Sorry for the delayed response regarding the details of the installation. I will start now and edit this entry as I find time, here goes....
EPS installation in a 66 Mustang (V8, T5)
I recently installed an EPS (Electric Power Steering) setup into a 66 Mustang. I am very happy with the results, so I’m providing the following write up to explain how I performed this modification. I’m NOT a mechanical engineer, just a guy that enjoys tinkering with vintage cars. These modifications may be unsuitable for a street driven vehicle. Welding is required and should be performed by a professional welder as a welding failure could result in complete loss of steering.
There may be simpler ways to fabricate the various parts, however I wanted the finished product to be easy to install with the ability to replace the Koyo portion with simple hand tools in the event of a failure. I had to take the unit in and out many times while I was sizing everything up and the unit can be removed or installed in about 30 minutes or so (5 bolts and a couple of setscrews) This is what the complete assembly looks like:
http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=196578&stc=1&d=1409835600
The car the EPS was added to has numerous previous modifications, the most relevant being a manual TCP rack. That being said, mating the EPS to the stock steering box would not be more difficult just slightly different.
The EPS column can be found in the following vehicles:
• Saturn Vue - from 2002 to 2007
• Chevrolet Equinox - from 2005 to 2007
• Pontiac Torrent 2005-2007, not 2008
• Saturn Ion - from 2003 to 2006 - only in steering column with metal ECU case
For those heading to the pick-a-part:
1) Get the intermediate shaft
2) You don't need the steering wheel, but you do need the collapsible "slider" shaft and tube.
3) Cut the wires as long as possible, the power ground can be unbolted from left side of c-channel, power feed goes through the firewall, signal wires a foot or so will do.
The EPS donor should look like this:
Vintage Mustang Forums
For those who start cutting and drilling before I get a chance to complete the write-up, measure everything and write it down, for example one critical measurement is how far your Mustang steering shaft protrudes from the front face of the flange just behind the steering wheel.
Tools required :
1. Basic stuff: wrenches, sockets, hammer, tin-snips, etc.
2. Vice, drill press, sawzall, welder, lathe is handy but not necessary.
Special parts required:
1. Steering coupler (lower)
2. Steering coupler (upper)
3. Adapter (upper): Walker reducer part # 41939 $2.97@ Summit
http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/wlk-41939/overview/
4. Adapter (lower)
5. Mounting plate (lower)
6. Metric bolt (Intermediate shaft collar, required for clearance) M8 X 1.25 -30 Hex socket
Button Head
7. Bearing R18-ZZ
8. Bushing (steel ¾”)
9. Setscrew ¼” (qty 2)
10. Metric bolt M6 X 1.0: 1x M6-12, and 2x M6-20; Hex socket
Head Cap (Upper Vue tube retaining bolts)
11. Coupling nut (5/16”)
12. Mounting bolt 7” x 5/16”
13. Re-enforcement bar (1” square tube)
14. Pilot bolt; 1/4" x 1" Hex socket
Socket Head to prevent steering column from rotating
15. Steering controller eBay (Bruno), or improved EPC-100 speed sensitive controller (Slow-poke)
Special parts description:
1. Steering coupler (lower).
The lower steering coupler, couples the upper portion of the Vue intermediate shaft to the lower portion of the Mustang steering shaft. In my case because I have a TCP rack that uses a DD-type shaft, I used a Borgeson part # 314900 3/4 DD x 3/4 Smooth bore, this fits very well on the lower Vue shaft (when opened up with a 13/16" drill bit on the smooth bore side). Note I pulled a second Vue assembly (so I have a spare), and the lower shaft is slightly different than the one I installed in my car. So a good idea to get the assembly before ordering parts. Most of you will be joining to the original shaft, so you will likely need ¾” smooth bore to ¾” smooth bore, or drill out the DD side using a ¾” drill. My original Vue lower looked like this:
Vintage Mustang Forums
And the bottom picture shows the Vue lower welded to the DD shaft for the TCP rack, most of you will be welding to a stub coming from your original steering box. The lower Vue shaft unbolts easily from the EPS unit (one bolt).
