Can I use the ps rack for manual steering? I was thinking I'de need to get a flaming river manual rack but becauswe the cost is 400-500 dollars I've just got to ask before I buy. Also...with the manual rack do i need a different streering shaft?
i heard one guy did, he said just to make sure you leave the fluid lines unplugged,if you plugged them they would build air pressure,,hey i want to try manual steering also mine is leaking all the time, someone posted about a cheap o-ring to fix the leak have to find that post,,, back to the manual steering how would you bypass the pump? with an idler pulley?
You can just use the factory power steering rack with the lines unhooked, but at slow speeds it would take a lot of effort to turn the wheel at all. Using a manual rack that was actually designed for manual steering will decrease the effort require a lot (but you'd be surprised how stiff those still are compared to power steering).
Bypassing the Power steering on the 2.3 is pretty easy, just get another tensioner pulley that's ribbed like the one on the A/C belt (they're available at parts stores or junkyards... or if your A/C doesn't work just steal the one from it's tensioner) and put it in place of the smooth one on the Water pump/alternator belt, and then run a shorter belt. That's what I did when I put a late-model 2.3 in my Mustang II that already had manual steering, I ended up using a five-rib belt on six-rib pulleys, but it works great, I'll post the size tomorrow, because it's 3:45 in the morning right now and I don't feel like going out there to read it just now.
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1976 Ford Mustang II Ghia: 302 with a 600cfm Edelbrock carb, Edelbrock Performer 289 intake, Dynomax Blackjack headers, 2.5" exhaust with Flowmaster Super 44s. RJS 11-gallon fuel cell, C4 tranny, chrome 16" pony wheels, fuzzy dice, brown vinyl half-top, and painted in the tackiest color ever (harvest gold, that's why I call it "The Goldenrod").
Also have a 2003 Dodge Ram (lightly modded daily driver/tow rig/office/dining room/home away from home/workshop... I call it "The Big Blue Dawg".)
You can just use the factory power steering rack with the lines unhooked, but at slow speeds it would take a lot of effort to turn the wheel at all. Using a manual rack that was actually designed for manual steering will decrease the effort require a lot (but you'd be surprised how stiff those still are compared to power steering).
Bypassing the Power steering on the 2.3 is pretty easy, just get another tensioner pulley that's ribbed like the one on the A/C belt (they're available at parts stores or junkyards... or if your A/C doesn't work just steal the one from it's tensioner) and put it in place of the smooth one on the Water pump/alternator belt, and then run a shorter belt. That's what I did when I put a late-model 2.3 in my Mustang II that already had manual steering, I ended up using a five-rib belt on six-rib pulleys, but it works great, I'll post the size tomorrow, because it's 3:45 in the morning right now and I don't feel like going out there to read it just now.
hey thanks !!!!!!!!!!for that great info,trying to picture it,how do you replace the smooth pulley on the water pump? i have to take a look on mine later today,,
Thanks 74stang. I'll be watching for any pictures you may be able to post.
So you are saying that I should remove the pump completly? Then replace the smooth pully with a ribbed one on the tensioner attached to the large bracket that the ps pump and alt. are supported by? Then use a shorter belt. Sounds like that would work.
Too bad I hucked all the AC stuff. Guess it's time to go to the wrecking yard.
Thanks for your reply. Ohh by the way what cam specs and carb/intake are you running 74stang? Or are you using FI?
Here's a couple of pics of how it looks when done. I thought the part number on the belt would be more readily readable in the picture than that, but it's a Dayco belt, part # 5050490
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1976 Ford Mustang II Ghia: 302 with a 600cfm Edelbrock carb, Edelbrock Performer 289 intake, Dynomax Blackjack headers, 2.5" exhaust with Flowmaster Super 44s. RJS 11-gallon fuel cell, C4 tranny, chrome 16" pony wheels, fuzzy dice, brown vinyl half-top, and painted in the tackiest color ever (harvest gold, that's why I call it "The Goldenrod").
Also have a 2003 Dodge Ram (lightly modded daily driver/tow rig/office/dining room/home away from home/workshop... I call it "The Big Blue Dawg".)
Hey thanks for the pictures and belt nubers! They are a huge help. I couldn't tell for sure but it looks to me like you cut off part of the bracket. Is tat true?
Can I use the stock ps rack for manual steering? 
dollars I've just got to ask before I buy. Also...with the manual rack do i need a different streering shaft?
