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1973 Cj5 To Power Steering Or Not To Power Steering That Is The Question.

Discussion in 'Intermediate CJ-5/6/7/8' started by Mazinger, Mar 31, 2017.

  1. Sep 12, 2018
    tarry99

    tarry99 Member

    Northern California
    Joined:
    Oct 29, 2012
    Messages:
    3,784
    First you need to decide on a steering gear..............and then see if it fits where your current steering gear mount now is...........Keeping in mind that your choice of Pittman arms could necessitate the moving of that existing 3-bolt mount....................as I've seen them come both ways location wise on jeeps from the factory that started their life as a manual steering vehicle...........if you do have to move it go to the 4 bolt...........and you say you have a cast iron mount now ? which is far better than those factory 2 piece stamped steel versions which are pretty much junk!
     
  2. Sep 14, 2018
    Dphillip

    Dphillip Member

    Omaha NE
    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2008
    Messages:
    322
    A S-10 steering box has different splines for the steering shaft and won’t receive your stock steering shaft. A custom shaft will need to be made.
     
  3. Sep 14, 2018
    73cj5

    73cj5 Member

    Maine
    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2004
    Messages:
    903
    This maybe a bit late but...
    I have a a variable ratio waggy box mounted to the stock cast manual bracket. Couple of notes:
    • Recommend a brace, this box has a much larger piston than any "stock" CJ Box. IE much more force you could break things.
    • Pay attention to the clocking angle on the pitman arm, some boxes don't mount perpendicular to the frame.
    • Variable ratio is awesome, not twitchy on at high speed but doesn't require a lot of turns to to park.
    • Some boxes are flare fittings some are 0-rings make sure you get the appropriate lines. I used yj lines with slight massaging.
    • Think about a skid-plate, I broke the mount by bouncing it off a rock. The mount is cast steel so any cracks could be TIG welded up.
    Good luck.
     
  4. Aug 23, 2022
    Mazinger

    Mazinger New Member

    United states
    Joined:
    Mar 24, 2017
    Messages:
    48
    Ok Guys Sorry About the Delay and not Posting i had lost access to my email and have since able to regain it
     
  5. Aug 23, 2022
    Mazinger

    Mazinger New Member

    United states
    Joined:
    Mar 24, 2017
    Messages:
    48
    hi Stephen Sorry about the late Reply i just got access to my email again to answer your question yest i was able to complete the power steering on my 73 cj5 after several years and issues
     
  6. Aug 23, 2022
    Mazinger

    Mazinger New Member

    United states
    Joined:
    Mar 24, 2017
    Messages:
    48
    Here is a not so brief summary of all the challenges i encountered installing power steering on my 1973 cj5 hope this helps other people trying to do it was a challenge to say the least and i am an amateur at best and no mechanic if you are Doing it yourself and are not a mechanic it is always a good idea to have a mechanic friend inspect your final work before pulling out of the driveway the information im providing below involves modifying your cj5 steering all care should be taken before doing this please be careful and safe out there guys.

    Here is a list of all parts i used to complete the Power Steering Upgrade:

    1. Passenger Side Power Steering Factory Brackets
    it took me a long time to find the 4 factory brackets i ended up with two factory bracket kits a complete one and one missing the small leg bracket that goes in the bottom of the block.

    see below is a picture of all parts of the very rare original passenger side bracket it took me several years to find a complete set i contacted several junkers and couldnt find one the best luck i had was entering
    "amc power steering bracket" on ebay or simply just "amc Power Steering" and just go thru all the different listing on ebay for several months until one shows up if you just look up "cj5 power steering" most of the time you find the ones for the late model cj5s those are very common so my best luck and how i found my sets was looking for generic amc power steering as many of the amc cars from 72 to 75 had passenger side pump brackets which are the same the are on the cj5

    _57a_zpsd01f329d.jpeg


    2. Power Steering Engine Drive Pulley
    the 258 engine pulley was a different story it was very difficult to find i found it by looking up with the term "amc 258 pulley" on ebay i just got lucky and found one eventually this is probably harder to find than the power steering bracket but they can be found. see below picture of pulley.