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2. Steering coupler (upper)
The upper steering coupler is used to join the upper Vue slider shaft to the upper portion of the stock Mustang steering shaft. The Vue slider shaft has an expanded section with an oval slot that was used to lock the steering wheel in the original car. The top portion of the slider needs to be cut off just above the oval slot as shown below. The upper coupler fits inside the expanded section of the Vue slider and has a ¾” hole to mate with the original Mustang shaft. This coupler is welded to both the slider as well as the Mustang shaft. I made the coupler by turning down a 2" length of steel round to match the inside diameter of the expanded portion of the Vue slider shaft (tight fit). Then I drilled a 3/4" hole in the center to accept the original Mustang shaft. I used a regular 3/4" drill bit and when finished the hole was slightly larger, 0.760 or so, this was not ideal as the shaft could tilt slightly. I'm told that machine shops use under size drill bits for operations like this so they end up with a perfect (tight) fit. You can't see it in the picture, but I cut down the Vue end of the Mustang shaft to match the pilot hole in the end of the splined Vue upper shaft (to help ensure alignment). The length of this assembly is somewhat flexible because the final length is determined by the location of the set screws because this assembly can slide up and down the upper splined shaft of the Koyo unit. See Setscrew below for more details. This is the one part that should be made on a lathe for accuracy, I have a friend that runs a machine shop and he has offered to make a batch, if there is enough interest I will have a batch made. I had this weld done by a professional (I'm don't trust my welds on a critical part like this) the fellow welded it on a bench and after welding the shaft was not perfectly true it had about 0.030 run out, but this did not seem to have any noticeable impact. See additional pictures in Upper Mustang shaft assembly(Post#98).
Vintage Mustang Forums
3. Adapter (upper)
The upper spacer/adapter is used to mate the upper portion of the Mustang steering column to the upper portion of the Vue collapsible column. First, the upper Vue tube must be cut as shown below.
Vintage Mustang Forums
The upper spacer/adapter fills the gap between the Vue tube (right picture above) and the Mustang Column. For the first prototype I used exhaust pipe expanded to the I.D. of the Mustang column (see picture below). Notice the oval slot in the original Mustang tube, this slot mates with a tab in the Mustang C-bracket that attaches the column tube to the bottom of the dash, so indexing of this slot will determine the rotary position of the EPS motor assembly. This final weld is not performed until everything has been trial fitted. Edit bacchus203 found this.....
http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/wlk-41939/overview/ ,
Vintage Mustang Forums
4. Adapter (lower)
The lower adapter mates the lower portion of the Mustang column to the lower Vue mounting plate. For the first prototype I used exhaust tube to match the ID of the Mustang tube on one side, and expanded the other side to fit over the OD of the flange on the bottom side of Koyo gear box. Note the hole in the in lower portion of Mustang tube to allow access to the lower Vue shaft collar bolt.
Vintage Mustang Forums
5. Mounting plate (lower)
The lower mounting plate is welded to the top of the lower portion of the steering column and bolts to the bottom side of the Koyo gear box. See previous picture (center image). I started with a 0.125” plate, drilled a hole large enough to accommodate the lower flange, and then drilled two holes to allow the plate to be bolted to the Koyo gear box. I made a template and will post it shortly. A friend of mine runs a machine shop and tells me he can get a batch water-jetted, let me know if you’re interested.
Vintage Mustang Forums
This is how it looks when bolted to the Koyo gear box.
Vintage Mustang Forums
6. Metric bolt (Intermediate shaft collar, required for clearance) M8 x 1.25 -30 Hex socket Button Head
The Vue hex bolt that fastens the intermediate shaft to the lower splined Koyo shaft interferes with the lower adapter, however a Hex socket button head bolt has a much lower profile and has plenty of clearance. See the Lower adapter picture above (button head bolt is shown on RHS)
I just hit the picture limit for one post, click on the next post for the remainder of write-up.
