Do you have Armstrong steering?
Do you want that smooth one hand drive most of us have been spoiled with?
Well I'm going to tell you just how easy a conversion on your Scout II is.

All right, you need to get:

(1) Power Steering gear box

(1) power steering pump

(1) power steering pump bracket

(1) new high pressure hose

(1) plain old piece of oil line

(2) hose clamps

(1) pump pulley off of the harmonic balacer

You should be able to get these things off of any light line truck from the '70's.

When removing the pulley you will need to pry it from the harmonic balance. Be careful you don't bend the pulley groove to much. If you do try bending it back.

1. Remove the drag link from the pitman arm.

2. You could remove the pitman arm if you want, it would probably be easier when you take the old box out. This is a real PITA so only do it if you must.

3. Remove the three bolts holding the box to the frame. These may be tight so a little penatrating oil, like B'laster, and an impact gun help a lot.

4. Once the box is off the frame remove the bolt that clamps the trunion joint to the steering box shaft. This is the very last joint on the steering shaft.

5. Give the box a few encouraging taps with a hammer and the shaft should slide out of the joint.

6. Lift the box up out of the engine compartment.

7. Once the box is out clean the frame off in the area and examine it for cracks and fissures. If you find a crack, clean around it good and weld it together, then grind it smooth.

8. If you have to weld a crack you should definatly take a piece of steel stock, about 1/4" and cut two pieces big enough to cover the entire frame where the new box will sit and drill bolt holes to match. This will provide support for the box against the frame. For more info on this see Jim Weeds page under Tech Tips.

9. Put the new Power box into the engine compartment.

10. Slide the box back onto the steering column. The steering box shaft has a notch in it for the clamp bolt. Make sure the notch and the clamp holes line up. This will ensure the box and the column are lined up properly and then the bolt will go through the clamp.

11. When you get the shaft seated, take your NEW Grade 8 bolts, (what you didn't get NEW Grade 8 bolts, nuts, and washers? Drop everything and go now to the store, right now, and get them!) and put them through the frame and tighten them up to spec. (60-70 ft. lbs)

12. Put the clamp bolt back through the trunion joint and tighten it up. You may want to replace the trunion joint with a rag joint, but; personally I like the trunion better because of the strength, since it is made all of steel. If you do use a rag joint buy a new joint. They are cheap, about $10.00.

13. Now mount the power steering bracket. What? You can't figure out how to get that @#!^* pump off of the bracket? Look on the back you will see a stud coming out of the pump and through the bracket. There is a little collar that slides over the stud and into the hole in the bracket. Take a thin screw driver and slid it between the pump and the collar, it will come out it just takes time.

14. Now that that's off we can mount the bracket. You will probably have to remove the battery ground from the bracket hole and relocate it to the bracket.

15. Put the pump back on the bracket.

16. Bolt the pulley to the harmonic ballancer. make sure you tighten the bolts evenly so as not to warp the pulley. Remember the bolt holes on the balacer have been exposed to at least 20 years of water and dirt so you may want to tap them to clean the threads up.

17. Put the power steering belt on.

18. Now attach the new hoses (you may need a crows foot for the gear box hose) and tighten up the clamps good and tight.

19. Fill with oil and turn the pump by hand to make sure you have oil throughout the system. We don't want to burn up our new power steering before we even run it do we?

20. Tighten up the pump belt and lock every thing in good and tight. Remember to put the battery ground back on.

That's it! I took about 2 hours to do the entire job not including the time it took to remove the Power box and pulley off the other truck. The pulley takes a while because it is stuck to the ballancer pretty good. A puller of some kind would make it come off easier I bet.

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