    pulley.jpeg

    3. Power Steering Box
    For the Power Steering Box i went to my Local Napa And bought a 1992 Jeep Cherokee Power Steering Box
    Napa Part# NSP 88278076 this box as discussed earlier on the thread fits perfectly into the L Mounting Holes of the original Manual Steering Box bracket that was in my CJ5

    4. Power Steering Pump

    For the Pump i bought a new power steering pump which is Borgeson Brand Part # 800324 its available from summit racing or directly from borgeson it bolts right in to the factory brackets it does not come with a pulley but i was able to transfer the one from one of the Junker pumps that came with my passenger factory bracket kit. but i believe the pump pulleys are available from summit and i believe a pulley from any cj5 pump even late ones should work.

    5. Power Steering Belt
    this one was a doozy after several trips to different auto stores and many return and exchanges the belt size is between 47 and 48 inches outside length and its a 1/2 inch belt the best belt i found and worked best was a Gates Brand Hi Power A45 V belt its UPC: # 72053017472 i got it at my local oreillys auto parts here are the specs for the belt in case it gets discontinued:

    • Unit of Measure: Each
    • UPC: # 72053017472
    • Angle (Deg): 38 Degree
    • Material: EPDM Rubber
    • Notched: No
    • Number Of Strands: 1
    • Section: A
    • Top Width (in): 1/2 Inch
    • Top Width (mm): 13mm
    • Design: Wrapped
    • Belt Type: Classical Section Wrapped V-Belt
    • Outside Length (in): 47 Inch
    • Outside Length (mm): 1194mm
    • Belt Back Material: Polyester

    6. Power Steering Box Adapter Seats and Elbow
    ok this is one of the things that delayed the project the most so it seems that sometime after 1980 power steering high pressure and return connections on the power steering boxes where changed from 5/8 and 11/16" SAE inverted flare to 16mm and 18mm O-ring fittings see below picture:

    GridArt_20220823_090808847.jpg

    so the 1992 cherokee power steering box i purchased had 16mm o ring return line connection and a 18mm o ring high pressure connection. being a total noob at this and not knowing what happened at the time i thought i could just get the power steering hoses made with the metric connections but i couldnt find anyone locally and i called many places including some that specialized in power steering parts and none could make the metric hoses i needed that come in the modern 1980 plus cars, i found it quite strange everyone could make inverted flare old ones but not the o ring ones. so at that point i could have returned the power steering box and get one from a pre 1980 vehicle that had the old inverted flare fittings only problem with this is i would be loosing out on the more modern robust power steering box design and the variable turn ratio capability of the new one so i did some searching and found all the info on the change to the o ring port as discussed above, and thru my search i found the wonderful helpful folks over at lee Power steering they were very helpful finding a solution for me they sell lots of great power steering products and if i could do it again i would have purchased a steering box directly from them as they have many options hell i will probably upgrade to one of theirs once i go with bigger tires. there are two solutions to address the o ring connection for me and i ended up using one of each:

    A) The seat Kit


    here is the link for lee seat kit

    Seat kit

    the seat kit comes with a staking tool you just insert the correct seat in the correct hole and stake it in with some light hammer taps and boom inverted flare fitting on a modern box! the cherokee power steering box comes with a check valve on the high pressure side see below picture:
    Screenshot_20220823-092402_Gallery.jpg
    but with this seat kit it does not have to be removed the seat is made specially so it fits perfectly without removing the check valve. once i received the kit i installed it and it fit perfectly into the cherokee box however once i had my hoses made there was a clearance issue on the return port the hose elbow would not clear the radiator frame (im sure a body spacer or lift could fix this but i didnt want to lift the jeep more) so if you are reading this verify clearance with hose elbow with box mounted before you install any of the seats they can be removed by threading a bolt thru the center then pulling them out but not needed if you verify spacing first for me although tight the high pressure hose fit no problems but i had to remove the return hose seat and come up with another solution for that see below section B

