Mini-Truck Power Steering Conversion with Column Swap (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter 74HogGuy
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74HogGuy
Lifetime Rookie
- Thread starter
- #23
So back to work on the rig today. I drained and pulled the radiator so I could get to the crank pulley. First off I got in the new bypass water pump hose (pic 1). Much smaller than what was on there. The 2nd pic shows the space it created to get the tensioner mounted on the alternator. I had to use 4 or 5 washers to space out the tensioner arm to bolt it through on the front side as it was hitting the side of the alternator when trying to bolt on the back.
74HogGuy
Lifetime Rookie
- Thread starter
- #24
Once I had the radiator off...I had one heck of a time trying to remove the crank pulley nut (with a 5 foot breaker bar...). I chocked the wheels and put the parking break on and put the rig in gear figuring this would keeps the crank pulley from turning...WRONG! As I pushed on the breaker bar the '40 was just climbing my wheel blocks. So then we thought we'd put a pipe wrench on the drive shaft to keep it from turning....this didnt work either! 
We also tried the trick of laying on the breaker bar on the chassis and using the starter to break the nut, but this didnt work for us.
So after some advice from my neighbor we looked for a way to lock the fly-wheel. EUREKA! The fly wheel has holes that go around it on the side and we slid a long bolt into the flywheel to act as a stop. (Pic 1 & 2) I had someone rotate the crank pulley slowly until the bolt stopped on the side of the inspection housing. We were able to break the nut off with very little force once we got it to stop spinning!
We also tried the trick of laying on the breaker bar on the chassis and using the starter to break the nut, but this didnt work for us. So after some advice from my neighbor we looked for a way to lock the fly-wheel. EUREKA! The fly wheel has holes that go around it on the side and we slid a long bolt into the flywheel to act as a stop. (Pic 1 & 2) I had someone rotate the crank pulley slowly until the bolt stopped on the side of the inspection housing. We were able to break the nut off with very little force once we got it to stop spinning!
74HogGuy
Lifetime Rookie
- Thread starter
- #26
Enough being lazy...
Well...I've finished my mini-truck install, but have failed to finish up this thread so here we go!
After pulling the crank pulley putting the new double pulley was pretty easy. I took the big 1 11/16" socket and used it with a BFH to seat the pulley until I could start threading the crank nut. I then torqued it down to 130 ft-lbs...or somewhere in that neighborhood. I've read all sorts of specs, but my Haynes manual has 130.
Next i pulled the waterpump off to install a new flange. I got lucky and the MUD member that sent me a double pulley for the water pump included this deeper double flange (see pic 3 for comparison). Now this part was tricky. I used the puller to remove the old flange (which was the easy part) and installed the new flange (not so easy). The flange is a heat fitted piece so it needs to be heated up and the water pump needs to be cooled. I stuck the water pump in the deep freezer for about an hour and then put the flange in the over to heat it up. (Here's where I wished I owned a torch!) So I took the flanged and hammered it onto the waterpump. Being cautious to support the main pump rod to not damage any bearings. This new flange pretty much solved any pulley alignment issues! So I could keep the original water pump.
Well...I've finished my mini-truck install, but have failed to finish up this thread so here we go!
After pulling the crank pulley putting the new double pulley was pretty easy. I took the big 1 11/16" socket and used it with a BFH to seat the pulley until I could start threading the crank nut. I then torqued it down to 130 ft-lbs...or somewhere in that neighborhood. I've read all sorts of specs, but my Haynes manual has 130.
Next i pulled the waterpump off to install a new flange. I got lucky and the MUD member that sent me a double pulley for the water pump included this deeper double flange (see pic 3 for comparison). Now this part was tricky. I used the puller to remove the old flange (which was the easy part) and installed the new flange (not so easy). The flange is a heat fitted piece so it needs to be heated up and the water pump needs to be cooled. I stuck the water pump in the deep freezer for about an hour and then put the flange in the over to heat it up. (Here's where I wished I owned a torch!) So I took the flanged and hammered it onto the waterpump. Being cautious to support the main pump rod to not damage any bearings. This new flange pretty much solved any pulley alignment issues! So I could keep the original water pump.
74HogGuy
Lifetime Rookie
- Thread starter
- #27
It also helps to find the right water pump pulley! I originally picked up a double pulley being naive about the size belts for my setup. Well...I wanted to run double wide belts as my Alternator pulley & the pulley I picked up for the P/S pump where both wide belts pulleys. The 3rd pictures is a pic someone posted up on MUD somewhere to credit to them! 
74HogGuy
Lifetime Rookie
- Thread starter
- #28
I found the belts I need at Napa! I ended up buying about 6 different sizes and found out that both belts I needed were the exact same size. Go figure they had to order a 2nd one as they only had one of each size. If I recall it was a 48 7/8" belt.
