Installing power steering on my 86 720 pickup....need some ideas on pumps.

[680-7twenty]

Good day all,

Just picked up an early 86 720 pickup z24 for free (best deal ever) and wanting to install power steering so my wife can drive it. Went to J/Y yesterday and found a 720 with power steering but someone took the engine already. I was only able to scavenge the power steering gearbox, idler pulley w/ bracket, extra drive pulley, a bracket which I think is a support bracket for the pump, a pitman arm, a steering shaft, and a steering hose. The hose is metal on one end and rubber with clamp on the other. It doesn't have the copper washers...just look flared and nut goes into the steering rack.

Anyway, I need to find me a steering pump. There is no 720 with power steering with in a 100 miles from me. I have read on the forum that people are using MR2 electric pumps but no clear explanations. Can anyone post some pictures or tell me where it goes or how it's done? I would greatly appreciate it. Also, I found a pathfinder, 85, with a pump but the reservoir is not mount directly on the pump like the stock 720 power steering set up. Has anyone made this work? Walking at the junk yard, I found a power steering pump of a 90s Toyota pickup that looks very similar to the 720. My heart skipped a beat when I saw it but figure I ask the forum first before I drive 59 miles to get it and not work. I just want to know if anyone has other options as I am a Jeep guy and this is all new to me. Thank you in advance. Happy holidays.

[datzenmike]

I've used both and they work the same. You will have to mount the pump on your head and run hoses to the reservoir over on the inner fender. Try to keep the reservoir as high as possible.

 

The good news is that there is only one high pressure line from the pump to the power steering box. The return line to the reservoir and from the reservoir to the pump can be just hard line and hoses with clamps.

 

The 'Yoda pump may work, may not.

[wayno]

I have made power steering setups for my datsun 720 diesels a few times, it would be easiest if you could find the stock setup.

What I have found is that I was able to use the early hardbody pump and separate reservoir, or a pathfinder pump if it had the needed fittings, as some have differant sized piping/fittings.

I also found that the nissan sentra has this really cool pump/reservoir combo that works great, but I am using this on L20b engines with the alt' on the passenger side.

this is that sentra unit pulled complete with adjustment bracket.

this is the setup I made to hold it on the engine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Somewhere I came up with/found a pressure hose to make the connection to the steering gear.

If you have ant questions, just ask away, as I have made at least 4 or 5 custom power steering setups for the 720 diesel.

[680-7twenty]

Thank you Datzenmike. I will try the pathfinder set up as it is the closest J/Y to me. Will post pics when I'm done with the project..

[680-7twenty]

Thanks Wayno.. Pictures doesn't put a lot of perspective to the whole set up. Thanks again...quick question, do you know what year sentra that pump/reservoir combo came out of? There are tons of sentras on this JY...

[680-7twenty]

Thanks Wayno.. Pictures doesn't put a lot of perspective to the whole set up. Thanks again...quick question, do you know what year sentra that pump/reservoir combo came out of? There are tons of sentras on this JY...

 

 

I meant DOES...damn IPad is spelling stuff for me again..sorry

[wayno]

Thanks Wayno.. Pictures doesn't put a lot of perspective to the whole set up. Thanks again...quick question, do you know what year sentra that pump/reservoir combo came out of? There are tons of sentras on this JY...

 

I don't know the year, fairly sure it would likely be late 90s, the engine sits sideways in the engine compartment, and the pump is front passenger side, the bottom bolt is hard to get to.

This is a hardbody/pathfinder pump with a remote reservoir, it not a great photo, but I was not focusing on the PS pump.

Here is the remote reservoir.

Here is a general photo of the engine compartment and where all the PS parts are, this is where you would need to locate your pump.

[DREWSDIME]

PM sent

[680-7twenty]

****Update****

 

Picked up a 1988 Pathfinder steering pump, reservoir, high and low pressure hoses, and all the nuts, bolts and washers. The reasons I went with this set up is because I couldn't find a donor 720 and the Pathfinder hoses goes across from driver side to passenger side where the steering gearbox is at....kind of like the 720. Now, I forgot the pump bracket from the pathfinder which has the adjustment bracket but since I have the original 720 idler pulley, I think I can make one up. The pump will be stationary without adjustment and the idler pulley will be what'll be used to tighten the belt.

