HomeMini Truck Power Steering Conversion
Notes from postings on CCOT:
I want to use stuff from a 79-85 4whdrive toyota mini truck i think these are
the years and i have heard that i need one off a 4wheel drive truck is this true
or can i use the 2wheel drive truck parts.
What are the parts that i need and what dont i need that is already on my 40
ps box
ps pump
hoses
mounting bracket
do i need new linkage?
Pin Head is right on the PS pump. I used an '84 (?) Tercel 4WD wagon PS pump and
flipped the pulley over. It mounts to a 2F smog pump bracket (with a little
ingenuity on figuring out a pivot bolt, and a trip or two to the hardware
store). For the adjusting bracket I used an older model Cressida PS pump
adjusting bracket (one end goes to an extended water pump housing bolt closest
to the PS pump, the slotted end goes to the top of the PS pump, a little
grinding was needed to clear the belt). I used an '85 mini-truck PS gearbox and
the mini-truck high-pressure hose (from AutoZone). I found the right length
Gates belt by picking through the NAPA inventory.
I think my installation was easier because my '71 FJ40 already had a late '70s
2F with a double groove crankshaft pulley. I did have to remove the F alternator
from the driver's side and install a 2F alternator on the passenger side. While
I was at it I replaced the steering wheel/shaft/column with a mid-'70s set-up (I
had to fabricate a bracket at the firewall and buy the PS gearbox side of the
rag joint from Specter, their aftermarket part works great for less $$$).
I'm going to do the same thing except, i will use the casting of fj40(new) take
a donor from a 79-85. I'm doing this so i won't have to make a bracket. Yes it
cost more but i prefer to have it as original as possible, well close anyways. I
recommend to try to locate one with low miles don't get one just because it
matches those years. And yes it has to come from one with a solid axle(4x4).
believe you can keep the same set up. Just use the same pitman arm from your
fj40. Jt outfitters, cruiserparts.net are sell them as a kit. Its the same thing
you are doing except it comes with a bracket.
had a chance to see to 4wd and 2wd mini-truck PS setup side by side in a junk
yard, they are very different, so you have to get a 4wd box.
Get to cooler too (it's a piece of tubing), you can resuse your existing linkage
including the pitman arm from your manual steering box. As the ps box bracket
you can get one from jtoutfitter.com
I am no expert! Just happened to did this conversion to my fj40.
/td
I did the mini-truck PS conversion on my '71 FJ40 (it has a late '70s 2F). I
used a mid-80s Tercel 4WD wagon PS pump on the 2F smog pump bracket, $45 for a
good used one. You'll have to go browsing at the hardware store for a pivot
bolt, sleeves/spacers, etc. to set the pump up on the bracket, I had to drill
out some holes on the pump and bracket to get something that would work easily.
You flip the pulley over to get it to line up with the crankshaft pulley.
The mini-truck high pressure line works great, it comes out of the Tercel pump,
turns down and under the pump, and heads over to the mini-truck PS gearbox.
AutoZone carries the correct high pressure hose, Powercraft part number 71260.
For the pump adjusting bracket I scrounged around the local pick-n-pull and
found a Toyota Cressida PS pump adjusting bracket (don't remember what year),
just had to grind a little away to clear the PS pump belt. The belt I used was a
Gates belt, NAPA part number 22425 (11/16" x 43-1/8").
It is the 80-85 Tercel pump that will fit on the 2F smog pump bracket, but you
have to flip the pulley over.
I finally completed the PS conversion on my 71 fj40. I went with the Toyota
4x4 conversion to keep everything toyota. I already swapped in a 79 2f so I had
the double pulleys and relocated the alternator to the passenger side. I used
the smog pump bracket to mount the ps pump. That left me with enough room to
continue using the 71 air filter assembly I converted to a snorkel system.
Here's what the parts list
I used a steering box from 85 4x4 pickup, steering colum from a 79 fj, ps pump
from a 85 tercel (flipped the pully to line it up)mounted to the smog pump
bracket, pressure hose from an 81-83 4x4 pick up, a universal return hose kit
and the box mount bracket from JT Outfitters.
I removed the old steering colum/box assembly and mounted the new box bracket. I
mounted the box iteself with c=clamps to line everything up before I drilled the
holes.
The biggest mod was retrofitting the 79 colum assembly into the 71. After much
measring, I cut the firewall to make a 4" x4" square hole. I Mounted the new
colum loosly to get everything lined up the drilled and bolted the new assembly
to the firewall. I discovered that most of the wiring was color coded the same
and the wiring was a breeze. I drilled and bolted the ps box to the bracket and
life was good. I pulled the pitma arm off the old box and it bolts right up.
I mounted the ps pump to the smog pump bracket and with a little grinding was
able to use the old bracket from the water pump to the top of the PS pump.
The hardest part was finding a pressure hose. It turns out that the 81-83 toy
4x4 hose fits perfect.
Other than parts searching, the actual assembly took about 4-5 hours in the
driveway.
It works great and might the single best mod I've done yet. It's like driving a
new vehicle.
This system has less pressure than my buddy's with a saginaw pump but I like the
slighly firmer feel.
Feel free to email with questions.
Thanks for all the help. I got most of the info for this conversion of this
board.
Power steering:
You don't need to buy all that JTO stuff. You can get a used gearbox for
$50-$75, and a used saginaw pump for $20-$30. Here's what it would cost if you
did it yourself:
JT gearbox bracket $85
JT pump bracket $85
used gearbox $75
used pump $30
hoses $30
------------------------
Total $305
I have the JT brackets listed at less than the $99 because he sells them on ebay
all the time and the reserve price is $85 and you can buy them for that if you
just keep watching.
You can get a used gearbox from www.pirate4x4.com classifieds or your local
junkyard. The saginaw pumps can be found on all kinds of old chevys in
junkyards.
The hoses you can have custom made at a local shop.
"I forgot to mention that the pump I bought did not come with a pulley. I
wanted the wider pulley that matched the wide groove in the crank pulley.
PinHead pointed me in the direction of a '80's Volvo 240DL that used a GM pump,
but the wide groove pulley. Bought an entire pump, junk for $10 and pressed off
the pulley and put it on my reman pump."
I'm working through the same pulley problem with the JT Outfitters conversions
kit. Man-a-Fre is marketing the correct size pulley ($80) but it fits the older
keyed power steering pump. Seems like for just a few $$ more the correct parts
could/should be provided by the respective kit providers. The pump price is the
same (keyed or press fit pulley shaft), the only extra cost is the pulley.
This pulley works !!!!
Martin is the Mfg.
Pulley- 1-B-50-SDS
Bushing- SDS 3/4