So I bought a pitman arm off of eBay a while back for my '71 Scamp. Never used just sat for years, no box or make or part number. Just the application for a-body of my year....so the seller stated. I looked it over when I got it and compared it to my original. Looked like a match. Well when I finally went to install it, it seems the special splined hole is a bit too small. ??? I did a comparison and it seems the diameter is about 15/16" of an inch. (This is just a tape measure across the large tooth flats. I've read some old posts here about the shaft diameters and I realize this isn't a match.) My original one is larger, and not only that, but seems to be slightly tapered! About 1" to 1-1/16". It might be worn though, after 30+ years. Argh. Obviously the seller had the wrong application for this gear arm. I'm going to run off to AutoZone and see what they have but I'd like to get what I can for this one and put it back out there on eBay. Problem is, what's the application? The only number stamped on it is 14-183. It's obviously Mopar as it looks identical to my original a-body one except for the splined hole. Any one know what it's for? Different year a-body, or maybe a different model altogether? I know the later year a-bodies mounted to the center link opposite of the earlier years so it can't be that.

By the way, what size is the nut that holds the pitman arm on the gearbox? The hex seems just slightly larger than 1-1/4" as I can't get it to fit my socket. It measures closest to 1-9/32". Weird size.

Also if anyone knows what it is and is interested in it, let me know. I paid $30 for it, plus shipping. I'll sell it for the same, and I'll pay for the shipping (within U.S.). I prepped it and painted it with POR-15. It didn't come with any seals or nut or cotter pin, but I have extras of that stuff (used but decent) that I will include if you need.

Pic: http://members.dslextreme.com/users/tml ... an_Arm.jpg

Thanks!

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Troy Lindsay
'71 Plymouth Scamp 318ci
'95 Dodge Dakota Sport 5.2L 5spd
'05 Dodge Neon SXT

Yeah, long post above no one wants to read through it all.

I have other questions though, that I can cut to the chase on.

What are the differences between years on a-body gear boxes? I've read that the sector shaft on pre-'73 cars was smaller and '73-up is larger (for power steering, manual is supposedly all the same). Is this correct? Is there an easy and obvious way to check, possibly by the gear box housing itself, or part numbers? I have reason to believe my '71 car might have a '73-up gear box if the sector shaft sizing is true.

Also, does the center drag link fit all years of a-bodies, or are there differences? I know that again between the '72-'73 years they switched the studs on the idler and pitman arms, so the center drag link mounts on top or bottom of them, but are they the same and interchangable? If I do have the later year gear box, I'll just switch to the appropriate idler and pitman arms.

Thanks for any help!

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Troy Lindsay
'71 Plymouth Scamp 318ci
'95 Dodge Dakota Sport 5.2L 5spd
'05 Dodge Neon SXT

It's likely you have a later steering box with the large sector shaft.

The center links vary from year to year. You can use a newer center link on your '71. The narrow A bodies are where it gets trickier. If you have the later center link you have to run the late pitman and idler arms.

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Joshua

Thanks Joshua.

Okay now that I'm home I'm looking at the gear box and according to bigblockdart.com's section on gearboxes, mine is not either one. Mine doesn't have a cover bolted on like those in the pics. http://www.bigblockdart.com/techpages/steeringbox.shtml
My guess is this is maybe from a Volare or Aspen perhaps? Would it even work in an a-body? There is a part number on the case. Hard to read but I think it's 0-2287282. Then two numbers below it, R8 and 9300?

The old pitman arm also has numbers casted on it. Very hard to read on it too. 2535080 "N" 16084 7. The "N" I put in quotes is strange because it's actually backwards. At least this is what it looks like and all I can tell. It's a backwards N.

Anybody know what these are? And is my steering going to foul things up if I continue to use this gear box if it isn't for an a-body at all? It's hard to tell if and what damage it did before, as everything on the front suspension and steering needed rebuilt badly just from being so old.

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Troy Lindsay
'71 Plymouth Scamp 318ci
'95 Dodge Dakota Sport 5.2L 5spd
'05 Dodge Neon SXT

You never said you had manual steering. You have a small sector box unless some serious weirdness is happening. You box will look like the small sector box once it's nice and clean. Have you removed the old pitman arm? Have you attempted to bolt on the new pitman arm?

Or do you have power steering?

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Joshua

Okay it's time for me to step away from the crack pipe now. I'm just wanting to get the car back together asap and this setback was irritating me, making me jump to conclusions.

The pitman arm I ordered from AutoZone finally came in. It's a match to the original one. I have power steering. Someone else sent me that link to use for reference but they didn't ask me which I had and I didn't stop to think that maybe those are manual boxes. So my gear box is no doubt the original power steering one.

Still, the first pitman arm I bought I have no idea what the hell it is. Yeah, I tried to bolt this one in and it was too small. So apparently whatever application it's for, the sector shaft is even smaller yet! So in regards to my initial post, any ideas what it might be for? I'd like to know so I can try to sell it. If anyone knows what it is, please let me know and it's up for sale!

Now I just gotta figure out how I'm going to torque the pitman arm nut to spec when I don't have the proper size socket for the weird size it is.

Thanks!

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Troy Lindsay
'71 Plymouth Scamp 318ci
'95 Dodge Dakota Sport 5.2L 5spd
'05 Dodge Neon SXT