Power Steering Gear Box Change out

[69 Charger Mark]

Hey Guys,

Need some help with this one. I have a 69 Charger w/ 440 magnum and headers and need to replace my power steering gearbox and power steering pump. (I'm going back with another power steering box and pump) The mechanic I have it at says that it could take him up to 10 hours @ $90 hour to do the job. He claims that he has to remove the header and engine mounts and then jack up the engine to get enough room to get to the three bolts that hold the gear onto the K member. My thought is that if he removed the pump that should be enough room. Any thoughts? If push comes to shove I'll bring it home and do it myself but my weekends are pretty tied up for the next two months which is why I took it to him in the first place. I'm guessing this should be about a 4 hour job tops. Any thoughts or feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. -------- Mark.

 

[moparmarks]

10 hours is a lot but either the header or the T-bar needs to come out. I usually remove the T-bar and the starter. 4-5 hrs No lifting of the motor.

 

[68bee70rr]

900 bucks sounds crazy to me. I would make the time and do it yourself. Half a days work and the cost of header gasket and it will be done . I know what I would do . Maybe get a another estimate as well. Good luck.

 

[Funship32]

900 bucks sounds crazy to me. I would make the time and do it yourself. Half a days work and the cost of header gasket and it will be done . I know what I would do . Maybe get a another estimate as well. Good luck.

X2 on this comment- do it yourself and spend the savings on something else.

 

[69 Charger Mark]

Thanks DMM! I'll hit him up with this info. I don't mind paying for 4 hours but there's no way I'm getting taken for a 9 hour ride. The only other time I messed with the steering gearbox was on another 69 charger but I had engine out of it at the time so space was not a big deal then.

- - - Updated - - -

68bee70rr. Thanks on the advice. I own my own business and I'm just swamped right now so I don't mind paying for a reasonable repair. I'm going to give the guy the option to do it for 4 hours or else I'll just drive it home and get to it in December or like you said take it to another guy I've used before.

 

[Grabinov911]

Hey Mark take a look at my post #11 here: http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/mopar...ear-or-Firm-Feel&highlight=firm+feel+steering

I don't think it took me ANYTHING LIKE 10 hours, and that's in my garage with no lift - and only the best of equipment (LOL - you'll get the reference when you see my post). I think a good mechanic with good equipment could do it in 4 hours.

G

 

[5.7 hemi]

I was able to swap mine out in 2 hours, even with headers.

 

[MarPar]

900 bucks sounds crazy to me. I would make the time and do it yourself. Half a days work and the cost of header gasket and it will be done . I know what I would do . Maybe get a another estimate as well. Good luck.

all very good points, 68!

Hey Mark take a look at my post #11 here: http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/mopar...ear-or-Firm-Feel&highlight=firm+feel+steering

I don't think it took me ANYTHING LIKE 10 hours, and that's in my garage with no lift - and only the best of equipment (LOL - you'll get the reference when you see my post). I think a good mechanic with good equipment could do it in 4 hours.

G

amen Grabinov!

if i would have payed attention the whole time it would have been less than 4 hours!! lol

i have a stock-*** manifold and tti pipes coming down (don't know if headers make it more difficult or not. pics would help me)...to take out the box, all i did was pull the starter, dropped the pittman and idler arms along with the centerlink and took 'er out from underneath. cake! the power steering pump is even easier.

good luck, Mark. let us know what happens!

 

[62MAX]

10 hours is a lot but either the header or the T-bar needs to come out. I usually remove the T-bar and the starter. 4-5 hrs No lifting of the motor.

Took me about two hours with a lift (no headers) ,the pump about twenty minutes.find someone else if you can't do it yourself.

 

[moparmarks]

Headers makes a difference. E-manifold, no problem. With headers, either the header or the T-bar needs to come out.

 

[69 Charger Mark]

G.

Loved that Hi-Tech 2x4 in the shot!!!! I went over and saw the mechanic this morning and told him that I could go 4 hours on the labor but that was it and if he could do it for that then great if not let me know and so I can drive it back home. No phone calls so I'm thinking he bought off on it.

 

[soundhd]

If it's anything like replacing the one on my 70RR......it took 3-4 hours and that was using a lift.....invite a friend.....4 hands make it easier............LOL

 

[bigblock]

2 hours tops on the ground with crappy manual tools.Remove header and starter if I recollect correctly.4 hours is fair tho,,,I'm a bad *** mechanic! LOL

 

[1970GTX]

Got mine out today in about 2 hours including pump removal, laying under the car,. Piece of cake with the rest of the front suspension already removed. Thanks for all the tips on these threads. Grateful to Grabinov 911 for his ingeneous support system. Thanks for not patenting it so I could copy it

 

[1971streeachine]

i have a 1971 charger with a 440.
i have hooker headers on it, i put a bored under the oil pan and removed the motor mount bolt on the drivers side and jacked the engine up a few inches.
took the bolts out of the header and unbolted from the exhaust and slid it back as far as i could.
at that point i pushed pulled wiggled and wobbled that sucker out. the new slid in fairly easy AND this was with the pit man arm on.
and it took me maybe 3 hours with a garage floor a jack and some good old hand tools.
would have taken 2 with an extra set of hands

 

[cbunt1]

Well, I'd think that paying a pro 10 hours is excessive...but, after having just done mine on my '72, I'll admit I've got at least that tied up into it.

I ended up pulling the header, and the column. I was having hell getting to the three magic bolts, until it dawned on me that the steering column shaft represents a straight line between the steering gear and the firewall.

With the column out of the car (I was doing some other work anyway), a series of extensions, and a wobble-drive, all three bolts came in and out pretty easily, in fact, that was the *easiest* part of the job. Getting the box past the header (and getting the header off in the first place) was another story--but I'll chalk that part up to header design, and tell myself that if I ever install headers on a car they'll be TTI, and I'll check for bolt access FIRST!

I'd think for someone that "knows what they're doing" (This was my second steering box, and my first on a Mopar, so that doesn't describe me) and that has resigned themselves to pulling the header (I tried and tried to not have to pull it!), it'd be a 4-5 hour job.