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Posted 1 minute ago
My wife (She who must be obeyed) has requested I add power steering to our 69 big block Vette. Several vendors offer "complete" kits. Cost about $1300/$1400. Price is OK but I'm looking for insights or suggestions. I'm not interested in rack and steering kits. Any info appreciated. Thanks.............Bob

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Go with a Borgeson steering box. Cost about 650 dollars. Then find a bracket ad PS pump. Probably can be sourced for around 100 bucks. Much better than the stock setup and will save you a few dollars. I have had stock manual, stock PS and a rack system and now a Borgeson unit. By far the best setup overall for the cost.

 

That's what someone else said. I will need everything for the conversion. Anyone sell a "kit" or can help with sourcing what I need. I have a complete shop/tools just need knowledge..........Thanks...........Bob

 

I’m with Gordon. The Borgeson unit won’t be any more effort to insults than a stock unit and will work better. Your biggest challenge will be finding a big block PS pulley and brackets for the pump. Not hard to find, just expensive for what they are.

Do you have a copy of the AIM? Everything you need will be spelled out there.

 

So I'm in the process of putting a factory style setup on my brother's 68 big block car. He wanted original style pulleys, brackets, and so on and so forth. In this case the car will have an OEM power steering style system. To retrofit just the accessories you are going to need not only the brackets but also a new alternator pulley. Also, if you have headers vs the OEM manifolds you will have to workout appropriate spacer for the header flange to bracket spacing being you can't use the OEM stud solution with a header flange. Then you have to make sure you have the appropriate water pump pulley which if you don't have isn't cheap. Plus you have all the BS you are going to have to deal with finding the right belts and all the crap. You think that would be easy but I had to go through several differnet sizes to get the right sized belts because the power steering pump tension and belt size directly affects the alternator tension and belt size and you have to tension each separately. Only reason I went through that bull crap is because it's my brother's car, that's how he wanted it, and that's what you do for family

Now if this were my personal car and I were to do this conversion I would adapt small block accessories from a modernish small block or Vortec V6 and pickup all the brackets, accessories, and all that fun crap for a couple of hundred bucks. Anything from 1988 through the early 2000's should work and you can probably get it really cheap at the local pick and pull. Also going this route you'll know that if you ever have an alternator go bad or want to retro fit the car with AC in the future how you would setup the accessories because GM did all that hard work for the testing and development for you. And being the accessory brackets and such would come off a GM pickup you'll know that the parts will be available practically forever. You're only problem would be working out the high pressure line which TBH isn't a big deal. Just my two cents on the accessory side though. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ine-drive.html

As for how to add on the assist side, you could go with as suggested a Borgeson box. While I have no experience with them they seem to be relatively straight forward. You could add the OEM parts but you'll quickly be well over $500 into that.

 

Borgeson sells a complete kit for a C3 "without factory PS".

 

Not only do I not have a copy I don't know what it is or where to access it...........Help please..............Bob

 

Sorry, I was tired/lazy last night when I posted.

The AIM is the GM factory assembly manual. There are illustrations of all of the components used to put our cars together. There will be a page that shows the power steering setup including the pump, belts, pulleys and brackets. I don’t know if it’s the case for 69 big blocks, but for my 73 small block, there is an additional pulley on the crankshaft needed too.

https://willcoxcorvette.com/corvette...cd-format-2530

 

Been talking to bergeson and think I have parts sorted out except for the pump pulley. They want to supply a 2 sheave pulley but some say that it will hit the cross member and a single is required. My STOCK 427 engine, no AC has a 2 sheave pully on the crank and a 3 sheave on the water pump with the forward one unused. No one seems to know the correct belt arrangement or pulley(s) needed. Any thoughts? Anyone? Thaks again..........Bob

 

See if this helps. C60 is air conditioning and N40 is Power steering. I think your unused forward pulley is for the A.I.R. pump (smog)

 

Yes, that does explain a number of things. So I do need the two track pully. Much thanks. Now to address the possible cross member interference issue. Anyone have some experience with that?...........Bob

 

I would certainly think if you are using the factory pulleys there would be no issue with the pulleys hitting the crossmember. GM would not have had it hit the crossmember.

 

I agree. That issue was raised by someone giving a feed back type report with out details of year/engine. I'll be ordering the needed 6 separate items that make up a "kit" directly from Borgeson. Looks like $1032.24 plus shipping. They have everything in stock. Other vendors need to drop ship different parts.
Thanks all for the help. I've learned a lot in the last couple of days and feel confident pressing on with the project.................Bob

 

It won't hit...but it's really, really close (within 1/4").....

 

Thanks for that warning. I've replaced the motor mounts but that's awhile ago. Oh well, fingers crossed.................Bob

 

If you are using factory big block pullies and brackets, there is several configurations from the factory... However, for FACTORY PS and AC, you will have a 2 groove crank pulley, 3 groove water pump pulley, and a 2 groove/cast iron PS pulley. The alternator will have a single groove pulley with a built in spacer on it. Factory stuff works fine once you get it all dialed in....which takes a little work. I've spun mine to 6900 and still never lost an AC belt.

If you need pics, lemme know.

 

With the torque of the motor it will actually pull up and away on the drivers side so it should not be a problem even if the mounts were in poor shape. You should be good to go. With the Borgeson you will have to modify the steering column slightly by tapping or hitting it in to make it slightly shorter. Not a big deal but it may take a few good blows to get it moving.

 

I don't have AC but my pulley set up is exactly as you describe. Shop manual says empty front water pump track was for air pump. I've had the car since 72 and I might be the one that removed it. Lost in the mist of time.
I'll let you know if I need pix. Thanks for the offer.................Bob

 

More good info. Thanks. I have a fairly decent shop including lathe, milling machine, two post lift, etc. etc. so should be able to manage. Mostly I needed info to get me started down the correct road. Many thanks..................Bob

 

Yep the 3 groove WP pulley was for AC or AIR Pump. You have the right setup. 👍🏼