I'm in the process of fixing up a 76 Mav 2dr. It originally came with power steering, but a previous owner had pulled everything out except the pump and part of the control valve. I bought all the parts, and the appropriate rebuild kits, and was just about to start rebuilding the valve and cylinder when I found a 71 parts car with manual steering. Now I'm not sure what to do. The 71 steers just fine with no power steering. Should I swap the hardware from the 71, or start rebuilding and installing the power steering parts? What do you guys think?
I took the power steering off of my 72. I found that I was having to replace the return hose every 6 months or so, and was never fond the over-boosted steering feel. When I swapped motors, I just left it off. I am using the power box without the boost. It is quicker lock-to-lock, and feels very good in general, but at very low speed, you have to crank on it pretty hard. A manual box has a couple more turns l-to-l, and that means more leverage, but also slower response. I am biased, but I say go for it, and try the power box unboosted first. See if you like it. If not, you can swap the manual box in there later. There is a difference in the center link between those years, and I believe it is in the idler arm, and how it attaches to the link. I suspect that you can swap all of it, but if you get a new idler, it will have to be the earlier style.... I hope I am not leading you astray here. Check how the idlers attach to the frame in each car ... hopefully the same. Maybe someone that has more experience with this will chime in. Incidentally, there is a new aftermarket power steering box that has all the works built into it internally. I think it is by Borgeson ... $400-500 IIRC... looked nice.
I would like to just swap all the steering parts over from the 71 to the 76. I think this will be allot easier than trying to rebuild, and get the power steering to work.
I ditched my power steering 15 years ago the same way that was said earlier by captaincomet. I kept the power box in the car and just changed out to the manual draglink. I have never regretted it. O had a 74 with power steering and never really like it. No matter how many new parts I put in it it would always develop a leak somewhere and the road feel wasnt to my liking.
