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Saginaw tech info & March Performance

Dandesjar

Jr. Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2016
Messages
86
I’ve been doing a lot of research trying to get as much info as I can for my Saginaw swap. There’s a ton of info on this forum but, unfortunately, I also came across a lot of conflicting info which made it tough to source out exactly what I wanted for my particular setup. I figured I’d post some of the info I’ve been able to sort out...

I came across this article that has a lot of good info on Saginaw pumps and their uses/changes through the years. It cleared up a lot of questions for me:

https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hmn/2006/09/Saginaw-Power-Steering-Pumps/1332012.html

Also, it wasn’t easy info to find and I haven’t tested it out yet, but for those of you running a March serpentine kit, the following pulleys should work for you:
- March Keyway serpentine - part # 636
- Cordone press-fit - part # 3p15128
- Cordone press-fit - part # 3p15124
- Dorman press-fit - part # 300-202
- Dorman press-fit -part # 300-127
- GM part # 14100597 from a late 80s - early 90s Chevy s10 2.8L (this pulley has been discontinued by GM. Dorman makes an equivalent but it is over 1” larger diameter than OEM)

The March bracket won’t work with a Saginaw and won’t even work with the stock Thompson pump if you’re running a mechanical fuel pump.
I ended up going with the Wild Horses bracket but for those looking for a dressed up bracket to match the March kit this part from CVF Racing may work:
https://www.cvfracing.com/ford-small-block-power-steering-bracket-289-302-351w-saginaw-pump/

I’m in Canada and finding a new (not remanned) pump for a decent price seems to be a bit of a challenge. The following Cardone pumps are available brand new on Rock Auto for a decent price for those who are interested:
- Hydroboost - Cardone 968739 for mid 2000s Silverado 6.0L
- Non-Hydroboost - Cardone 967828 for mid 90s Chevy Blazer 5.7L

One last thing... even with my old Thompson pump I found my power steering to be a bit over boosted. Even a low speeds there was way too much power assist for my liking and not enough road feel (mine spends almost 100% of its time on paved roads).
There is a flow reducing valve available for Saginaw pumps which reduces the flow to the steering box to help with this issue. I haven’t tried it yet but here is the part: https://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/clp-cpfcv-k/overview/

Here are the directions for swapping out the valve: https://static.speedwaymotors.com/pdf/910-32918.pdf
 
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