Anyone convert a TRW pump to a Saginaw or Federal pump?

Isaiah Estrada

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Hey all! I’ve been wondering lately if anybody has changed the TRW style steering pump to a Federal or a Saginaw style steering pump? I’m not looking at this from a purist perspective, rather from a practical and reliable perspective. I know the TRW pumps are a rare bird and can’t be rebuilt by just anybody. I like the idea of having a Saginaw or a Federal pump on my car that I can easily repair and or replace if needed. This would be ran on a 1968 440 engine w/o AC. Originally as you can assume the car ran with a TRW.
 
Yes, I did this on my 1966 300. I converted it over to a Saginaw pump. Of course you need the pump and mounting brackets. You will also need a new pressure hose, and you need to make sure the return line on the gear box is the same size hose as the pump. I was able to reuse the fan belt.
 
I did on my Polara, I robbed the return hose fitting (smaller) off my 67 Dart so I didn't have any issues.
 
I did on my Polara, I robbed the return hose fitting (smaller) off my 67 Dart so I didn't have any issues.
Is it a 440 engine? I’m mostly wondering about brackets and comparability! Not sure wether Saginaw or Federal is better for our setup lol.
 
Yes, I did this on my 1966 300. I converted it over to a Saginaw pump. Of course you need the pump and mounting brackets. You will also need a new pressure hose, and you need to make sure the return line on the gear box is the same size hose as the pump. I was able to reuse the fan belt.

Awesome!! Did you have to fabricate a new bracket?
 
Is it a 440 engine? I’m mostly wondering about brackets and comparability! Not sure wether Saginaw or Federal is better for our setup lol.
It's on a 440, I used the later style bracket that came with the pump. The return hose on my 66 is larger than the later hoses, so your fitting on the steering gear might be the correct size.
 
Awesome!! Did you have to fabricate a new bracket?
No. All Saginaw pumps have the same mounting locations, and all "B" and "RB" engines use the same water pump housing. Even though the pumps are the same with GM, make sure you get one from a Chrysler product. I believe I used the pressure hose from a small block fury, you will be able to tell as it goes into the rear of the pump.
 
I converted to a Saginaw pump on my 68 fury wagon with a 383 & factory air. I bought the complete setup including brackets,hoses & pump from BOUCHILLON PERFORMANCE @ 843-744-6539 ask for Randy.
 
I converted to a Saginaw pump on my 68 fury wagon with a 383 & factory air. I bought the complete setup including brackets,hoses & pump from BOUCHILLON PERFORMANCE @ 843-744-6539 ask for Randy.
This is the correct answer. I did the same thing after rebuilding the stock pump a few times over the years and playing with the lame factory mounting bracket. One finger steering, easy to tighten belts, no leaks, and a complete lack of thrown tools.
 
I’ve changed a few over. You can change the pressure in the Sag pump by removing or adding washers behind the pressure fitting to get the road feel you want. There is a thread onnFABO called pump it down. Kim
 
why not switch to a sanden a/c compressor while you're at it. Go to cvfracing.com and look at their billet aluminum bracket/pulley sets. They are for updating to a saginaw pump and sanden compressor. They have both serpentine and v-belt versions. I went with the v-belt version. It cost a lot less than the serpentine. The ps pump came from a 72 chevelle. (Bought it from napa). Make sure you get the mounting studs for the back of the pump. I didn't at first thinking a bolt would work ok but it slowly leaked. I've had by setup since 2012 or so, never had a issue so far. And it looks great. Belt sizes are not stock: WP/PS: NAPA 25-7480, ALT/AC: 57015 11A1450 not sure of mfr. I bought the overdrive crank pulley. Makes the alternator spin faster at idle, more output when you need it. Their website gives all the details. It isn't cheap but looks great and the compressor/ps pump are commonly available. The ps hose on my 66 connected directly to the pump.
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