 

I wll post pictures once I figure thing out. Thanks for all the advice and feedbacks. Any suggestions on pump brackets will be useful too.

 

 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

[datzenmike]

Wayno... a diesel 521 is genius but a power steering diesel 521 is insane! I love it.

[wayno]

****Update****

 

Picked up a 1988 Pathfinder steering pump, reservoir, high and low pressure hoses, and all the nuts, bolts and washers. The reasons I went with this set up is because I couldn't find a donor 720 and the Pathfinder hoses goes across from driver side to passenger side where the steering gearbox is at....kind of like the 720. Now, I forgot the pump bracket from the pathfinder which has the adjustment bracket but since I have the original 720 idler pulley, I think I can make one up. The pump will be stationary without adjustment and the idler pulley will be what'll be used to tighten the belt.

 

I wll post pictures once I figure thing out. Thanks for all the advice and feedbacks. Any suggestions on pump brackets will be useful too.

 

 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

 

I did forget about there being two differant types of steering gears and how the piping connects, do your hoses/fittings bolt up/connect to your steering gear, or are you going to have to fabricate?

One has to be there to figure out this kind of stuff, as it has been so long since I did this stuff, I can't remember most of it anymore.

Let us know how this progresses, it seems like I was unable to use the pathfinder piping as it would not connect to the power steering gear, are both pipes going across the same size, or is one bigger than the other?

Does your steering gear have threaded holes that the power steering lines thread into, or is your power steering gear have bolts that hold on the lines like the power steering pump pressure side does?

 

This is the type of steering gear connections I have, does this look like yours?

Notice how one pipe is bigger than the other.

[680-7twenty]

I thought about that when I was at the JY and found that the 88 Pathfinder fittings looks big. Since I didn't drive the truck, I couldn't verify on site. I looked around and found another Pathfinder, 1994, that has the same exact set up but the fittings on the steering gear are smaller. I went ahead and bought both setup....just to be on the safe side. Even though the 720 steering gear looks like it doesn't have the copper washers like the pathfinders, I'm hoping it will work. Oh and both pipes going across on both pathfinders are the same size. With that said, are the 720 piping different sizes? Just wondering as I have never seen them. Thanks.

 

Yesssss!!! Diesel 521 with PS is awesome. U r the master.

[wayno]

The 720 truck with the steering gear I have has two differant size tubes, so the nuts holding them into the gear are also two differant sizes, see photo.

The return tube is bigger.

I don't have any photos of the newer type steering gear with the differant type connections, as I stayed away from that, it was harder to find parts for, and it just made things to complicated, so I focused on the earlier stuff.

The pressure hose is the biggie, the rest can be hose clamped on, but that pressure hose needs to bolt in, other wise you are going to have to fabricate your own ends.

Do you have the steering gear/box connections like mine in the photo above?

[680-7twenty]

Yes my box looks exactly like yours. Damn, I didn't notice the size difference on the connections and the piping. So, at my first post, I mentioned when I first got the steering gear, that I scavenged a single hose...it fits on one of the fittings but I don't know if its high pressure or not. Anyway, I'm going to the garage to take pics and post. That way, we can all see and maybe some one can tell me if they are right parts or not.

[wayno]

Yes my box looks exactly like yours. Damn, I didn't notice the size difference on the connections and the piping. So, at my first post, I mentioned when I first got the steering gear, that I scavenged a single hose...it fits on one of the fittings but I don't know if its high pressure or not. Anyway, I'm going to the garage to take pics and post. That way, we can all see and maybe some one can tell me if they are right parts or not.

 

The small line is the pressurized hose with the small nut, that is the one that counts, the bigger line can be made with any line that you can find that will fit the hole with hose clamps, but the small pressurized line has to fit on both ends.

Someone on here can likely go to the wrecking yard and cut the other fitting out of a truck and send it to you, as it is only a return hose.

Fact is that the lines you need are not that heavy, and likely under $20.00 at the yards around here, but they are to big to ship cheaply.

Where are you located, Koror, PW means nothing to me.

Crap, I just found where you live, in the middle of the freak'n ocean, you need to find a fitting that will fit, or maybe find an adapter.

 

By the way, Welcome to Ratsun  B)

[680-7twenty]

 

Where are you located, Koror, PW means nothing to me.

