Saginaw Power Steering Pump Upgrade for Late Model EFI Engines With Serpentine Belt Systems
By Todd Zuercher
About five or six years ago, Saginaw power steering pumps became a popular swap item with the Early Bronco crowd, many of whom were tired of their stock, noisy Thompson power steering pumps. In addition to being noisy, the stock pumps have a nasty habit of puking fluid and wearing out quickly when used in conjunction with larger tires.
Along with a 5.0 SEFI conversion comes the Ford CII pump. These plastic-reservoired pumps are better than the older Thompson pumps, but their constant whine gets old in a hurry and certainly doesn't give one a strong sense of confidence in their reliability. The pump on the Mustang is designed for a rack and pinion steering system, which apparently operates at a much lower pressure than the recirculating ball systems in the Bronco boxes. After using a Mustang pump for nearly four years on my 5.0 engine, the extra noise emanating from the pump whenever I aired my tires down told me the pump was on its last legs.
The Saginaw pump conversion for the v-belt 302s is a tried-and-true formula, but until now, adapting a Saginaw pump to a late model 5.0 Mustang engine has been a bit more tricky. Although it has been done, most swaps have involved welding, machining, or special-order pumps that can't be purchased at the corner auto parts store.
With a bit of junkyard engineering, I was able to convert my '91 SEFI Mustang 5.0 engine(without a/c compressor) to a Saginaw pump utilizing a 99% bolt-on conversion. The 1% non-bolt-on portion consists of about 30 seconds worth of grinding on one bracket. After removing the stock pump and bracketry from the engine, here's what you'll need to complete the conversion:
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A front view of the Mustang bracket |
A backside view of the Mustang bracket that shows the minimal grinding necessary to allow proper clearances for fit. |
From left to right; the Mustang bracket, 2 bolts to hold the pump to the bracketry, the Early Bronco alternator spacer, and the Econoline Saginaw pump bolted to the Lincoln bracket.
PARTS LIST
OPTIONAL
- 1. Saginaw p/s pump-spec'd mine from '92 Econoline van,bought at Autozone for $75
- 2. Serpentine p/s pulley-87 Chevy S-10 Blazer 2.8 V6, p/n 14100597, $18 at your Chevy dealer, $5 at the pull-a-part
- 3. Saginaw pump bracket-79 Lincoln Continental, p/n D9BC-3A732-AA, obsolete from Ford, $5 at pull-a- part
- 4. Water pump-to-p/s bracket support bracket-83 Mustang 5.0 w/o a/c, p/n D9Z C-3C511-BB, obsolete from Ford, $5 at the pull-a-part + 2 mounting bolts with this bracket
- 5. Saginaw pump bracket-engine block spacer-stock Early Bronco alternator spacer-your garage or ?-got mine for free from the local Bronco parts guy
- 6. 83.5" 6 rib serpentine belt(p/n 835K6)
- 7. adapter to adapt Bronco high pressure hose to Saginaw pump, Weatherhead p/n #1563, at Napa.
- 8. Different fan spacer. This varies from truck to truck. Mine is 1.2" thick.
GOTCHAS:
- 1. The Lincoln bracket is obsolete, but plentiful in the pull-a-part yards around Phoenix. The Mustang bracket is REALLY obsolete and probably hard to find since it comes from a non-A/C car.
- 2. The '83 Mustang bracket takes about 30 sec. worth of grinding to allow the bottom bolt on the Continental bracket to fit right. Very, very easy-see photo.
- 3. Fan/pulley clearance. I also had to space my fan closer to the radiator by about 0.25". This varies from truck to truck so I hesitate to make a blanket recommendation. I use a Flex-A-Lite 1517 reverse rotation 17" fan.
A backside view of the completed installation showing hose routing, etc.
The power steering cooler, donated from a '95 E350 van.
The combination of all these pieces places the pump and pulley in *perfect* alignment with the rest of the stock 5.0 serpentine accessories. The stock EB alternator spacer spaces the Lincoln bracket away from the engine the perfect distance to mount to the Mustang bracket, which aligns everything to the 5.0 serpentine setup
The system has been on the truck two weeks as this is written and so far it has performed flawlessly. The installation looks factory. The whining and groaning is gone! I'm looking forward to better steering and far less indication of my presence on the trail runs ahead!
Feel free to email with any further questions. toddz69@juno.com
