OK, so my camshaft oil pump drive gear just shredded, so I'm likely to pull the engine.

On the side, I was collecting parts to swap out my '67 K frame with a 73-76 K frame, and update to larger ball joints, disk brakes, firmer torsion bars, large bolt pattern, etc. Basically, I was preparing to swap out the entire front suspension to go with disk brakes, etc. Right now I have the original '67 set up, small 9" drums up front, no power boost.

Question. I'm not quite ready for the whole swap, but I have the newer K frame, spool mounts, sway bar, link, upper and lower control arms, new torsion bars, tie rods, pitman arm, idler arm, etc. but not the spindles and brake hardware yet. Can I swap out to the newer K frame, steering link, tie rod, idler/pitman etc but use the existing '67 upper and lower control arms, ball joints, 9" drums, etc, and do the new control arm, ball joint, brake swap later? I'm asking because I'm pulling the engine and it's a great time to do the swap, but I'm not ready to do the whole thing, can I do it piecemeal? Will the 73-76 K frame, steering link, tie rods, pitman/idler etc. work with the '67 lower ball joints, etc? Then later I can swap out the lower ball joints, control arms upper and lower, spindles for the new disk brake system (factory mopar type)?

brian

_________________
https://tinyurl.com/yynpj4v2

I've engineered this swap on my Valiant, and reverse installed this onto a Duster....you can swap the K-member, but....you start seeing generational problems between the items used in 1967 (and the 1 year only idler arm), and the last generation of A-body suspension....

If you swap the K-member, you can reinstall the UCA/LCA, tie rods and knuckles back into the car (alignment needed after ward)....

You will no longer be able to use the 1967 idler arm, so you will have to install the 1973-1976 idler arm...and sadly the 1967-1972 pitman and idler arm bolt through the link differently than the 1973-1976...so...

You will swap the K-member, use the late pitman and idler arms, the 1973-1976 centerlink, and reinstall your 1967 UCA/LCA/Knuckles and brakes....


Good luck.

That's precisely what I was asking, yes, I have the 73-76 K, center link, idler and pitman (along with the firmfeel upgrades idler and pitman support), tie rods. I also have the factory LCA's with sway bar tabs for the 73-76 - can I use those newer LCA's with the UCA's of the '67? I think they're the same. I'd keep the lower ball joints, spindles, etc the same, just use the newer LCA's and sway bar. That way I can swap out the lower ball joints, spindles, and UCA's with the disk brake upgrade at a later time.

In sum, I'd install the newer K-frame, idler, pitman, centerlink, tie rods (after market ones), and LCA's, but keep the rest of the '67 setup (UCA's, spindles, brake drums) and swap those out at a later date when I do the brake upgrade.

Make sense?

brian

_________________
https://tinyurl.com/yynpj4v2

or are you saying I have to keep the '67 LCA's for now, until the final brake swap?

_________________
https://tinyurl.com/yynpj4v2

The lower control arms are interchangeable. Use whichever one you wish.....

_________________
Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

Would the steering box need to be upgraded for the large sector shaft ?

Brian

_________________
63 Plymouth Valiant Wagon

When I do this swap I used the 68 - 72 steering centre link, idler & pitman arms so I can avoid changing the steering box. (small vs large sector spline size)

Keep an eye on the later centre link's clearance to the rear of the SL6 oil pan...
The later centre link is flatter / higher up and could hit the rounded rear area found on some of the pans.
(If your oil pan has a "flat" rear section, it should clear the straighter (less drop) centre link)
DD

mine has a flat bottom where the center link is:

http://s785.photobucket.com/user/67dart ... sort=3&o=1

It appears to have currently just over 1" of clearance now, so DD do you think the 73-76 center link will clear?

http://s785.photobucket.com/user/67dart ... sort=3&o=0


What is that funky oil pan with the really deep bottom in the top right of your picture for? Amazing how many variations there are.

thanks,

Brian

_________________
https://tinyurl.com/yynpj4v2

Hmm, I didn't know the steering box was different shaft size, that's a bummer...I wonder why they made that change.

brian

_________________
https://tinyurl.com/yynpj4v2

OK, if the newer boxes have a different pitman shaft size, then what about the other shaft? Is the pot coupler the same for the newer boxes, I mean do the shaft splines on the newer steering boxes match the '67 pot coupler?

_________________
https://tinyurl.com/yynpj4v2

only the C body cars and vans have the large sector,,
A and B body boxes are all small sector

see this article

http://www.bigblockdart.com/techpages/steeringbox.shtml

The '76 Feather Duster project car currently has a 1967 Valiant manual box and a 1973-1976 Pitman arm on it...the 1967 oil pan, and a 1974 centerlink......previously that was all under a 1973 duster, so it all swaps back and forth within a certain generational set are not a problem. The 1967 steering box pot coupler worked fine on the box, and so did a 1973 steering column, as well as a 1974 steering column....so it's all good there.