If you're reading this you already know I need help! I've decided to go with a manual steering rack on my '89 CSX. A few months back I ordered the manual rack for it off of RockAuto. The rack came and everything looked fine with it. Well, recently I've started tearing into the car and now its time to rebuild it. I took my old Power rack out, and got the outer U-joint mechanism detached from the splined shaft on the rack. Then, I thought it was time to put in the manual rack in. WRONG! The coupler on the U-joint, is HUGE compared to the shaft on the Manual rack.
They never made any P-bodies without power steering as far as I know. Correct me if I'm wrong. So what I'm asking here are two questions.
1) The L-Bodies came with manual steering from the factory sometimes, will that U-joint be a direct fit on my CSX to go from column to rack?
2) Has anyone ever converted their P-body to a manual steering rack before? And maybe theres a better way to do this and I don't know it.
Some measurements I've taken are...
Power Rack Shaft - 16.5mm / 0.65in wide
Manual Rack Shaft - 11.7mm / 0.46in wide
I really need any help as soon as possible, my timeframe is ending very soon in the garage I'm doing work in and need to have this car at least moveable by then.
Thank you very much everyone!