Scout II Saginaw conversion, '81 mini truck TRE, SBC, 60 series damper (1 Viewer)

[bikersmurf]

I've decided to compile information from my steering swap into a thread rather than just pictures in my build thread.

I'm not going to claim to have the best way, but this is what I've done. This swap is basically the same as a 60, 70, or 80 steering box swap. I'll start by saying the conversion is done and I'm cutting and pasting from other threads and places.

Fired up CAD... so far I’ve got this.

The plate on the left is a backing plate for the inner side of the frame rail... and the right the back of the front cross member. I’ve not decided about a brace between the two.

Scout II box. Mounts the same as a 60/70/80 series box. Planning to plate the inside and outside of the frame and tubing through the frame so it doesn’t crush, and brace to the front cross member.

Grade 8 bolts?? I believe they’re 1/2”... and three of them (unlike Toyota’s 4).

 

[bikersmurf]

• Mar 5, 2021

steering shaft, before

After.

Next up DOM crush sleeves.
Another small step in the right direction.

 

[bikersmurf]

• Mar 9, 2021

I've since learned there's a sealed version of this bearing and recommend using it instead. Too late for now.

and the bearing at the ignition lock housing...

it was the second to last in North America when I got it.

 

[bikersmurf]

• Mar 16, 2021

Some fresh paint.

• Aug 14, 2021

Let’s play name that part…

Any guess what these are??? And what they are for?

 

[bikersmurf]

• Aug 17, 2021

Used the hot wrench to remove the bolts for the custom shock tower. Did a test fit on the Scout II box. This is where it’ll fit +/-. I’ll be pushing it as high as the DOM crush tubes will allow. Exact angle will need to be refined once the exact position of the top front bolt is determined.

• Oct 5, 2021

Test fit #17. Only 23 more to go…

Bolted in with scab plates. Scab plates still to be welded in.

 

[bikersmurf]

• Oct 5, 2021

The dropped pitman arm I have is too low for my stockish height.

It clears the frame by about 1.5” and the same height as the stock Bel-crank (or whatever you want to call it). I just need to figure out what TRE to use. I know there used to be a TRE that fit the Chevy taper and the Toyota drag link.

Then the rest is straight forward.

• Oct 14, 2021

Found the missing unicorn TRE… just don’t know what it was from.

• Oct 17, 2021

80-81 Toyota 4x4 looks like it’s the winner.

It’s about a 1/2” shorter than the other (84-85 Pickup 4x4). This should work out in my favour. Worst case I’ll rotate the pitman arm on the output shaft. The way everything is falling in place, I’m confident it’ll all work out.

If a pitman arm I put aside for this conversion 22 years ago, and it happened to fit perfectly with a Toyota TRE I was given 15+ years ago… I’ll figure out the 1/4” of pitman arm length one way or another.

Gotta love getting OEM parts from the jobber parts supplier. It’s my understanding that the 555 Toyota parts are the ones to get.

 

[bikersmurf]

• Oct 22, 2021

Installed with crush sleeves and weld through primer.

• Oct 22, 2021

“New” column with DD U-joint, 1.5” OD 3/4” ID bearing, and OEM bearing at ignition switch.

New slip shaft should be close to a straight run.

 

[bikersmurf]

• Oct 24, 2021

A bit more of an angle than I expected at the firewall, but well within the U-joints range. I have both full L & R turning, and full range lock to lock in the steering box.

Next up P/S pump and countersinking the set screws. So far the mock-up is looking good.

Angles look good and nothing interferes.

 

[bikersmurf]

Coast industrial indicated the brass fittings do I paid a couple bucks more for the steel one.

And the lines from Rock Auto. Gates lines made the beginning of this year.

The local shops said they’re NLA and speculated that RA must have bought up old stock… apparently not the case.

These lines were the perfect length for a V8 install. They may not be long enough for a straight 6.

 

[bikersmurf]

• Nov 3, 2021

It’s painfully slow progress… but better than none.

Built a ‘new pump’ out of 3 to get all the parts I needed in the right place.

Measured up for a new P/S belt. Spoke to Gary at Lordco and got a P/N for the length of belt. It’s an exact match for the P/N RockAuto gave me by application for a 1970 Chevy Bel Air P/S belt… which was my original donor. Therefore I’ve done my calculations right and will only need one belt (rather than 3). DAYCO 15360.

I’ve always preferred manual steering, but my body doesn’t like working so much anymore. Between the 80 series booster & master, Scout II Saginaw box, and a Saginaw pump with parts selected to give higher psi, it’ll be way different. If I miss the road feel I’ll reduce the boost. I’ve been learning enough about Saginaw P/S pumps I can mix and match parts and add shims to lower the max psi.

• Nov 3, 2021

I’m shooting in the dark for boost level. If I were to guess I’d say 1300-1400 psi based on YouTube education. Hopefully not crazy boost, but mild Novocain is what I’m after.

My body is severely messed up and driving without assist was always easy at the time, but I’d pay for it for days after. Long boring story with no answers… So I’ll not bore all of you with it.

• Nov 8, 2021

Well it is alive… single finger steering.

The pump tensioner is currently a ratchet strap, and the pump howls like a banshee under load… but single finger steering on dry pavement… at idle.



