What kind of steering do I have?

Hello I'm new to CJ's, just got a '72 cj5 that the guy put a buick 225 in. I'm in the process of seeing if the hedman headers will fit because of the manifold hitting the steering shaft. I also am concerned of how close the shaft is to the upper shock mount bracket. How close should it be? If anyone has pictures or can tell me what kind of steering I have so maybe I could do a conversion it would be helpful. Thanks!

 

If it's a '72 then the 225 V6 is probably the stock engine. RE: Early CJ5 and Dauntless V6 Page.

Here's a pic of a Ross Steering on my old '69.

Ross was the manufacturer of the system, but I think it's technically called a "cam and lever" style.

Lots of these guys have converted to a Saginaw style steering where the gear box is mounted to the front frame horn. In front of the grill but behind the bumper on the frame rail.

 

John shows the steering box for the Jeeps 1971 and earlier. A '72 should have Saginaw steering, where the steering box is in front of the axle, mounted just behind the front bumper.

 

I thought that by '72 AMC had weeded out all the old Kaiser stock, and was pretty much on the intermediate design with the inlines and V8's. And aside from a few minor interior changes they were all the same. So wouldn't that 225 have been swapped in by a PO? Correct me if I am wrong because I am very curious about this.

 

Thanks for everyone's help. I guess I have saginaw because it is mounted before the axle. Question though: Is the steering shaft supposed to be that close to the upper shock mount? I'm talking about REAL close.

 

And yes the PO did put the V6 in, which is why I'm having these issues. The other issue I have is the front driveshaft hits the bottom of the starter. I plan on grinding the nub off the starter where it hits and getting springs sometime to give me some more clearance from it

 

Actually John....

 

The Buick V6 is a great engine, but IMO it didn't make much sense to convert your Jeep in this way - the original inline 6s (258, 232) aren't sufficiently different to justify the swap.

I'd suggest you look at the Novak page about V6 swaps into '71 and earlier <edit - oops - meant pre-72 or 71 and earlier>: http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/cj5_55-71_swap.htm
They have some good info about alignment of the engine in the frame.

It would not be hard to put it back ... 258s are cheap and plentiful, and the 4.0L from XJs, MJs and ZJs (?) would also be a comparatively easy swap. Quite a few people have done the 4.0L HO swap complete with the OEM Mopar MPI, which would be a big upgrade over the stock 1V carbureted 232 or 258. There's a board specifically about the 4.0L swap (on JU? somebody help me here) with plenty of discussion and help. If you have a 225 V6, somebody with a pre-72 CJ will surely want it.

 

thanks for everyone's help. Yeah I don't know why this guy put that motor in. I just want to be able to drive the dang thing without the manifold hitting. Maybe next year I'll swap it out. I don't know what to think, I'm banging my head against the wall

 

I wish I could tell you. If I get a chance I'll take pics and email them to you

 

Better to post up your pics here, if you have a place to host them. The forum has a galery that you can use to host them, if needed.

 

Ok, I have them on yahoo photos. The albumn url is below, if the insert pic thing doesn't work.(http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/halflifesw/album?.dir=/6fcc)

 

Loooks awfully like the saginaw setup in my old commando - maybe someone swapped it?

You def. don't have a ross setup.

By the way, why do you take pictures naked? Your boxers are on the engine...

 

Looks like stock '72 steering to me. IIRC there is a rear-dump manifold available for the V6 that might solve your problem. V6 guys?

 

Yeah getting naked and working on it was my last resort, haha. I have read about rwd buicks with the rear dump manifold, I'll try and get one if these headers don't work out. I got the passenger side to work!

 

like Tim says, the rear dump manifold should help.
Of course, the ex syytem then needs to be tweaked as well