Power steering delete

[H6Rally]

Looking for some input on this. My '86 needs basically everything for the power steering replaced. Gear box leaks and has play, steering pump leaks at the shaft and whines, rag joint is shot.

I have had to drive this truck more than once with the system dry, and it wasn't all that bad really. That's why i am interested in this swap.

Comparing '86 power vs '86 manual; the box itself, pitman arm, and the rag joint spline count are different. Pitman arm is no issue at all, can find one for $15 or so.

What I am not so sure on, is the rag joint and steering shaft. Are the manual vs power shafts the same length? Do i just need the rag joint setup from a manual truck?

[Gary Lewis]

Looking at our page on Documentation/Suspension & Steering/Steering/Coupling (Rag Joint) on the Illustrations tab I see that the upper shaft is base PN 3B676 and the coupling is base PN 3A525.  However, there's a note that the coupling is part of 3B676 after 2/81.

So you are just looking at 3B676, and they show two different ones, one for P/S and one for M/S.

Does that answer the question?

[FuzzFace2]

On a non-Ford (AMC) the out put shaft was different so it used a different pitman arm.
I want to say the power had the larger shaft.

That car used a rubber "rag joint" and the same was true on the input shafts, power was larger but the wheel side of the shaft was the same between them.
I cant see Ford being any different?

Being the box has play you will need to replace it and the box store rebuilt one will be just as bad so dont waste your time getting one from them.
I have a Red Head box in mine and love it. The other would be Blue Top. Red was cheaper and in stock when I did mine.

I cant say on the pump if the box store ones are worth it or not but I think that is the way I would go, Red or Blue and rebuilt pump.
Dave ----

[Rembrant]

My friend Chris bought a 1983 F150 with manual steering. The manual box has a long input shaft, so it looks like the steering shaft should be the same, but I'm not sure. He took that truck apart, but might still have the parts kicking around to compare them.

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks, Cory.  The two shots are from slightly different angles, but using the yellow paint mark on the fender liner as a guide the two shafts look to be really close to the same length.  But if he had the parts to compare that would sure help.