    B) the elbow 16mm oring to An -6 Adapter

    once again the fine folks at lees were able to help me out they sell an elbow fitting see link below:

    Elbow Fitting

    i was able to get the 16mm o ring to elbow fitting from lee power steering and had to go get another return hose made this time with a straight An -6 connection and with that in place although tight i was able to clear the bottom of the radiator! and install the final hose! they also make a 18mm o ring to -6 adapter if you have clearance issues with the High Pressure port as well but in my case i didnt.

    so to recap:

    1.
    i used the lees seat kit but only on the 18mm high pressure port i use a high pressure 3000 psi hose with a 11/16" inverted flare 90 elbow steel hose end to connect to it (more on the hoses later)

    2. i used a 16mm o ring to An -6 fitting for the low pressure return port and used a low pressure 300 psi hose with a An -6 straight steel hose end to connect to it (more on Hoses later)



    7. Power Steering Hoses

    ok this is another tricky part and most of my notes here use them as reference as it will vary with who makes your hoses and what they use to make them and your cj5 engine area. i highly recommend getting the hoses built before you install the pump and the box as you can bring them to your local hose manufacturer along with all the adapters so you can verify and make sure all the hose ends and connection type placed on your new hoses with them.

    A) High Pressure Hose
    i had a hydraulic shop make a 4 feet long (which was about a 1/2 inch longer than i need but it helps to have extra flex) high pressure hose they used a 3000 psi rated hose to construct it on the power steering box side a 11/16" inverted flare 90 elbow steel hose end was used and on the pump side it used a 9/16-18 thread with an inverted flare. i highly recommend taking some clothesline wire they sell them at home improvement stores and run it inside your engine going from pump location to box location and make the shape and CLOCK positions of the hose ends as the hose manufacturer will use the hanging wire as a reference on how you want your hose end connections "clocked" which is which way they are facing once installed.

    B) Low Pressure Return Hose
    in my case i had them make two

    first one with the 5/8" inverted flare 90 degree hose end which didnt clear the radiator but if you have space thats all you need alongside the seat kit on the low pressure return port then on the pump side its just a barb inlet that sticks out of the pump as long as its 3/8 hose itll fit might take some silicon lubricant and alot of elbow grease to get it in there and the have an adjustable clamp hold it down

    second which worked for my application was a An -6 straight hose end which connects directly to my lees 16mm to oring adapter elbow fitting which screws in to the port without a seat installed then the other side at the pump same as above as long as its 3/8 inch hose itll go into the inlet with some silicon lubricant and some convincing and a adjustable clamp to finish it off.

    8. Power Steering fluid
    this is the easiest one i just used napas off the shelf power steering fluid comes in a blue bottle the quart size on i recommend getting two bottles as the whole system need a little over one.

    9. Pitman Arm
    i used the Crown Automotive J0999416 one fit perfectly on the cherokee box

    10. Steering Column Coupler
    i bought the crown adapter Crown Automotive J998710 discussed earlier in the thread but it didnt fit on the cherokee box however the original factory manual steering coupler fits into the cherokee box just as it was mentioned in the thread by member a72cj it took a little doing to get it in but it lines up with the splines i also recommend getting a rebuild kit for the factory coupler the boot on mine was damaged and the grease was dried up so i actually used the boot and hardware from the crown one to rebuild the factory one an added new grease so if you dont find a rebuild kit for the original manual steering one just buy the adapter like i did and use the parts with you original coupler.

    11. Drag link adjusting sleeve and pitman arm tie rod end
    this is optional and might not be necessary on your jeep by i highly recommend while you have it apart just change the tired drag link adjusting sleeve i used Napa part number NCD 2691109
    and i also changed my drag link tie rod end it was severely damaged i used Napa Part number PCC ES140R
    its a good idea to do at this time its very easy and not costly i think its an absolute must!