Crap, I just found where you live, in the middle of the freak'n ocean, you need to find a fitting that will fit, or maybe find an adapter.

 

hey sorry for the confusion, Koror, PW is where i'm from., not where i live..sorry sorry. i have fixed my profile.

ok, here are the pics of what i got.

 

All these came out of 85 720-ST. the line on the pic below goes into the bigger hole. from what Wayno said, this line is the RETURN line. right???

 

 

Now all all these below came out of a 94 and 88 Pathfinder.

 

 

So, it comes down to one last thing...the High Pressure Supply Line...

I think i can make make a bracket for the pump, find room to mount reservoir, mount my gearbox, attach steering, get all the other hoses hooked up except for the High Pressure. I'll keep looking. thanks all for your help.

[680-7twenty]

Quick question, do they sell the fitting (pic Below) at stores like ACE or Auto parts store? i got pipes and benders and rubber hoses. also, does the High Pressure Hose has to be metal all the way to the pump?

 

[wayno]

Quick question, do they sell the fitting (pic Below) at stores like ACE or Auto parts store? i got pipes and benders and rubber hoses. also, does the High Pressure Hose has to be metal all the way to the pump?

 

 

Where did the other small line go, that is the big one(return line), where ever you got the big line, you need to go back and get the little/small line. 

The other lines are for the later models, they don't work very good, but the kid down the street found/used a bolt like the power steering pump bolt I think, and tried to bolt the newer line onto the older steering gear, it worked, but it leaked a little as I recall, but you will have to find the part to try, do you understand what I just said?

Look at the pump bolt, see how it has a hole in it for the liquid to pass threw, you will need another bolt like that to even try, and it will have to fit in the smaller steering gear hole, and it might leak anyway, make sure to use new copper washers if you try.

[680-7twenty]

i looked everywhere for it. the person that picked up the motor where these parts came out of, took the pump and the high pressure line and left the rest. now for the pathfinder lines, i will have to try using one of them as the High Pressure line. I have all the bolts and copper washers for both sets of lines. tomorrow i just need to see which ones fit the high pressure hole on the steering gear and make it work.

thank you..

[wayno]

Absolutely don't change/modify the steering gear inlet hole, if that is messed up, you will need a new steering gear, maybe someone near you can find what you need, there are quite a few ratsun members where you live.

Have you tried the nissan dealer, or an auto parts store?.

Another thing you can do is find an 86 720 with the steering gear you need, as some had that style of steering gear.

[680-7twenty]

Alright, I will try order one online. Thank you very much.

[wayno]

I guess I did not answer your question, I do believe that you need a special type of hose for the pressure side of the pump, as I do not believe hose clamps will do the job, you might be able to go to a hydraulic lines and hoses outfit, and have them make what you need out of what you have, basically they would put a new end on one of them lines, and they likely would have all the fittings you need.

Look around for what you need on line, if you cannot find the part, let me know and I will look around here Saturday, as I will be going to the local wrecking yard for a set of doors if they are still there and good, I can look around for what you need also.

[680-7twenty]

Sorry for a long delay..had to get the Wife's Wrangler ready for her Offroad adventure. Now back to my beloved 720. So after thinking about all the modifications I had to do to get the pathfinder steering pumps, connections, and misc parts to work together, I decided to go to the junk yard one last time. Well, I did find a 1985 x-cab with the whole system... Holy crap, I was so exited. Bought the whole system for $90, with brackets and the whole nine yards. But like every newb like me will always have question right? I thank you in advance for your suggestion. Now my question is. The steering box on PS models is longer thus the steering shaft from the steering wheel is short. Now this is opposite of the non-PS models. I didn't get the steering coupler part as the rubber was deteriorated. I heard people use D-21 shaft cut down. Anyone have any great ideas? I will post pics in the morning. Thanks again.

[wayno]

On the 720 power steering columns, the rubber joint is up by the firewall, on the non power steering, the rubber is by the steering gear, you want the rubber by the firewall type, as the steering gear itself is different, and the rubber joint will hit the upper control arm, that is why it is near the firewall in the power steering applications.

You can use the rubber piece from your non PS column to fix the PS column I believe, but you need that small knuckle joint at the PS gear connection.

[godzirra]

wayno, what belt did you run from pulley to pulley on that sentra pump?