While ’50s and ’60s Chevys were pretty good vehicles when they were factory fresh, today their shortcomings are painfully obvious. Take the steering for example. There were two choices back then. Manual steering, which had more turns lock-to-lock than the Queen Mary, provided little or no road feel, and would make anyone with the poor judgment to try parallel parking break into a sweat. Of course buyers could opt for power steering. That option still required lots of turns lock-to-lock, had even less road feel, and while it may have made parking marginally easier, the chances of the system springing a hydraulic leak were quite good.
Borgeson offers remanufactured Delphi 600 integral power steering boxes as direct replacements for ’58-64 Chevys.
Basically hydraulic power steering can be divided into two categories: linkage assist and integral. Both use hydraulic pressure from an engine-driven pump to reduce the effort to turn the steering wheel. Linkage assist uses a ram attached to the frame on one end and the centerlink on the other. A control valve on the end of the centerlink senses movement of the Pitman arm and directs fluid to the proper side of the ram’s piston to help move the steering linkage in the appropriate direction. Among the many disadvantages to this type of system are the number of hoses and the fact that the control valve operates in a dirty, gritty environment, which can cause premature wear and leakage.
Borgeson offers remanufactured Delphi 600 integral power steering boxes as direct replacements for ’58-64 Chevys.
A more sophisticated power steering design is the integral type. Inside the steering gear is a piston that acts upon the ball nut, which turns the sector shaft the Pitman arm is attached to. When turns are made the twisting force on the input shaft of the steering gear causes a rotary valve to open a passageway for pressurized fluid from the pump. Turning the steering wheel to the left allows pressure to push on the piston one way; turning the steering wheel to the right pushes the piston the opposite direction—either way the effort required to turn the steering wheel is reduced.
The original steering box bolts to the inside of the left framerail. Note the stock rag coupler at the gearbox.
When GM’s Saginaw Division introduced the rotary valve integral power boxes in ’59 Cadillac, Pontiac, Buick, and Oldsmobile cars it didn’t take long for the bean counters at Chevrolet to figure out how much more expense the new steering gear was going to add to the sticker price. As a result they stuck with the inferior linkage-style power steering through 1964 to keep costs down. But while Chevrolet didn’t see fit to use better steering in those days now there is an option for those who want to upgrade to a contemporary design. Borgeson has developed an integral power steering conversion for ’58-64 full-size Chevys.
Removal of the original box began with disconnecting the factory coupler—it will not be reused.
Borgeson now offers remanufactured GM Delphi 600 integral power steering gearboxes with the latest technology for improved road feel and feedback with a quick 14:1 ratio. These boxes are modified so they attach directly to the factory mounting location and to fit the stock Pitman arm. Steering boxes are available separately or in a complete kit that provide the pump, pump bracket, power steering pulley, universal joint, intermediate shaft, and hoses.
Although the original intermediate shaft will be discarded, the upper coupler, which acts as a slip joint and a universal, will be retained.
Thanks to Borgeson, modern power steering is affordable and installation is a simple remove-and-replace operation. It’s a great way to make a ’58-64 Chevy as pleasing to drive as they are to look at.
Installation Tips from Borgeson
A new universal joint and steering shaft will be required for connection to the stock column. Cars with factory power steering will require a drag link adapter or a manual center link.
Borgeson’s modified Delphi box with an adapter bracket slips into place and is secured with the original bolts.
All ’58-64 Chevy cars with factory power steering will require PN 990007 drag link adapter to replace the control valve on the drag link.
Most ’58-64 manual steering cars will require the idler arm to be rotated to match the angle of the new steering box. This is easily accomplished by removing the lower bolt from the idler arm and rotating the assembly toward the front of the car to align with the Pitman arm. Drill a new hole for the lower bolt and re-install.
The 348/409 cars may have an issue with the steering box to power steering pump clearance. Most applications will fit but will have reduced adjustability of the belt tension. In some cases the use of a remote-style power steering pump will be required.
A puller will normally be required to remove the Pitman arm from the sector shaft.
Direct replacement ididit steering columns are available in plain steel or chrome finishes
11205800 ’58 Chevy column for floor shift
11206000 ’59-60 Chevy tilt column for floor shift
11206200 ’61-62 Chevy tilt column for floor shift
11206700 ’63-64 Chevy tilt column for floor shift
11405800 ’58 Chevy tilt column for column shift
11406000 ’59-60 Chevy tilt column for column shift
11406200 ’61-62 Chevy tilt column for column shift
11406700 ’63-64 Chevy tilt column for column shift
A few more candidates for improved steering, and there may be even more
On the left is the stock manual box; on the right is the Delphi 600 from Borgeson.
Borgeson offers integral power steering conversions for a variety of cars, including Tri-Five Chevys, ’63-82 Chevy Corvettes, ’65-70 Ford Mustang, ’66-77 Ford mid-sized cars, and ’52-64 Ford full-size cars. And while that’s a pretty respectable list there are probably a number of other cars that could benefit from a power steering update by using one of the following Borgeson boxes. If you have a candidate for such a swap, break out the tape measure and then check the dimensions of the available boxes. Such an installation will undoubtedly require a custom frame mount and column modifications but the results will certainly be worth it.
Additional installation parts available:
PN Description
013446 Universal joint for box connection 17mm DD x 3/4-inch 36-spline
409216 3/4-inch 36-spline intermediate shaft 16 inches long splined on both ends
990007 Drag link adapter for cars with factory ram-style power steering
925103 OEM-style rubber power steering hose set to connect new box to P/S pump.
800310 GM Saginaw self-contained power steering pumps available in black or chrome (part number for black listed)
801001 Power steering pulley, black steel GM two-row
802400 Power steering pump bracket for SBC/SWP many other brackets available
Power Steering Fluid
As the sector shafts on the old and new boxes are the same diameter the stock Pitman arm is reused, note the wide spline.
According to our friends at AMSOIL INC., power steering fluid is one of the most neglected fluids under the hood. Most of us realize that power steering systems require additional fluid occasionally but are not aware it should be changed at regular intervals. Power steering fluid has a service life, just like any other lubricating fluid. It is subject to temperature extremes and must combat contaminants while simultaneously fulfilling its role as a hydraulic fluid.
