Does anyone know if the four cylinder LX mustangs came with manual steering and if so would I be able to use the rack in my 5.0l equipped car. also is there anything else that would need to be changed like tie rod ends or something of the sort, steering shaft etc.  or should i just spend the money and buy an aftermarket manual steering conversion kit, id really like to use the money for a new EATOn posi.

Also i've asked this question on the mustang forums but have gotten ZERO answers.  I,m eliminating the air pump and its lines that run to the converters,  I dont know what to do with the vaccumm lines that were running to said pump and lines, also there are vaccum lines running into the passenger side fender and are connected to plastic pot type dealies, I was wondering what these are for and if i can eliminate them.  I'm building it into a street strip car and it already has an off road exhaust and I'm just trying to eliminate as many useless things as possible.

Thanks for any help its greatly appreciated

The short answer to your question is, yes they did, and yes you can.  

you cannot make the GT rack into a manual steer. it is a "hydraulic rack". the system will steer without the pump.but im sure you know by know its very hard. secondly the fluid that circulates through it lubricates the seals and moving parts in the rack itself. with no fluid it will wear out and sloppy steer will incur. i had a 5.0 for a long time and loved the quick steering ratio it had. as for you vacuum lines..a lot of them run other accesories for the car. like your heater doors and such. these dont matter so much for a drag car. but others run emission parts as well. if your not going to run mass air, just eliminate and trace to make sure they dont run essential sensors. good luck. i hope your fast.

Also i've asked this question on the mustang forums but have gotten ZERO answers.  I,m eliminating the air pump and its lines that run to the converters,  I dont know what to do with the vaccumm lines that were running to said pump and lines, also there are vaccum lines running into the passenger side fender and are connected to plastic pot type dealies, I was wondering what these are for and if i can eliminate them.  I'm building it into a street strip car and it already has an off road exhaust and I'm just trying to eliminate as many useless things as possible.

Thanks for any help its greatly appreciated

Hi, I've just eliminated the smog pump on my son's project 89 LX last night. I killed 2 birds with one stone and saved about 100 bucks in the process. I've ditched the AC pump by cutting and welding the scrap section of the original bracket upwards on the bracket.. If you can picture the original upper power steering bolt is now the lower one, and the pump is tilted in a bit towards the centre of the motor. I had to pivot the steering line a little, but it looks fine. I then cut off the "C" shape part of the bracket which went around the AC pump. As for eliminating the smog pump... I am simply going straight past where it used to be.. I had to cut it from the cast support bracket, as the upper stud for the pump was galled in the aluminum. I am going to the parts house today to get the right length belt, since things are moved, I have to figure out my own length... looks like I'm reaching for a 76" belt next. The routing is very similar to the original belt, but now it is less the AC and smog pump. As for the vac. lines, cap 'em off and disconnect the plugs that went to the diverter valve. This whole smog pump procedure should only be done if you don't have to worry with emissions compliance!! But you could still do the AC part, if you wanted to save some bucks. As for the plastic pots.. I'm not sure what you are talking about.. that square shaped box that hangs low on the pass side is a carbon cannister type thing.. and not really considered a parasitic device to sap your performance. Maybe you can find out what they are from a chilton or haynes book.. then see if they are important pieces before you go ditching them. I'm new to this Ford stuff myself.... Take care and good luck with your project.

Cap the nipples they came from.  

i believe some mustangs in the early 80s maybe 79 also were the only ones equipped with factory manual racks. check out carbdfords.com or jasonfletcher.com whichever name the site is under now for these exact years and models. lots of other very useful information for fox mustang speed on the cheap

as far as the vaccum lines just trace em down and plug em from the source. all vacuum eventually has to come from the engine. more important is to  make sure you dont have any vacuum leaks b/c that will be the car idle and run like crap. hope this helps a little.

Thanks guys for all the help, quick and plentiful responses thats why we love this site!

So just to make things crystal clear the manual rack will fit without any other modifications, it will be a rebuilt rack from a local auto store.

You can bolt the manual one in place. Alot of 4 cylinder base model, manual trans cars had manual steering. It's a bolt in. Good forearms will help.  

Thanks for the help it IS appreciated, ya maybe I should stop partying and start working out........nah