# Power Steering in a '66 Tempest



## Bensjammin66 (May 12, 2009)

My father in law and I just picked up a bone stock unrestored '66 Tempest with a 326 Saturday as a project for him as he always loved my '66 Le Mans. My first goal is to convert it to a Grand Cherokee steering box like mine but he only has manual steering in it now, mine came power. His is a 1966 326 with original heads. 

My questions are what needs replaced chassis wise to add power steering? 
Drag link, idler arm? Pitman arm i know for sure. Rest of the tie rod ends will work?

I found these two brackets on ebay too. Are these right for a '66 head? Whatever came on my '73 455 its brackets worked fine with my KRE heads. All heads same accessory bolt pattern? 

1966 71 Pontiac GTO Firebird Power Steering Bracket | eBay 

67 68 69 Pontiac Power Steering Pump Bracket GTO Firebird P 8 GP Item 1848 | eBay


Aluminum pump to block bracket, bracket for pump, pump, lines, gear box and rag joint, idler arm, center link, pitman arm, what am i missing?


----------



## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

The first eBay vendors listing description is wrong, the alum pivot block is correct for '67-70 V8 Pontiacs with PS. Looking atbone here in my hands. '65-66 is different, and with the '65-66 alum pivot block, must use the narrow '65-66 pulleys.

The 2nd eBay vendor is Doug Stanfield...good guy. that particular bracket is just one of the pieces of the '67-70 Pontiac V8 PS setup. 

For the last two decades have been puuting together and selling complete '67-70 brackets and correct for body style PS pumps and pulleys, usually as part of a PS changeover. Often to early guys wanting to change their '65-67 over to the later 11 bolt waterpump, timing cover, and SFI rated damper while keeping a 60's type look to the brackets and pump under the hood. Also ship out brackets, pulleys, etc to restorers running the 8 bolt timing covers and looking for bits and pieces, or entire set-ups. Have a pallet rack section of '67-70 and '71 up Pontiac V8 brackets, pulleys, spacers, etc. This week, it's waterpump week, rebuilding original casting waterpumps with correct cast impellers. 

As far as suspension pieces go, for the conversion all you will need a correct PS pitman arm, correct rag joint and correct lines. Going the Jeep GC box, the fitting in the box are metric. Lee MFG is no more (retiring). Supposedly Speedway Motors has the adapter style insert for the pressure side of the box. The return side, you can use a metric stub and slide your return hose on and crimp clamp. 

The only glitche i can fathom is if you had the odd '64-66 Pontiac A body manual strg set-up with the steering stabilizer (shock). Been many years since I pulled one of those, other than the weird pitman arm, there seems to be something else odd on those, doubt you haven't set-up though.


----------



## Bensjammin66 (May 12, 2009)

I heard Lee is closing doors. Bummer. I dont have it in me to thread SAE lines into Metric holes anyway. Been working on cars too long for me to accept that is right. 605SOL is a part number for metric o-ring to SAE flare adapter fittings for modern gear boxes, $12 I think I paid @ Summit Racing. Another easy option is to change out the fitting in the back of the pump with a modern metric o-ring fitting. I have a JGC box in my '66 with them and its one of the best upgrades i have done. 

Were not too concerned about originality in the car, will those 67+ brackets and aluminum mounting block work on that '66 head anyway or no? 

The chassis does not have a steering stabilizer, so no drag link or idler arm change needed just a PS pitman, pump, lines, rag joint, box etc?

Like I said I already did the modern Jeep box swap on mine but its had power steering from day 1. I just need to get the brackets sorted out. Do you sell them?


----------



## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

the '67 pump/ alum pivot block/brackets bolt up on '65-66's using the correct '67 pulleys. Pontiac v8 pulleys changed for '67 (wider and deeper grooves).

Have clean non AC and AC '67 PS pump pulleys, correct pumps, alum pivot block, brackets. Put together at least one changeover a month. Do have to order a few more cup type washers that one go on stud on back of pump (am always running out of those). On the pressure hose, if you are going metric fitting for back of pump, there is a mid 80's 307 Olds pressure line that will work with the metric box.


----------

