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"Mustang II" power steering hose fitting sizes

27K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  fleetsidelarry 
#1 ·
I have a '48 Chevy coupe that the original owner installed a Mustang II crossmember and rack in. It is FoMoCo and worn out and nasty enough to truly be a Mustang II. It mounts on 16" centers.

Recently at the Turkey Run in Daytona I bought a reman rack from one of the street rod parts vendors. I already knew that what is called a Mustang II in street rodding is not really apparently a Mustang II so I knew enough to buy the offset bushings at the same time from the vendor. I wasn't prepared for the taller pinion (which I can work around by shortening my steering shaft).
The difference in the pressureside fitting into the rack is frustrating me right now.

I'm running the older style GM pump with a 3/8 inverted flare out. My old hose fit the pump and had a Ford fitting (5/16 tubing with a male 5/16 o-ring flare (1/2X20) for the rack. Naturally the new rack is different. The pressure side fitting is slightly larger.

I been reading previous threads on HotRodders and have seen a reference to 9/16X18 being the size I need (which would be a swivel o-ring type which used 5/16 tubing). But I also found the Borgeson link on another thread and, when I talked to them, they said the fitting would be metric, 14 mm o-ring, which is what comes on their hose kit for hooking GM pumps to so-called Mustang II. 14mm and 9/16 are within a few thousanths of each other (11.5 thousanths or 1.15 hundredths).

I'm wanting to get a hose made locally (which is a 60 mile round trip for me since the local NAPA does not do power steering hoses) but want to be able to tell them what size fitting to use, of course. And, of course, the rack is already bolted in the car.

Does anyone know what fitting is on these non-original racks or does it matter whether its a 9/16 or a 14 mm?

Sorry for the long post.
 
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#2 ·
Not sure about the diff in size.10th.
However I recently change my MII rack with a rebuilt MII from NAPA and got ready made hoses from speedway. The pump I had was like yours and the hoes pressrure was for a female pump fitting. I happened to have a newer pump and switched the pressure fittings. to use the hose they sent. They have a bunch of fittings. You need to find out exactly the fitting tyoe and size on your rack.
:welcome:ahttp://www.speedwaymotors.com/Mustang-II-GM-Pump-Power-Steering-Hose-Kits,7270.html female pump fitting
 
#3 ·
There were two different racks used in the stock application. One was made by Ford and the other was a TRW rack. They had different size fittings and my guess is that you're new rack (if your original was a Ford) is a TRW. Tje way to tell which you have is easy. The ford unit is all aluminum. The TRW unit is 2 pieces, steel on the passenger side and aluminum on the drivers side. All you need is a magnet to tell.

There are some aftermarket manufacturers who make specialty hoses that will fit these once you know which one you have.

Good luck.
 
#4 ·
Cape Cod Bob and Centerline, thanks for responding. I was trying to avoid buying the already madeup sets. BTW, Borgeson has the best price I've found ($75) on these sets. Also, Centerline, I found the reference and link to Borgeson on one of your earlier (like 2004!) threads on how to hook up a GM pump to a mustang rack, so, again Thanks. (Back then the price on these hose sets was like $56. :) )

After my post yesterday I crawled under the car and found that it is a ford rack with the number D8BC-3550-AA. Any idea what that translates to?

It does appear that Speedway has the fittings, adapters and high-pressure hose I would need to build a hose. (they have an AN adapter to fit a 14mm o-ring opening, which I'm beginning to believe is what I have on the new rack).
 
#6 ·
Sounds like a FORD rack one of the parts places should be able to use the numbers and tell you what it is .A lot of the after market people use 74-78 racks BUT they are getting harder to find so they use 79 up and the holes are different I can't remember what the hole size is . It seems like mine (a 80) has a either 5/8 or 3/4 I do know the man at PURECHOISE though I was full of it until I SENT him a line I pulled from a bone yard that fit then he made me a set of ends so I could make up some lines. :sweat: :thumbup:
Just remember a good hose place will know what size they are IF you tell them what year rack and year and make of PUMP.

good luck OLDROD
 
#7 ·
Just a follow-thru to close this out (I hope). I could get all the AN fittings and high-pressure hose to make a new line from Speedway for about $50 or their already made-up kit for $92. Nobody within a 40 mile radius would make me up one with the exception of one guy who would IF I brought him the proper ends. $30 PLUS the cost of a new hose to rob the end off of, so still around $50.

I talked to Gil at Borgeson (http://www.borgeson.com/catalog.html#) who said if I had the rack that mounted on 15 1/5" centers it was the newer rack which took the metric fittings, 14 mm O-ring pressure side. My old rack was an 'old' rack (mounted on 16" centers) which took the 5/16 male O-ring.

For $75 I ordered his hose kit which should be here by Thursday (depending of course, on how many blizzards hit between here and Connecticut in the mean time).

Thanks to all who responded. :)
 
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