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Gen 5 LT Truck, GM power steering pump, Kwik power steering bracket, P series pump, power steering hoses

The Ultimate Guide to Swapping a P-Series Power Steering Pump onto Your 2020+ Gen 5 LT Truck Engine

A featured image explaining this guide is for adding power steering to 2020+ Gen 5 LT truck engines

Wayne Powell |

So, you’re thinking about dropping a late-model (2020+) Gen 5 LT truck engine like an L82, L84, L87, or L8T, into your favorite older vehicle. That’ll give you the power, but now there’s a problem.
These modern truck engines, especially those found in the 1500 series, come without a traditional power steering pump since they use electric steering. The heavier-duty 2500+ trucks usually have a hydraulic Type 2 pump but those come with some issues we’ll cover in a minute.
No matter which engine you start with, you might want to use the tried-and-true, commonly available Saginaw P-series pump. And that's exactly where our LT P-series PS Pump Bracket (K10755) comes in.

Why Stick with the P-Series Pump?

The P-series pump is a favorite for a reason, especially in swap applications:

  1. Compatibility is King: The vehicle you're swapping the engine into likely already uses a P-series pump. For example, all 1988–1998 Chevy trucks (OBS) and many C10s after 1975 used this style. This means your new setup is a simple connection away from your existing steering box. 
  2. Hood Clearance: You might be thinking that the factory PS pump found on the 2500+ trucks might be the answer.  Problem is, this Type 2 pump has a tall, attached plastic reservoir that can easily cause clearance issues in older engine bays. The P-series pump is more compact.
  3. Hydro-Boost Ready: If your vehicle has a hydro-boost brake system, we have a P-series pump available with the necessary second return port.

Ready to see the options? You can check out all the P-series pumps and pulley options we offer here.

Essential Installation Notes: Get the Right Water Pump Housing

Before you bolt on our brushed satin 6061-T6 aircraft grade aluminum bracket, you need to confirm one critical component: your water pump housing because that’s where your new tensioner will live.
The water pump casting must have a machined, flat surface on the passenger’s side to accept an L8T belt tensioner.

  • L8T Engines are Good to Go: All 6.6L (L8T) engines use a spring-loaded tensioner, so they will already have the correct, machined water pump (Casting Number: 12707680).
  • The 1500 Engine Catch: Some 1500 pickups with 5.3L and 6.2L engines (L82, L84, and L87) have the centered water pump but did not use a tensioner. Therefore, that specific area on the pump was left rough, or "as-cast," and is not machined. For example, some, but not all, of casting number 12383468 are machined.

If your pump has a rough, unmachined area where the tensioner would go, you will need to replace it with a correctly machined pump. You can tell if the pump is ready by looking for a shiny, flat surface on the passenger side—if it looks rough, you'll need a new one!

What You Need for the Swap

Our kit provides the core components for the bracketry, including the bracket, all necessary spacers, and zinc-coated fasteners, plus printed and YouTube video installation instructions.

Here’s the rest of your shopping list:

  • P-series power steering pump and the corresponding pulley (see our options here).
  • The correct Gen 5 LT (2020+) centered truck water pump with the machined area for the tensioner. (Casting number (12683468), part number (12735409).
Chevrolet L8T, L84, L87 water pump with machined area for tensioner
  • An L8T (6.6L) belt tensioner (GM 1265 4271 or equivalent).
  • A 6-rib serpentine belt (suggested lengths are in our instructions).
  • Power steering hoses (we suggest our Kwik K10548 as an option).

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I’m putting a late Gen 5 LT truck engine into an early ’70s C10. Can I reuse my original P-series pump?
A: You need to be careful with the year. While it might physically bolt to our bracket, the original pumps used up until around 1974 have a tapered shaft, a keyway, and are held on with a nut. There is no serpentine-style pulley that will work with that style of pump. You need a pump that uses a press-on style pulley, which started around 1975.


Q: What if I want to add an AC compressor, too?
A: We have two great options for adding AC:

  • Preferred Setup: Use the K10755 power steering bracket and add our K10750 AC bracket. This combination mounts the Sanden Mini compressor on the passenger side. This gives you nicely balanced engine bay aesthetics and places the AC and power steering in the most convenient spots. The Sanden Mini is plenty powerful for a typical truck cab when paired with a high-efficiency condenser.
  • Driver’s Side Setup: Use our K10581 combination bracket. This mounts a larger Sanden HD compressor but utilizes the smaller Type 2 power steering pump. Both the AC compressor and the power steering pump end up on the driver’s side of the engine.

Q: I have an older L83 or L86 with the offset water pump.  I really like the centered look of the later LT engines.  Can I convert by using the later water pump?
A: Yes.  The later water pump will bolt on and line up with your early Gen 5 balancer.  Add the late belt tensioner and our brackets and you’ll eliminate that wonky offset look.