitman arm all come off.
The gear or Box as commonly known does not have hoses plumbed to it. The same box is used for both Power assist and manual, the pitmans were different.

Redvetteracer has good GM parts.

 

And for what it is worth:

IF you choose to replace the parts over to the correct parts for manual steering. Be prepared to get the steering gear box pulled away from the frame enough so you can use the pitman arm puller.

I know my Snap-On one will NOT allow me to pull a pitman arm while the steering gear box is still attached to the frame.

And MAKE SURE you put your outer tie rod ends in the outer hole provisions on the steering arm coming off of your spindle.

DUB

 

Sounds like the OP may have a Borgeson box if in fact he has hoses running to it?

 

Gary,
Do you need to have the front end realigned if the change from power to manual is made?
Thanks,
Jimmy

 

Sirs:

ezobens: I dont have a Borgeson box, its stock;Im just dumb about this stuff

Tooch1: I will definitely have the front end realighned

DUB: I will install the outer tie rod ends in the outer hole provisions on the steering arm.

I like simplicity...

Thank you all for the help

N

 

Yes I would. The control valves are screwed on to the centerlink, there is a "window" of adjustment that could affect the steering wheel centering so the toe may need to be adjusted. Also the tie rod ends in the spindle arms will be different.

 

with Gary.

ESPECIALLY if you move the outer tie rod ends to the outer holes. Then...it is a HAVE TO get it aligned or at least your toe-in set correctly.

DUB

 

Just FYI - the outer tie rods for manual steering do NOT have to be installed in the outer holes in the spindles. IF you look at the Corvette Service Manual, it shows the holes as a way to change the steering ratio and does not specify manual MUST be in one hole or the other. It is true power steering was use on the inner holes, but it is not true that manual steering must be in the outer holes. It depends on what ratio you want.

My 77 came with power steering only - by then GM had given up on manual steering. So the spindles on had ONE hole. When I made my power to manual conversion, I did not change the spindles, and so my manual steering Corvette is in the inner holes. To add to it, a 77 has a smaller steering wheel than early models, AND I have 255/60/R15 tires, which has 10 inch of tread versus 9 inch tires.....ALL of this works to make the steering harder.....and I can tell you its not an issue, unless you are a girl, or a weak man. In the parking lot, it takes some force to turn the wheel when not moving, ....but past 10 mph, it is NO PROBLEM. It steers just fine. At highways speeds, I could drive with one finger.

But,....modern folk are used to power steering and brakes, so for the majority of people, they see the force required to be somehow "unacceptable".....to me, I love it. The road feedback and steering feel with my Gary Ramadei steering box is perfect. IF someday I good too old, pussified or weak to drive my car, I guess I will convert to Borgeson, but there is no going back to that sloppy leaky mess GM called power steering, for which I had installed all new or rebuilt and was sadly disappointed in.

 

Seeing how you have only experienced your conversion from power steering to manual.. And your car does not have the option of having two holes for the outer tie rod end.

You can draw your own conclusion from your experience due to your car only has one place for the outer tie rod end...thus you do not have anything to be able to compare it to.

So..if your set-up is to your liking GREAT. It works for you and what you like.

I DID write that the steering gets hyper sensitive when the outer tie rod end is put it the outer hole WITH power steering.

And for ALL of the customers I have done this for. And that also includes ADDING power steering to a manual steering car. Moving the outer tie rod end to the spot that GM has shown to used on all of the Corvettes I have ever worked on (power steering and manual)....suited their preferences.

So..if a person wants to experiment and try it in a different manner to make it suit their desires....have at it.

DUB
.

 

I did the conversion in my 80. Only one set of holes in the spindles. It is tough to park, but great the rest of the time. I can't compare it to the other spindle arm ratio, so I won't. I pulled out everything stock except the steering box. I lucked out and was able to swap Pitman arms without moving the box. It's nice to only have one fan belt, for the alternator and water pump. You can check the toe alignment and wheel center yourself to get back on the road with some string tied to jackstands and tie rod adjustments. Unless you live near DUB, or a really good shop, I'd be hesitant to farm out an alignment.

I just finished the Borgeson conversion on my wife's 79. It now drives like a modern car.

Each method seems to suit the character of the car, and the driver. I could see putting the Borgeson box in the 80 someday, but I'll never go back to stock power steering in either car.

 

The point I was trying to make, as others who educated me on this, is that the two hole options are available to change the steering ratio, and it is suggested that way in the published Corvette Service Manual. I think that people believe that one hole is for power, and the other is for manual, and that's not the way it reads in the Service Manual.

I believe it is true that power steering cars always use the inner hole, most likely because, as you suggest, it would be too twitch or sensitive, but I do not believe the manual steering cars are strictly limited to the outer hole. It does provide more leverage, but at the cost of a different, and less desirable steering ratio.

I am not getting into a back and forth with you, since we always seem to, but I try to make simple and factual statements, and I believe I have. Knowledge and facts are not exclusive to certain people. Others have it as well, but its seems as though some cannot accept that.

 

Thanks for your input. I think you hit the nail on the head when you stated each method suits the character of the car,....or more to the point, the character the driver wants out of the car. I like the manual feel and great feedback...it feels like a sports car should. The parking lot effort is irrelevant and a non-issue.

And when you state that Borgeson makes it drive like a modern car.....for me, that is NOT what I want in my 77 Corvette and a reason to NOT make the conversion. If I wanted a modern feel and character in a Corvette, I would have bought a C7. There is a difference. I have no interest in turning my 77 into a C7, because all the coolness goes with it.....for me. There is no right or wrong about this.

 

I agree..it is all up to the person and what they want.

Now if some people take offense in me stating what I have experienced. And what I have seen in the hundreds of Corvettes that have passed through my door. I cannot help that.

If they take offense in me giving OPTIONS and letting them know what the 'standard' that GM used when they delivered the Corvettes from the factory. I cannot help that also.

FACT: On many years. GM installed an aluminum rivet in the hole of the arm so the tie rod could only go into that position for that specific steering system the car came with from the factory...UNLESS it was taken out.

Show me where I commented that the way a person did it was wrong.

I did write 'HAVE TO'. And that is because...the cars in the past that I have done this to. When the tie rod end was left in the inner hole...the customer complained...when it was moved to the outer hole...the steering effort improved for THEM. And oddly enough was like the 'standard' that GM used. Imagine that. Going from power steering to manual. Some people still want it make it as effortless as possible when driving.

SO..leave the tie rod where it is or move it. All I was doing is letting them know that putting it in the outer hole is what GM used as a standard...and to date..is where it ends up going for my customers who have felt the difference.

And if your car does not have that option. Then you live with what you got. Without having another hole in the arm to try out and to compare it to...prevents that person in feeling the change. So giving an opinion on how well it works for that person is one sided.

DUB

 

My 66 has both holes, and i tried both holes on my one car,
And didnt really feel much difference but ended with them on the inner holes, as i liked that feel better,

And i did it without permission that i didnt ask for,

 

^^

I believe that...because I am sure that the toe was not set correctly when the outer holes were used when it was a driven.

SO.. I know it felt better when the tie rods were put back in the inner holes due to the toe was set correctly for it initially.

Clearly...It takes special person to try things out and have them adjusted correctly so it can be tested. Going on and off an alignment rack in order to preform tests is not what most people do.

DUB