Thanks for the info lyonroad. Do you know anything about the pitman arm? That and the hoses are about the only major missing links for us "piece together" folks. I will have to figure out another option on the pump, I am a (easy on me now) serpentine setup. Not sure what pump I could use, I know different pumps have different pressures.

I remember reading in one of the mustang forums that they respline the box to accept the mustang pitman arm. I also saw someone who cut the izzu arm spline end and had the ford arm welded to the spline. You realy have to trust your welder on that one.

I have seen that box in a few 55-56 cars, It will only work with a modified auto trans colunm. The colunm must be shortened and a rag joint added, the rag joint and the end ot the box wind up inside the car so a recessed can has to be fabricated around it.

I can not see any way to make it work in a 3 speed as the shift levers wind up in side the car with the shortned colunm and I think the clutch cross bar is in the way of the box.

ct I got the hoses from Summit, who get them from Borgeson. Part# 925108. The cost an arm and a leg. I tried to find out from Summit what the specs on the power steering pump were so I could find out what hoses I needed. They said they didn't know or they weren't going to tell me. I ended up buying the hoses and then taking them to my local Parts store and matching them to the Cardone pump.The pitman arm came with the steering box. I just assumed that Borgeson was having them made. I will go look tomorrow for any markings when its light out.

Kevink, I am putting a T5 in my car. I will use the ctforner design for a hydraulic clutch set up. Lots of fun.

Mark

1956 Mercury M100
1955 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan
Delta, British Columbia

Thanks Mark and Kevin. I am having flashbacks on why I chose the Granada setup . If they are resplining the box that is more than I want to deal with for sure.

I am trying to get some more info from the guy that sells the adapter plate and gear box mentioned earlier in this thread. Response so far...

If you buy the plate you will use the pitman arm that comes on the used gear that you purchase. If you buy the gear, I will supply the pitman arm end that you will weld to your stock arm. I have all of the pumps, hoses, and brackets in stock.

Sorry to get on a rant here but I get perturbed with people butchering up these old cars, you want power steering, put on a suicide knob, thats what I did. When you change columns and add power steering systems you are taking away from the originality of the car. if you want to drive a new car go out and buy one, if you want to drive an old car, leave it alone. they drove fine as they were designed. I can drive my 55 on the back roads better than any new car, the new cars are too touchy for me, I am just so used to the non power steering oldies that when I get a rental car, I am all over the place, they are too sensitive. Show me a dump truck carrying tons of sand with disc brakes? not, they still have drums, these 50s cars are fine as they were designed, they need a little more maintenance keeping the brakes adjusted, steering box etc but it is all in the joy of owning an old car.

But it is your choice, go ahead take the column out and modernize it with some mongrol along with the rest of the steering setup, see what you get for the car when you try to sell it?

I understand everybody likes to tinker, but find something a little less degrading to tinker with, thats what I do, I built a rat rod with scrap parts, and modify those, but I leave my originals alone!

55 Vicky & customline

58 Rack Dump, 55 F350 yard truck, 57 F100

59 & 61 P 400's, 58 F100 custom cab, 69 F100, 79 F150, 82 F600 ramp truck, 90 mustang conv 7 up, 94 Mustang, Should I continue?

ooops! who am I to talk, T10 9" in my 55.

55 Vicky & customline

58 Rack Dump, 55 F350 yard truck, 57 F100

59 & 61 P 400's, 58 F100 custom cab, 69 F100, 79 F150, 82 F600 ramp truck, 90 mustang conv 7 up, 94 Mustang, Should I continue?

but it still drives like a 55, just a littl more uomph!

55 Vicky & customline

58 Rack Dump, 55 F350 yard truck, 57 F100

59 & 61 P 400's, 58 F100 custom cab, 69 F100, 79 F150, 82 F600 ramp truck, 90 mustang conv 7 up, 94 Mustang, Should I continue?

It does sound like converting a 55-56 to a later power steering setup may not be worth the expense & aggravation. As for welding pitman arms or box splines, that's definately a butcher job that I'd never consider!..

Paul

I keep playing with the idea but the power steering unit in my 56 has been rebuilt and drives very well. In fact the steering is a bit too easy at times. I would like to rebuild the box someday its on its last turn on the adjuster. Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

Likewise, nothing perturbs me more than people telling me what I should and shouldn't do with MY car.

I think we have a different idea of what "butchering" a car is. Butchering a car (to me) is people that leave them in a field to rust into worthless, or the ones that are hauled to the crusher, or cutting off the front clip, chopping the top off. Not that I have a problem with some of those, to each his own, but that's my idea of butchering.

If I remove my gearbox and column and bolt on another one, please explain the butchering here, as my original could be re installed anytime, within hours. I removed my spindles and added front disc brakes, a heavier sway bar, and shorter/newer springs. It rides and stops like a dream now. Maybe the car rocking side to side and pumping the drum brakes makes you smile, but it doesn't me. I drove it that way for years. We are talking about adding a few modern conveniences to a car to make it more enjoyable, more reliable, and in some cases safer, whats wrong with that?

If this stuff was so great from the 50's, cars today would still be using the same parts. I am sure it was sufficient but everything can be improved upon and when it comes to my safety and my 3 kids safety, I will take better brakes, better steering, better handling, better seat belts, etc...I will take all of that over keeping you happy by building it the way you want me to. The joy of owning an old car as you mentioned below, is building the car the way you want it to be, making it what you want, not the way you or anyone else wants it to be.

I am sure we will never agree on the way we like our cars to be, and I am ok with that, but I dont understand why you (and many others around) think your way is the right way, but even worse than that think its ok to tell them what they should be doing and not doing, and say how perturbed you are about the way they are building their own car??? Really?

Oh, and as for selling it. It wont ever be sold. Been in the family for long time and handed down to me. My folks