3OTT and power steering?

[Oregoon]

My plain-Jane '74 C1500 lacks power steering, and to be honest, it's a pain. My wife simply can't drive it, and my daughter is dead-set on driving it in a few years, when she's old enough. It's rough enough for me, and I'm 230 lbs, 6' 2", and an avid rock climber....

That said, I love my 3OTT and want to keep the truck as stock as possible.

I've heard I need a power-steering specific 3OTT steering-column.

I've searched the forums a bit, but haven't found much.

Any leads or info on this swap?

Thanks!

[Jeff's bowtie's]

Your column will work fine you just need a power steering box and pump with the right brackets to fit your engine

[Oregoon]

Originally Posted by Jeff's bowtie's

Your column will work fine you just need a power steering box and pump with the right brackets to fit your engine

That's good news! I just adjusted the linkage/shift collars up and it's working beautifully.

Also, I have double-belt pulleys, since my truck (once) had smog equipment.

So I should be good to go, once I find 250-cid power steering brackets, a box, and pump. Any other considerations?

[Jeff's bowtie's]

If you watch the 67-72 classified section the 250ci power steering pump and brackets come up for sale quite a bit you also can subscribe to the forum and that will allow you to post a wtb in the parts section

[ray_mcavoy]

Originally Posted by Oregoon

So I should be good to go, once I find 250-cid power steering brackets, a box, and pump. Any other considerations?

Yes, once you find all the necessary parts, it should be a bolt-on swap using your existing steering column.

I believe '74 was around the last year for the inline-6 to have the cylinder head with the separate bolt-on intake manifold. Later years went to an "integrated head" where the head & intake are all one casting and the power steering pump mounting brackets are different. It might be possible to modify the later year brackets to fit but looking for a set of '74 or earlier PS pump brackets should ensure a direct fit.

Also watch out for belt/pulley alignment issues. Just because your engine already has a double-groove pulley, that 2nd groove might not necessarily line up with the PS pump pulley. For example, the factory PS might have used an add-on 3rd groove so the 2nd groove could still be used for the smog pump. If possible, try to get all the pulleys off the same donor engine as the PS pump mounting brackets.

[D13]

There were 2 different pulley groove spacings used on the inlines. I disremember the year break but it affects all the pulleys. You should not need the bolt on crank pulley, that is for A/C. As noted, integral heads use different brackets. 292's are also different.

So you need the late style spacing non integral head bracket and pump. Also be aware that at some point the steering box hose connection changed.

My 'spare' set up has AIR and P/S on a 2 groove pulley set. it is an integral head so the brackets are different. but the basic set up is similar.

[Oregoon]

Right on! I don't post for a year or two, and everyone on here as friendly and knowledgeable as I remember. Many thanks to you guys!

I knew about the bracket differences on the integral, but didn't know the 292 brackets where different. Also good call on the hose-difference. A few years back, I had a '75 Cherokee with a 258, and GM power steering. Like all things Jeep, it crapped out, and man did I ever learn that not all power-steering is created equal.

Anyway, I'll hopefully make it to the junkyard this weekend and start scouring for parts. And I'll check out the '67-'72 forum too.

[D13]

FYI there's a 292 on evilBay right now that has PS and AIR. While the brackets wikll not directly fit a 250 it shows a good view of how they route the belt. Search Chevy 292.