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Powersteering Box Fittings

Smitty

Smitty

1/2 ton status
Joined
Sep 1, 2000
Posts
998
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Location
Crestview, FL
Ran into a small problem while installing the hydroboost brake system on my 56. All I have left is hooking up the lines. It looks like the steering box takes a regular flare type fitting but the fittings on the lines are the o-ring type (the steering box is from a 80 3/4 ton 4x4). Does anyone make some type of adapter for these? I think I could get away with just converting the hose that comes from the booster to the steering box. The other steering box line is a return and I can make a flared steel return.

On the plus side, I finished putting together the radiator support. It now has an aluminum cross-flow radiator that should help in the cooling dept.
 
I don't think there is an adapter for this. Problem is your box is older than your lines and hydro boost. Maybe see if you can find a newer box that will work for you.
 
If your box was really from a 1980 K20 it would have flared fittings. That box is from an 82 or newer, has metric fittings, and those aren't going to work for your rig.
 
The box does require the flare fittings. My problem is that the hoses, hydroboost and pump take the o-rings. I didn't want to get another steering box. Guess I'll get to figure something out....
 
Just do it right. If you ever had to fix that on the side of the road somewhere you'd be screwed.

You need all the components from one series of vehicles. Mine has all metric o ring stuff on it. If you want to run that, get a newer box. Others have flare stuff. In that case, get yourself an older pump, brake booster, and keep your current steering box.

Either way you're going to have to convert to all the same or have a custom hose made to do it right.
 
I would take this opportunity to upgrade to real reuseable hydraulic JIC fittings and line
a few adapters will get you there
another way out is to get custom lines made at an industrial hydraulics shop
I like the reuseable way as it frees you from overpaying for lines in the future
just buy a length of -6 hydraulic line and remake your lines anywhere that you can cut line
 
The conversion is a route I'll look into while I try to figure a way out of this one. You'll notice that I'm located in Altus, OK. I have to travel an hour (one way) to find anything and at least two hours (one way) is it's anything that isn't common.
 
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Just when things seem to be going good on this project.... Thanks for the info.

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Your K5 is an 82, right? What if you just stole the sector shaft from the O ring box and threw it in your stock box and called it done?

If your hydroboost stuff has o ring stuff and you have your factory box, you should be good to go. You can put whatever guts in it you feel is necessary.
 
I dunno what the hell Tim has, but my non pressure line is 3/8ths pipe thread on both a 78 and an 85 box

I decided to fire mine up and see if they leak, because autozone says they are interchangeable

I was looking at the tractor store, with all thier hydro lines, and besided the fact that I don't think I could shove a fitting behind the pump, I'd have just used those, still might
 
That's not an 85 box then.

I have what the majority have here. Metric fittings with an O ring. Older trucks (81 and older) have an SAE flare in the same location.
 
inverted flare with 18tpi
never seen a pipe threaded one

I can get the pn for the adapters for you and you could mail order or phone your order in to what ever shop you can get to
a cutoff saw or a cutoff abrasive disc in a circular saw/grinder will cut hyd hose
 
I have run into this problem many times doing engine swaps and when I worked at auto parts stores all the time. You can swap the "bung"fitting on the back of the power steering pump to match the hose(usually I just robbed it out of the old pump on the dead motor),or if that wont solve the problem,I would either sell the customer 2 p/s hoses or have them bring me both old ones,cut them in half at the rubber hose and crimp 3/8 hydraulic hose fittings with 3/8 pipe thread(a male and a female)and screw them together to make a custom hose with the correct fittings on either end. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
CAPTAIN TIM!

Final statement -

Box is an 86 from autozone from a 2wd half ton truck, this is confirmed, it came with O Ring fittings, maybe its an old box Brent got by mistake, but if so, I have no problem anymore

I took the non pressure line box fitting to the hardware store

It would not thread into anything in the but isle, metric or standard, fine or course

It threaded into all the 3/8ths hydrailic fittings they had, my old box, and matched the threads of the premade 3/8ths lengths of hose, my 78 fitting screwed into the new box fine, multiple times

Autozone says they are interchangeable, for what thats worth

Anyway, maybe the pressure line is metric or something? I dunno.....

