hello forum, I have a 1976 ford maverick 250cin, I want to convert from power steering to manual steering, please can you tell me what parts do I need to change? thank you Dario
You will need the center link (drag bar), and pitman arm from a manual steer 75-77 Maverick. If the parts come from a pre-75 then you will need a pre-75 idler arm. You can use your power steer gear box but it will be slightly harder to turn from a dead stop and parallel parking…but not very hard.
hello, thank you for the information, I want to ask something, someone told me that changing the power steering box to a manual steering box and replacing a control valve with a manual drag link adapter http://www.ebay.com/itm/Borgeson-Manual-Drag-Link-Adapter-67-70-Mustang-BOR990003-/251149895461?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a79b34725&vxp=mtr will work fine and will not need to change the center link bar, is that true?
I never had experience with the adapter...only hear from people who had bad luck trying to cut corners by using them. The way I see things…if the adapter works great…why didn’t Ford engineers use an adapter and saved the money it cost to manufacture a different centerlink.
ok, thank you for the help, so the recomendation is to put the original manual center link, a manual steering pitman arm, and a manual steering box? this would be the best? do I need to change something else?
I have factory manual steer but I'm using a power steer steering box because of the quicker gear ratio that comes with the power steering box. I did have to use my manual pitmam arm. The only thing you need is a manual steer pitman arm and a 75-77 Maverick /Comet centerlink. The 70-74 centerlink uses a different idler arm
This is for my brain and his..i just thought about it, does everything still work after you take out the PS pump? do the belts still turn all the stuff the correct ways?
already did it yes cause the pump is the only thing driven by that belt so you just leave the one belt off. And the pitman arm and center link are the only two items that need replacing as long as the rest is not wore out and are from the correct year range
You got it, but you don't have to change the gear box, unless you want the (slightly) easier to turn manual gear box. I converted mine to manual and kept the power steering gear box. It's only harder to turn sitting still. A vendor called "Rare Parts" makes new center links and pitman arms for this. They're available here in the USA thru Autozone and Advance Auto parts. Not sure how you'd get them in Ecuador.
