I posted this in the suspension area sometime back and didn't get any replies so I thought I would repost here and give another try....

There is a wealth of information on power steering boxes, tech, ratios, applications, so forth in the tech archive. I don't seem to find comparible info on manual steering boxes, ratio, applications.... Can anyone point me to a few informative sites? I'm more interested in available ratios (indentification), pitman shaft size (pitman arm interchangability), and applications (to locate a doner), than rebuilding.
Thanks in advance, ZK

As far as I know there was only one manual gearbox available for the Chevelle and Monte Carlo.The specs in the GM shop manual are:

Chevelle: Gear ratio is 24:1
Nova: 28:1
Corvette: 16:1

Now whether a Nova or Vette gear will bolt up I don't know. A later model S-10 gearbox may fit but don't know if the S-10 pitman arn will work.

The Corvette manual gear definately will NOT fit any other GM car. It has a unique housing and bolt mounting pattern.
JIML82

I may be wrong but i think you can use the worm from the vette box in our boxes to decrease the lock to lock. Ralph

There are a few places selling a 16:1 manual box for our cars. I have one from Lares Corp on my 67 el camino. The car isn't finished yet, so I haven't drove it yet, but it turns easier sitting still than I thought it would with 245/45/17 front tires.

I doubt this will help much, but early GTOs had an optional quick ratio manual box which has a 20:1 ratio. I don't know how hard they are to find but when I sent off our '64 GTO manual box the rebuilder was surprised to see a 20:1 box and had to take special steps to make sure it didn't get mixed up with more mundane boxes and parts. Luckily the worm gear and other major internal parts were still good since he also told me they are not readily available as are the 24:1 parts.

Thanks all! I figured that theere was more thatn one ratio over the years. The book does only show one ratio - at least the ones I have. I have put a vette worm in a 50's box to decrease ratio. I was a lot of work finding a good doner box and it wasn't a bolt -in. It involved some machining. I ws lloking for other manual boxes that might fit in 70 to 80s chevelles,malibus. Some freiens suggested an S10 box. ANother fellow said it took too many turns! I have a manual box out of a '72 ss396 and I was shocked it took some many turns. Seemes like the S10. I knew the origin of the '72 box as I took it out from almost new and did a PS conversion. The manual box sat on the shelf. The PS done was out of a '75 BB impala - the only thing that needed to be changed was the pitman arm, otherwise a direct bolt in. The above ewas the kind of in I was looking for - other models and ratios that would bolt in.
Thanks again. ZK