New pump is coming from Vancouver. Apparently there was a reason this pump was in a parts pile. I’ve got another, but for $57 I’m going to replace it with a reman unit with a warranty.

 

[bikersmurf]

Test fit of Ford shock towers:

 

[bikersmurf]

• Nov 17, 2021

They’re the right height, work with the P/S conversion, and should work with out modifications.

Everything I’ve read says Ford stopped making them. Doorman made these… about $80 CDN a pair shipped to my door. It looks like I should be able to simply bolt them on and move on till to the next thing.

• Dec 7, 2021

Been working on the P/S adjuster.

I’ve converted the pump mount so that it has a fixed bolt (rather than a slot) and that bracket has less offset. Then I cut down another bracket to have a slot… and I’m hoping the offset will make it line up with the A/C bracket.

I’m planning to have a tensioner to make adjustment possible. The pump is in a very awkward spot to reach. To put it in perspective, there are two ways to get the pump where it’s mounted:
1) Remove the upper rad hose and squeeze it down past the fan and shroud. It works with the rad loose and floating around, at least for now.
2) Jack up the front and let the axle droop. The axle drooping creates enough extra clearance to fit it up to its mounting position.

I’ve since painted the pump and brackets… but you’ll have to wait to see pictures of them. They still look the same, only cleaner, and blacker.

• Dec 11, 2021

New pump assembled and tensioner almost complete.

 

[bikersmurf]

• Dec 15, 2021

Scab plates and crush tubes welded in.

Also picked up the grade 8 hardware today. One small weld on the adjuster, assembly, flush the system, and bleeding.

Bolted in with grade 8 hardware and reconnected the steering shaft. I’ve not used the nylock nuts yet… saving them till absolutely everything has been assembled and tested. The bolts are a good snug fit in all the holes. They can’t easily be pushed in by hand, but can easily be tapped in with a hammer.

 

[bikersmurf]

• Dec 17, 2021

I've been advised to also use grade 8 lock washers... so I'm doin so.

• Dec 18, 2021

Tensioner working, and both belts tensioned. The P/S tensioner made tensioning that belt dead simple… soooo much easier than trying to lift it and tighten. The A/C (air) compressor was a PITA in comparison.

Not the prettiest welds… something about holding a flashlight in one hand and a mig gun in the other makes prize winning welds a challenge. After a little grinding they’ll look great.

 

[bikersmurf]

• Jan 26, 2022

Working on modifying the D/S Ford shock tower. I’ll add a before picture at some point… but it shouldn’t take too much imagination to picture it as a mirror image of the other side. I’ve cut a triangle wedge out and then hammered it across. Here’s how it looks after the initial welding from both sides.

I’ve built up the bottom corner with weld so it isn’t shorter.

Next time I’ll be sure to purge the air out of the line before welding. The oxygen contributed to the porosity of the welds on the back after just hooking the line to the tank.

Happier with the weld up the front. I’ll post some pics after some grinding and sanding.

 

[bikersmurf]

• Jan 30, 2022

After a little sanding and massaging with a die grinder…

Still needs some paint… but it’s coming along.

• Jan 31, 2022

Ready to install…

Fortunately the paint was dry before it rained again.

 

[bikersmurf]

• Feb 5, 2022

Almost like it was meant to fit here:

Holes are drilled and the bolts slipped in for a test fit. Now I just need to use some voodoo magic to blindly position the shouldered nut inside the boxed section of frame without any direct access to the area.

• Feb 7, 2022

The hard side is done…

After a couple other strategies, I ran a scrap of mig wire through the top hole in the frame, then the top hole, and tied it to a small scrap of wood to prevent the wire from being pulled out. I then pulled the bar through to the inside of the frame. I used a screw driver to help centre it over the bolt holes. I was then able to put a bolt in through the lower hole. Once it was snugged down a bit, I cut the mig wire and threaded in the top bolt. Victory!

The passenger side should be way easier since there is a hole through the inner frame rail inline with the mount.

 

[bikersmurf]

• Feb 10, 2022

X2

• Feb 27, 2022

Some parts came in.

Beck Arnley “555” TREs

Made in the USA Monroe “60 series” damper.

The only challenge is the taper In the bung on the ‘81 Toyota” TRE is reversed to the way I’d like it.

 

[bikersmurf]

The 60 series damper to install.

The stud/mount.

The damper needs to be in front to clear the Tie Rod.

• Dec 5, 2023

I've found a reasonably priced 10:1 tapered ream so I can just drill it out and ream it it the opposite direction. It'll be so much easier than trying to figure it out an other way.

• Dec 22, 2023

Only thing left to do is remove the original bracket from the frame and remount it with the damper at mid-stroke. The “hard part” is done.

 

[bikersmurf]

As I posted earlier, I found a $10 10:1 high speed steel taper on Ali Express. Sometimes it makes sense to work smarter rather than harder. With the cordless drill on high speed it worked perfectly until it grabbed slightly. So I switched to low speed to have more control and just as I finished it grabbed… unfortunately the ream didn’t survive with me extra torque.

So I won’t be able to use it again for a taper this size. Where the flutes broke they were less than a millimeter thick. I suspect it wasn’t designed for iron. I would buy another if I needed to again because it was a perfect fit and for $10 to my door it’s not worth the time to mess around. While it lasted it cut like a hot knife through butter.