Oh, the NUTS on the 85 FITTINGS are METRIC that may be your or possibly my, confusion

MJ - It looks if I could buy a premade line and some adapters and be golden, or is there something I dont see? I could do 90* bends off the pump and then a straight run

What's the size of the pressure line on the box end, I knwo it's a bit smaller than the return, and are the fittings on the box the same?

Thanks
 
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It looks if I could buy a premade line and some adapters and be golden, or is there something I dont see? I could do 90* bends off the pump and then a straight run

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you have choices here
the line is all -6
- you can get the line made up with the oddball factory fittings, then you are saddled with them forever

- you can adapt the oddball to JIC-AN fittings and use real hydraulic line that any town with machinery will have available

- in addition you can be smart and buy reuseable JIC hose ends/fittings and a length of -6 and never have to buy premade hoses again

I just did my propane lines with reuseable SAE ends
even paying retail for a less common then JIC fitting each end was about $8cdn and line was $3-4cdn a foot

those are the ones I would look at
I just did mine with adapters and JIC but didnt think to go reuseable ends

I think I was quoted $30-60cdn per line for premade PS lines from the local parts dept

the old stuff is 18 tpi inverted flare
the threads may match something else but the seating surface is specific
lately I have noticed that every fitting on my chev has 18tpi. brakes/steering included. no idea why 18 is so popular
 
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Box is an 86 from autozone from a 2wd half ton truck, this is confirmed, it came with O Ring fittings, maybe its an old box Brent got by mistake, but if so, I have no problem anymore

Autozone says they are interchangeable, for what thats worth

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1. When I say metric fittings i mean the O ring type. There are two kinds, standard flares and metric with o rings.

2. If you believe whoever told you that at Autozone instead of me, tell that person to screw your hoses into your box then. Trust me, hoses aren't interchangable between the pre 81 flare fitting trucks and the 82 and later o ring fiting ones.

If your box has an SAE flare and you asked for one from an '86 C10, you got the wrong box.

Whoever told you that the '82 and up stuff uses the same hoses as the '81 and down trucks doesn't know wtf he's talking about.
 
Looks like an "I told you so, so it is right" kinda reply but really Tim is correct here /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif The fittings are not interchangeable, the steering boxes are if you change the hoses with it and get the right fittings to match the box.
 
First I mystyped, it's supposed to be from an 1985 C10

Anyway..........

I'm just stating facts

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When I say metric fittings I mean the O ring type. There are two kinds, standard flares and metric with o rings.

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I have, from the box, when it came to me, O ring fittings, which were just chopped off with a bolt cutter when parted out from Brent's truck. He bought the box and installed it on an 85 4wd K5 and he says it's an 85 box

Here's the email in full

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Piggins?? LOL!! I thought I was a prat... The PS box is from a 1985 2wd
Chevrolet pickup.

The swap looks like it is going along good.

>> You smelly pigginsssssss
>>
>> What year is the steering box you sold meeeeee
>>
>> I'm a scary ghost fromt he passssssssst

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tell that person to screw your hoses into your box then

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MY 78 FLARE FITTINGS SCREW INTO A SUPPOSEDLY 85 BOX WITH O RING FITTINGS FINE!!!!!!!

That's my confusion Tim

The reason I think they are interchangeable is because the parts numbers at Autozone from 78/85 4wd trucks, all of them, match, yet it gives you another part number and says you can use these alternatively, which is a bit odd because the O ring fitting I got with the 85 box is too tall to screw into the 78 flare box, but the same thread

I'm not arguing with you, I'm trying to work with you to understand what the hell is going on
 
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