Hey guys, ran into header clearance problems with my rag joint.

Can any of you direct me to where I can find a smaller diameter rag joint that will work with my setup? 3rd gen steering box and stock 69 tilt column?

No. Not that I am aware of??

Try Borgeson's...............

Here's a link to them.

http://www.borgeson.com/

pdq67

Thanks alot, I'll see what they have.

maybe the engine can be slid over a bit by loosening up the mounts and prying it over to the passenger side.
or take the ragjoint out and grind the od down on a bench grinder or something.

Does your Camaro have an intermediate steering shaft (i.e. steering gear forward)? If you do, I have a solution to adapt a smaller diameter flexible coupling to your car. It can gain you around 3/8 inch of additional clearance.

The Gen II Camaros had an intermediate shaft with a large diameter flexible coupling (3 3/8 inch diameter) and a pot coupling that attached to a steering column shaft with a 1 inch diameter serration and an external clamp.

All Camaros (1979 and later) had an intermediate shaft with a small diameter flexible coupling (2 5/8 inch diameter) and a pot coupling that attached to a column shaft with a double D end and a through bolt.

It is possible to take a later model I-shaft with the small diameter flex coupling and adapt it to your Gen II vehicle. You need to remove the pot coupling "can" from each shaft and swap them. The pot coupling is retained by a snap ring or there are tabs on the pot that are turned over. Just remove the ring or bend back the tabs. The shaft, seal, and bearings come right out of the pot. Make sure that you pack your new joint with grease before reassembling the pot.

That was the good news.

If you have a Gen 1 Camaro where the steering column connects directly to the steering gear, there isn't a production flexible coupling that is smaller in diameter that will adapt easily. The problem is the 1 inch diameter end on the Camaro steering column shaft.

The 1 inch shaft is too large to adapt to the small diameter 2 5/8 inch flexible coupling. There were some early Cavaliers that had small diameter flexible couplings attached directly to the steering columns. However, the end of the Cavalier steering shaft was swedged down to around 5/8 diameter and the end formed into a double D. There was a steering column flange designed to fit the small diameter flex coupling for this installation. That is how the 2 5/8 coupling was adapted to some cars.

Good luck,
Jim

Thanks for the info Jim, I have been told that one of the Borgeson in-line vibration dampers may work: http://www.borgeson.com/VibrationDamp.htm

The catalog lists some sizes and parts numbers.

His car is just like ours after me going back and looking.

I think we have a hole and a slot in our motor mounts so we can't just loosen her up and crowbar her over!! BUT I gotta say I like that idea Nova!!!!

Would have to move the tranny mount over too tho....

pdq67

i'm only talking about moving it the 1/4" it takes to get the room, so the tranny mount should be ok. if the mounts won't allow it, maybe pull the mounts off the engine and make the hole bigger so there is more "wiggle room". once you torque the bolts down, it aint going anywhere.
there is also the option of dimpling the header tube- mark the tube with a sharpie, pull the header out, wrap a rag around an impact socket, and give it a couple of whacks with the Ford tool.
and when you're done and everything clears, call the header manufacturer and tell them what a crappy product they are selling.

I think since I'm limited in length I might have to go with a universal joint from Flaming River or Borgeson. Trying to avoid hammering in my new headers, they were'nt very cheap so it would hurt me to do so: http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d125/Rybar/ETP%20head%20swap/