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I have a 1966 Dynamic 88 Convertible and I want to convert the manual steering to power steering. I have searched forums and internet and find many options (as with many items) for A Body cars but not my beast! I have a shop that can do the work if I can source the parts needed.
Open to all ideas, my car is a driver, not a show car or survivor. Thanks in advance!
The easiest way to do this would be to find a '65 or '66 parts car with power steering .
You will need to replace the following parts ;
Steering gearbox
Pitman arm
Idler arm
Steering center link and tie rods
Steering arms ( plain arm ) that bolt on the spindles .
All of these parts differ from power to manual steering .
In addition you will need a power steering pump and brackets .
You will also need different pulleys on the front of the engine .
Hmm I never knew non power steering was used on the 66 B bodies, never saw one either... manual brakes yes I am aware of.
Practically everything on a Dynamic 88 was an option .
That way they could keep the base price low . So they could get the buyer in the door .
Then salesmen worked hard to sell the customer automatic trans , Power steering , power brakes , etc.
Probably less than 1 percent of these cars were ever built with manual steering .
PS was available as a dealer-installed package for manual steering cars. This is not a big deal. Everything is bolt-in.
The most difficult item to find will be the correct PS pitman arm. This is NOT the same part as used on the A-body car. It is not reproduced. Most importantly, there are TWO different versions that do not interchange. You need to determine if your car has the Thompson or Saginaw center link. The taper on the studs that goes into the pitman and idler arms is different. You MUST get the pitman arm that matches the center link you have. When buying used parts, be sure you know which pitman arm it has.
The steering box it the generic Saginaw 800/808 used on about a bazillion cars from the 1960s to the current century. The PS pump is likewise the common Saginaw pump but you need to get the correct round reservoir to fit in the brackets. The reservoir can be easily swapped on the pump body. The brackets need to be the correct 65-67 brackets. Does your Delmont have a 330 or 425? You need to know this. New hoses are available.
I guess someone would need to figure that out but if they grab the entire setup there shouldn't be any mixup. Have heard the Thompson is the less desirable unit....?
I am not sure how to tell the difference but I have heard that the Saginaw is preferable. I am very interested. Also need a parking brake release handle and outside mirrors. Will check my list and let you know what else I might like to buy.
I would like to know if the power steering works well now or would need to be rebuilt and based on that I will need some help determining the price.
Last edited by Elbert999; January 8th, 2022 at 01:07 PM.
The only difference between the Thompson and Saginaw systems is the diameter of the tapered pins on the center link. The Saginaw is slightly larger in diameter. Functionally you won't find a difference. Keep in mind that the pitman arm, idler arm, and center link all need to be the same style. Swapping to a potentially worn center link or idler arm isn't particularly cost effective.
Measure the small end of the taper to tell the difference. Yes, you have to separate the center link from the idler or pitman arm to take this measurement. I wouldn't put a lot of stock in the "S" stamped on the tie rod ends or whatever. It's highly likely that parts have been replaced in the last half century.
I am not sure how to tell the difference but I have heard that the Saginaw is preferable. I am very interested. Also need a parking brake release handle and outside mirrors. Will check my list and let you know what else I might like to buy.
I would like to know if the power steering works well now or would need to be rebuilt and based on that I will need some help determining the price.
I just picked this car up, side mirror is not factory, you can get them repro from Fusick. I believe the power steering pump is good to go as is...reservoir has fluid, no evidence of a leak or noise.
This doesn't matter Joe .
He will need to change everything between the rag joint and the spindles anyway.
Every part of that steering linkage is different , Power v.s. manual.
As long as all the parts are of one kind , They will work together .
Last edited by Charlie Jones; January 8th, 2022 at 05:36 PM.
This doesn't matter Joe .
He will need to change everything between the rag joint and the spindles anyway.
Every part of that steering linkage is different , Power v.s. manual.
As long as all the parts are of one kind , They will work together .
The center link and idler arm are not different between manual and power. Those are the parts that need to be changed if he gets the wrong pitman arm. I'm pretty sure that for 1966 all manual steering cars used Thompson linkage. Power steering cars could have been either. My 67 Delta with PS is Thompson. Starting in 1968, all PS cars got Saginaw.
Check groups 6.870 relay rod ( center link ) and group 6.895 idler arm in the parts book .
Both of these parts are different power v.s. manual.
Sorry, but the wording in the parts book is misleading. I learned that when I replaced the parts on my 67 Delta.
The way to read this is that 386802 is used on all cars with Thompson (both power and manual steering). 5693524 is used on all cars with Saginaw, which were ONLY power steering cars.
Let's look at the pitman arm listings:
386808 is for all manual steering cars, which only used Thompson. 386809 is for POWER steering cars that used Thompson. 5679878 is for POWER steering cars that used Saginaw.
Trust me on this, my 1967 Delta has factory power steering (I have the build sheet) and THOMPSON steering linkage. I also have 386809 pitman arm on my steering box. The idiot previous owner couldn't get a Thompson center link and forced the incorrect Saginaw link into the pitman arm and idler. He stripped the threads on the center link studs trying to get the nuts torqued. Thanks to Craig at Mobileparts I was able to get the correct parts to fix that. The Thompson center link and idler arm are not easy to find.
January 7th, 2022, 02:07 PM
