Author Topic: If you swap power steering for manual, do you change pitman arms?  (Read 1226 times)

Offline lemming303

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Right now I have power steering but I want to change it for manual. If I buy a manual box, what else do I need to make the swap? Can I just take the power gear box off and bolt on the new manual box or do I need other parts? Thanks for the help.
Kevin

73 Challenger Rallye - first project




Offline 72hemi

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Re: If you swap power steering for manual, do you change pitman arms?
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2009 - 11:49:54 AM »
When I made the swap to manual from power and the only other part I needed to get was an adaptor for the steering column shaft. I used the same pitman arms.

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1972 Dodge Challenger 340 6 Pack 4-speed
1996 Dodge Viper GTS Coupe

Offline pink panther

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Re: If you swap power steering for manual, do you change pitman arms?
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2009 - 11:59:22 AM »
you want to go from power to manual????  Man I wish I had power steering in mine
Scott   -  Member since 9/18/2005

Offline 72hemi

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Re: If you swap power steering for manual, do you change pitman arms?
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2009 - 12:09:48 PM »
 :iagree: Oh by the way I will be converting back to power on mine now that I drive the car every day, the manual steering is a bit much and I am getting tired of it.
1972 Dodge Challenger 340 6 Pack 4-speed
1996 Dodge Viper GTS Coupe

Offline pink panther

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Re: If you swap power steering for manual, do you change pitman arms?
« Reply #4 on: July 30, 2009 - 12:14:24 PM »
it is far different after driving your modern car then getting into the chally with no power steering, air conditioning, etc.  but boy is it fun pushing the go pedal down and banging gears
Scott   -  Member since 9/18/2005

Offline lemming303

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Re: If you swap power steering for manual, do you change pitman arms?
« Reply #5 on: July 30, 2009 - 03:31:15 PM »
I'm building the car mostly for the track, and I don't want to have to worry about vacuum for the power steering. I won't be driving it around that much, maybe up and down the main strip to show it off, but that's it. Then again I may go with one of those vacuum pumps to run it. I would think they would supply enough vacuum to run just the steering off of.
Kevin

73 Challenger Rallye - first project

Offline pink panther

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Re: If you swap power steering for manual, do you change pitman arms?
« Reply #6 on: July 30, 2009 - 03:32:47 PM »
gottcha, without the powere steering pump etc, should cut back on the weight a bit also
Scott   -  Member since 9/18/2005

Offline 72hemi

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Re: If you swap power steering for manual, do you change pitman arms?
« Reply #7 on: July 30, 2009 - 03:43:56 PM »
Power steering doesn't use vacuum, it uses fluid. The manual system does save a lot of weight though and frees up some horsepower, by not having the pump driving off the crank.
1972 Dodge Challenger 340 6 Pack 4-speed
1996 Dodge Viper GTS Coupe

Offline MEK-Dangerfield

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Re: If you swap power steering for manual, do you change pitman arms?
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2009 - 05:49:28 PM »
Power steering doesn't use vacuum, it uses fluid. The manual system does save a lot of weight though and frees up some horsepower, by not having the pump driving off the crank.

Exactly.   :grinyes:

If my power steering needed vacuum with my big cam, I would be in deep doo-doo.   :22yikes:

As a side note, I have manual brakes, so no problems. 
« Last Edit: July 30, 2009 - 05:51:13 PM by MEK-Dangerfield »

Mike

1970 Challenger - SOLD
2016 SXT+.  1 of 524 SXT+'s in Plumb-crazy for 2016.

Offline lemming303

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Re: If you swap power steering for manual, do you change pitman arms?
« Reply #9 on: July 30, 2009 - 10:05:08 PM »
Oh, I thought it ran off vacuum. Then again, I am still trying to teach myself about all this stuff. I'm slowly starting to figure it all out. Thanks for the help yall.
Kevin

73 Challenger Rallye - first project