Is there are difference between 68 manual steering pitman arm for a 6-cyl vs. 8-cyl (non z28)? Classic Ind. lists three different pitman arms for 68 manual steering. z28 is out of the picture so that narrows it down to two. I am replacing my old one. My car originally was a 6-cyl. The casting number on the old pitman arm is "39175778" followed by "GMT2" below (see pic). Center to center is very close to 5.25 which would indicate a short arm based on some posts here (see pic).
Thanks
http://www.mattlekawa.com/pictures/camaro/pitmanArmCastNo.jpg

http://www.mattlekawa.com/pictures/camaro/pitmanArmLength.jpg

While your forging number is different than I've seen, the arm dimensions are the same as the short pitman arms I've seen.
Are you sure your pitman needs replacing? It seems the original ones last longer than the replacements.

Any short PS pitman should work.
David

Thank you David. I will clean it up and and have a good second look to see if it can be reused. If I do have to replace it, are you saying that "any short PS should work" PS as in Power Steering, even though I have manual steering? Meaning...there should be no differnce between short power steering and short manual pitman arm? Thanks.

No, the pitman arm holes are different sized.

Short/long for p/s and short/long for manual!

And fwiw, a short pitman arm w/ long spindle arms is slow ratio steering and a long pitman arm w/ short spindle arms is fast ratio steering!

I ordered my car w/ the optional fast ratio manual steering and it has a long pitman arm and short bolt-on spindle steering arms!

And don't forget to match rag-joint "halves", (i.e., top and bottom), shaft size's.

And if you get into the rag-joint, install a rubber washer kit that has a steel screen wire reinforced rubber washer!

And watch the dam screen wire tips on the circumference of it b/c the dam things are like needles and will GET YOU!! I ground them off w/ my bench grinder!

pdq67

Sorry I was thinking of PS arms since that's the usual topic here. Manual arms are the same shape but have a smaller splined hole for the shaft. I guess that's why the forging number was not familiar to me.
David

Having a second look at the original pitman arm as suggested. Regarding the ball-joint part, how can one tell if it's good or bad based on the movement or ?? I can move it side to side, up and down... Thanks.

You should not be able to move it with your hands, if you can, it's shot. It should only rotate like a bolt with some effort like you would have to grab it with pliers to get enough leverage, if it wiggles side to side that's not acceptable.
David

It's shot alright! Thanks again.