After getting all of the pulleys and belts on...I worked to finish up the high and low pressure hoses from the pump to the gear box.
After getting all of the pulleys and belts on...I worked to finish up the high and low pressure hoses from the pump to the gear box.
74HogGuy
Lifetime Rookie
- Thread starter
- #29
Here's some pictures of the finished product. The only thing I'm still lacking is the tensioner bracket for the P/S Pump. I'm going to have to get someone to fab one up.
The longest part of the conversion...at least for me was the wiring!!! That could be it's own thread, but I can say that I spend A LOT of time unwrapping the wiring harness and trying to figure out the wiring on the new column.
The longest part of the conversion...at least for me was the wiring!!! That could be it's own thread, but I can say that I spend A LOT of time unwrapping the wiring harness and trying to figure out the wiring on the new column.
74HogGuy
Lifetime Rookie
- Thread starter
- #30
Lastly I turned the wheel lock to lock (About 10 times) after filling the P/S pump up with fluid to fill the system (without the engine running). I've read different opinions on the "proper" way to do this...but after I fired the engine up the reservoir was almost complete empty! So I went through the same process with the '40 running and it took the full 32oz to fill the system up for the first time.
info on p/s pump mount
Very well done and clean job...have been studying this thread looking for information/source on the p/s pump mount. Looks like it bolts to motor mount?...am in the middle of one these jobs and need to break down and buy Manafree's pulley so I can run wide belt as well.
Very well done and clean job...have been studying this thread looking for information/source on the p/s pump mount. Looks like it bolts to motor mount?...am in the middle of one these jobs and need to break down and buy Manafree's pulley so I can run wide belt as well.
Great write up.
Couple questions:
1. did you use the FJ40 pitman arm?
2. how many turns lock-to-lock is your steering?
I'm putting mine together... the mini-truck steering box is ~4.6 turns lock-to-lock. But once I bolted everything up (using FJ40 pitman arm, which is 1" longer than the mini-truck)... the box only needs about 3 turns lock-to-lock to get the knuckles to the steering stops.
This makes me thinks the steering will be too "quick", and maybe I should use the mini-truck arm. Since it's 1" shorter, it will "slow down" the steering.
Or course, I haven't driven it yet, but considering how hard it is to get the steering arm off, I want to do it right the first time.
Couple questions:
1. did you use the FJ40 pitman arm?
2. how many turns lock-to-lock is your steering?
I'm putting mine together... the mini-truck steering box is ~4.6 turns lock-to-lock. But once I bolted everything up (using FJ40 pitman arm, which is 1" longer than the mini-truck)... the box only needs about 3 turns lock-to-lock to get the knuckles to the steering stops.
This makes me thinks the steering will be too "quick", and maybe I should use the mini-truck arm. Since it's 1" shorter, it will "slow down" the steering.
Or course, I haven't driven it yet, but considering how hard it is to get the steering arm off, I want to do it right the first time.
74HogGuy
Lifetime Rookie
- Thread starter
- #34
gifu - I used the stock FJ40 pitman arm (I didnt even have a mini-truck arm to try, but I'm pretty positive that everyone uses the '40 arm). I don't recall the number of turns lock-to-lock but it's nowhere near being "too quick". I think that is probably more of a concern when doing the saginaw conversion and the steering is more direct from removing the linkages and having a more powerful P/S box. Good luck with the swap! P/S has been the best thing that I did to mine so far. - Justin
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Good job, Hog!
Helpful tips:
The alternator has the wrong pulley. That is the skinny sheetmetal pulley that comes on a reman alt to install on a car. The wide Cruiser pulley is cast iron. It is the same on all 2F alternators, so is easy to find used.
Also, consider using the 1 wire internal regulated 79-later 2F alternator. It is cheap ($40 at rockauto) and the adjuster ear is clocked to fit the 2F bracket you've already installed.
Helpful tips:
The alternator has the wrong pulley. That is the skinny sheetmetal pulley that comes on a reman alt to install on a car. The wide Cruiser pulley is cast iron. It is the same on all 2F alternators, so is easy to find used.
Also, consider using the 1 wire internal regulated 79-later 2F alternator. It is cheap ($40 at rockauto) and the adjuster ear is clocked to fit the 2F bracket you've already installed.
74HogGuy
Lifetime Rookie
- Thread starter
- #36
Thanks Jim! The alternator is definitely on the list of to-do's. I have an issue with the Amp meter jumping all over the place (making my lights pulsate). So a new alternator/voltage regulator is slowing moving up the list! Good information to know on the pulley also. - Justin
I had mini steering in for about a year. Works great with 31" tires. Over that, not so much. I used my stock pitman arm too. With that box, steering is almost identical to the stock steering, but with less strong arm needed. If you don't plan on wheeling it, it works great and is very easy to install.
