Changing to manual steering

[NHRA Stk Starfire]

What all is needed to convert my PS equiped 77 Starfire to manual steer? Maybe find one in the salvage yard and take the whole works?

[HI WINDING MONZA]

Yes , the whole systems are different ( Column + Shaft).

That would be your best bet to swap everything including the box.

The manual shaft has to stay connected to the column as you pull it from the drivers compartment. Dont worry its long but it comes out .

Doug in Az.

[cosvega76]

If you don't need fast steering, a manual box from an S-10 bolts right in. At the worst, you may have to change the spline on the steering intermediate input shaft from the column.

But it is about 4-1/2 turns lock-to-lock!

Chuck

[acstestinc]

Why would you ever want to get rid of that nice over boosted / completely numb feeling power steering, lol.

The only good thing , other than 1 finger parallel parking, is it does take out a lot of the bump steer.

[409Monza]

I removed my power steering several years ago and dropped about 45 lbs. weight. I removed the power steering gear box, pump and bracket as a unit. I then put new seals and adjusted a manual gear box that I had removed from another monza in a junk yard and bolted in right in. Did not have to change anything!! Your current steering shaft has a pin in the middle of it so that it will break and collapse in the event of a collision. Drill the pin out so that you can extend the shaft to meet the manual box. This has worked great for me for several years. [/b]

[spyder_xlch]

Why would you ever want to get rid of that nice over boosted / completely numb feeling power steering, lol.

The only good thing , other than 1 finger parallel parking, is it does take out a lot of the bump steer.

How does a gear box take out bump steer? I assume you are saying a power steering set up give you less bump steer than a manual set up? Or do you mean the feeling at the steering wheel is less? Not trying to split hairs or anything, just curious what you meant and trying to learn here.

[acstestinc]

Steering geometry is the same so there is no decrease in the bump steer it's only easier to control due to the power steering boost.

My first Spyder had manual steering and that combined with the bump steer caused me to climb a curb and skin a guard rail one day. I hit a sunken sewer grate which bump steered me into the curb. The tire skinned and grabbed the curb and spun the steering wheel right out of my hands and in a heart beat I side swiped the guard rail two feet in from the curb. I was only doing 30 MPH at the time.

[spyder_xlch]

That's what I thought you meant. Like the way a shock on the drag link helps a 4X4 when it's off road.

[res0o7eb]

I hit a sunken sewer grate which bump steered me into the curb. The tire skinned and grabbed the curb and spun the steering wheel right out of my hands and in a heart beat I side swiped the guard rail two feet in from the curb. I was only doing 30 MPH at the time.

That is a vivid example of why bump steer is bad - really bad. Thanks for sharing.

[NHRA Stk Starfire]

The reason I am changing the steering is because the car is being built as a stock eliminator car. Changing the steering setup will drop some weight, as Steven stated, and give more room under the hood for working on the engine at the track. And I don't really need the ease of turning when I am racing in a straight line.


Steven, just changing the box is all you did? How far did you have to extend the shaft to meet the box? Still use the P/S linkage/pitman arm?

Chuck, the S-10 box is also a bolt in? How about linkage? H-body center link/pitman arm bolt to it?

[409Monza]

No linkage changes at all. My Monza is a 1980 originally with P/S and 4 cylinder iron duke. Cant recall the year of the monza that I recovered the manual gear box from but I do remember that it was a direct bolt in and I didnt have to change anything. When stopped, both hands are required to steer but is much easier when car is moving and I now have a 400 small block in the engine bay. I looked in my extra parts and found my old P/S shaft. I did have to use the manual shaft that came with the manual gear box. If you cannot find a good gear box, you could contact Flaming River and they carry everything you will need to change to manual steering. Summit racing also carries Flaming Rivers products.

[cosvega76]

Rick,

The S-10 gearbox uses the same pitman shaft spline as the power steering gearbox. I don't remember if the input spline is the same or not. I used one of these in my brother's '85 Monte Carlo drag car to eliminate the power steering.

I was always under the impression that the pitman spline between the Monza manual and power gearboxes were different.

Chuck

[heinz057]

the s10 manual box with the 4 bolt cover works with the p/s pitman arm from the monza . the spline for the steering shaft is different. you can change the end of the shaft with a joint from flaming river.

[NHRA Stk Starfire]

Thanks for all the replies. Guess I know what I need to get now,

[HI WINDING MONZA]

The manual shaft is held in by plastic pins that required heating in my case to separate it from the column. I replaced them with roll pins. Doug in Az