    Installation and tips


    i started by running a tap on each of the screw mounting holes on the block for the brackets and on the extra pulley which bolts in front of the pulley that runs the alternator cleaning the threads as rust can build inside them and you dont want to cross thread anything used some carb cleaner and sprayed all the holes and used paper towels inside the threads to clean them.

    the whole installation is pretty straight forward once you have all the parts listed above everything pretty much bolts in the only problem areas are the hoses clearance on the box as they come very close to the radiator if you have a body lift on the jeep it wont be an issue. the steering coupler into the new box takes some doing but it does fit you have to undo the column at the top u joint near the firewall its just a single screw to let you work easier inserting it into the box.

    once everything is installed and connected make sure your hose connections are very secure i had a leak in my high pressure one at the beginning since i forgot to secure it all the way as i was test fitting and observing clearances.
    you want to start the engine and slowly add power steering fluid let it warm up and little by little add until you have the correct level indicated with the cap i highly recommend watching videos on youtube on how to get air bubbles out of your power steering pump and what the process is when you replace a new pump there is a procedure to do it and im sure other members which are more mechanically inclined will add on how to do it better than i did. once the engine has warmed up check power steering fluid and see if it needs more once everything looks ok be very careful and take it for a test drive before pulling out your driveway test your movement from lock to lock and ALWAYS i mean ALWAYS give your breaks a little check to make sure they are engaging even though we didnt touch anything related to brakes its always important to make sure they are working whenever you just completed work on your vehicle and before pulling out of the driveway. take the car out for a drive around the neighborhood be very careful as you get adjusted to the new steering it can be very touchy as the new system gets full of fluid and stabilize also it takes some getting used to as a driver you are expecting to put some serious muscle into steering your jeep but its no longer need once you come back from testing check fluid once again and make sure to top it off if needed and visually check for any leaks around the box and pump area. i would take it for a couple of drives around the neighborhood and get used to it ensure everything is working before proceeding into heavier traffic area.

    Final Thoughts on Upgrade
    im sure the question on everyones mind just like mine when i started this thread was is it worth doing? did it make a substantial difference?
    the Answer is a very Positive YES!! i can tell you driving in regular traffic with my cj5 and its manual steering was like trying to steer a big boat in the middle zippy traffic unfortunately many of the drivers out there now are not in the least courteous and its in my opinion very dangerous operating a vehicle with non power steering and brakes among modern traffic the analogy i like to make is like playing full contact football naked and everyone else has pads its a scary feeling at least for me and i was always scared to get in a crash.
    i can say once the power steering went on i feel so much more confident in modern traffic and i find myself driving my cj much more almost a daily driver it is absolutely!! worth doing and i am very happy i took this plunge
    when i got my cj5 back in 2016 it had no power brakes or steering it had a 1 barrel carburetor one the amc 258. i have since installed power brakes upgraded to a 2 barrel weber carb and power steering and i am getting much closer to my goal which has been to make the cj5 drive as close as possible as a modern jeep i can surely say it is much closer to my JK now next ive been looking into swapping the front drums for discs and doing a wrangler suspension swap this should bring me closer to the jeep driving closer to a modern jeep.
    i will make a thread once i do these upgrades hopefully this has been helpful to the community as when i got my jeep there wasnt as much collected info on this conversion not much data exists on the mid cj5 72 to 75 i would like to thank all the members of this forum you guys have been a wealth of knowledge and extremely helpful in me achieving this and im happy to finally pay it forward!!!

    also Moderators maybe we could make this thread into a sticky for intermediate CJ5 Power Steering Conversion
     
    Ol Fogie and dnb71R2 like this.
  7. Aug 23, 2022
    dnb71R2

    dnb71R2 SuperDave 2023 Sponsor

    Grand Mesa, CO
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2006
    Messages:
    1,319
    Even though mine is an 'Early' model, power steering was the single best modification I've done.
    It was easier with the intermediate, but still just as rewarding.
    And, I must say you were LUCKY to have a hydraulic shop able to custom fabricate your pressure hose. This effort has become a lost art in many areas due to not having access to the basic inverted flare fittings.
    I searched two large metropolitan areas when I was doing my upgrade with no success.
    BRAVO to this thread! :clap:
     
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