Steering Box & Power Steering Pump Install On a 1972 Chevy Nova - Power System Overhaul

We then made sure the tires were pointed straight before removing the box. From there, we loosened and removed the bolts that anchor the box to the side of the front subframe. We used a 9/16-inch wrench with an air ratchet to take off the bolts. With the rag joint bolt already removed, we were able to drop the box out of the car. Depending on your application, you may need to loosen or remove the driver side header gain enough access to remove the box.

As you can see here, the old rag joint was on its last leg. Years of punishment from the road and blistering heat from the engine have taken its toll. It didn't matter, because every new quick-ratio box includes a new rag joint. It's completely new and comes with all new hardware.

With limited space in the engine bay, we went ahead and installed the rag joint to the new box. We then bolted it down with a 7/16-inch wrench and the only thing left to do was install the box to the frame. We used the original hardware from the old box and locked down the three bolts with a 9/16-inch socket.

Should you need a new pitman arm, CPP does offer them. Since ours was in such good condition, we decided to save a few bucks and reuse it.

Once the pitman arm was connected, we reattached the centerlink with the new lock washer and nut (supplied).

Once the Nova was back down on the ground, we started to install our new pump by attaching the new power steering pump hoses onto the back of the pump. The pressure hose is a 7/16-inch tube with an 11/16-18 SAE flare fitting. The return hose is a 3/8-inch tube with a 5/8-18 SAE flare fitting. If your application features O-ring hoses, then you will need to either change over to SAE flare fittings or use hose-fitting adapters that are also available from CPP under PN 500IOA.

After the hoses were attached, we lined the bracket up to the front of the engine and reinstalled the steering pump. Before locking it down into place, we adjusted the belt for proper tension and tightened the remaining bolts with a 1/2-inch wrench.

To install the new CPP hoses to the steering box, we first threaded them on by hand and tightened them down with a 5/8-inch wrench. We filled the power steering reservoir with new steering fluid all the while making sure our lines were leak free. Lastly, with the engine running, we slowly turned the steering wheel back and forth and continued to fill the reservoir as necessary. Time for a drive!

Driving Impressions
"The new steering box is great. Before, the steering was loose and sloppy and made squealing noises at full lock that would wake the dead. Now the steering has a tight, crisp feel to it. The steering is much more responsive and the car does not feel like it's floating down the road anymore. I don't know why I didn't do this sooner" -Scott Haggai, '72 Nova owner