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Vehicle Type: 1966 Ford Mustang
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Project Type: Engine Rebuild
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Current Goal: Power steering pump bracket replacement
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Original Parts Options: Stock mustang power steering pump bracket , Stock Bronco power steering pump bracket
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Part Alternative: aftermarket, custom fabricated, billet aluminum bracket.
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Issue/s: 1.) Hard to find parts 2.) Part price vs. quality 3.)Bracket Fitment. 4.)Mechanical oil sender switch clearance
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Special Feature/s: Budget build
Jacksonsautohouse.com the 66 shop-stang is ready for a new power steering bracket. The mustang is being built as an everyday driver with modern and vintage updating for performance and drivability. I have had the mustang since before I could drive and it has always been used as a daily driver. The current issue that needs to be addressed is the power steering pump bracket, it's been crudely modified and at this point, it is unusable.
Although, ’65 through ‘68 Ford Mustang power steering brackets options are very limited, you do have some choices. You can choose between a clunky old stock bracket, a shiny Billet aluminum type with questionable integrity or you can custom fabricate a bracket, which is no easy task for the standard household mechanic. This is how we at Jacksonsautohouse.com found and fitted the perfect bracket.
We were not impressed with anything on the market, even if it was shiny or pretty and we decided not to fabricate our own bracket or use the existing 1966, 200 six cyl p/s bracket that was currently being used on the car. Years ago, the bracket had already been modified to fit when we swapped from a 6 cylinder to V8. It didn't look pretty but it worked. If your curious on how to make a stock 200 6cyl p/s bracket work on a 289-302 V8 , check out the picture - torch the bottom off, weld up a dog leg bracket...we ran the stang around like this for years.
When we decided to replace the bracket, this time around, I checked the aftermarket world but did not find a bracket that fit our style . We decided we wanted a substantial power steering pump bracket similar to the stock pump bracket. The bracket needs to fit the original ford
Thompson (for more info check out this sweet website
stangerssite.com) style pump and have original style design and functionality. No Frills no thrills just a zombie apocalypse bracket that can be welded/ grinded on, made to fit. As it turned out and after spending hours on the Internet the only thing we found that we thought would work was a bracket from
Wilid Horses 4x4 - Part #2036
This bracket was specifically for 289/302 Ford Broncos and f-100 pickups. The bracket is a late model ford design 1967+ with improvements; like a slot for a ratchet when adjusting belt tension. The Wild horses 4x4 bracket is intended for use on all 289/302 Ford motors with the water pump outlet on the passenger side so it is perfect for stock style mustangs . The bracket comes with mounting hardware and includes bracket spacers; the main bracket pivot bolt is double sided and has two different size threads for different head combinations early and late model, which is nice and convenient. We were very happy with the part, it is extremely heavy duty and well made with no visible flaws. No instructions are included , it wasn’t a problem once you look it over, common sense guides you and you’ll find it was a fairly easy part to work with, which we loved.
Installation :
Problem number one:
Immediately after putting the power steering bracket up to the water pump I noticed that the bracket didn’t lay flat because of the original water pump casting!!.
With the pump casting now flat we were able to attach the power steering pump bracket flush
Next we attempted fit the supplied spacers between the power steering pump housing bracket and engine block head.
The engine block and heads we were using happen to be off of a 1968 Ford 302, this particular motor has the larger (7/16") threaded hole; earlier models come with 3/8". Fortunately, the power steering pump bracket kit comes with a double-sided threaded pivot bolt so you're covered with early or late model 289/302 engines. Note you may need to chase the threads in the block with a quality tap as we did when we felt a little too much resistance on the main pivot bolt.
Problem number two:
Our engine, being a later model from 1968, used the larger size bolt thread for the main pivot bolt that threads into the head as mentioned before, the spacers supplied did not fit over the threads on the larger end of the pivot bolt.The supplied spacers are absolutely useless, which is unfortunate because they're really nice. We were then tasked with finding the right size spacer with the right inner and outer diameter and, fit the look of the bracket and engine bay. We searched the shop extensively but found nothing suitable other than the stack of flat washers, which simply will not do. Off to the local Hardware store and luckily enough they supply a decent selection of steel spacers. We didn't find the right size (inside diameter) spacer in there spacer section but what we did find was sold as a steel collar it had a set screw but it happens to be the perfect size.
So we removed the set screw and “Bam” perfect size steel spacer that actually looks like it belongs with the bracket and it only set us back about $2.50
Problem number three:
You are going to run into pump clearance issues if you're running a stock early Thompson style p/s pump, mechanical fuel pump and original mechanical oil switch for stock '66 gauges. The power steering pump hoses barely clear the mechanical fuel pump and there is not enough clearance for full bracket adjustment. The pump/bracket is about half an inch from fully collapsing but this isn't a deal breaker. You will still have space to slip the belt off with ease.
This problem really can't be remedied unless you wanted to switch the mechanical fuel pump for an electric one mounted to the firewall, which will never happen unless we have a more practical reason to put throw away parts on the Mustang.
Problem number four:
The mechanical oil sender switch clearance was also a problem. There is no clearance whatsoever with the stock 1966 canister style switch installed. The stock switch is huge and ugly and the pump housing has zero adjustment and it runs directly into the oil switch. The obvious solution would be to reroute the oil switch up or down so it can miss the pump. Unfortunately, due to block clearance issues and limited space in the area there is just no room to make it look nice and tidy. We decided to use a late model 1968 oil sending switch and we will deal with swapping out the original gauge or or install a remote oil filter kit so there will be clearance for the stock oil sender.
This switch fits perfectly within the space; it’s a Scott Drake part# B6AZ-9278. The only modification needed on the oil sender switch was to change the connection to the gauge. The original switch used a push on post type connector. The late model 1968 switch uses the tab style connection. If you don’t have this style connector lying around, a female spade works perfectly to slide over the flat tab on the late model connector. With the wiring to the oil switch hooked up, the power steering pump can be secured to the block.
The power steering pump bracket and housing now have enough movement for proper belt adjustment or replacement. After making sure there were no clearance issues we measured for proper belt length. The belt we needed for the new bracket was a few inches shorter than the old one. A simple measurement with a cloth measuring tape that reads in inches and a trip to Napa Auto Parts store was next. Note: Gates V belt part numbers directly correspond with the length of the belt in inches, so in our case, using the existing part number on our old Gates belt came in handy when we tried to find the proper length V belt. The old Gates belt was part #7460, the new belt: #NBH-257405, which measures 41.08 inches and is priced around $20.00.
Overall, we’re very happy with the fit and appearance of the power steering pump bracket we purchased from Wild Horses 4X4. With all the options we considered we felt this was the best fit for us and the Mustang budget build.
