Changing Power Steering to Manual?

[Dave-Gold/Red62]

The power steering box on my '62 hardtop is leaking pretty steadily. My local Ford dealer won't touch it, and I can't find anyone in the Louisville area that has replaced one before. I don't want to pay someone a lot of money who doesn't know what the hell they're doing. Instead of spending $500+ to have it repaired I was wondering if I could remove or disconnect it and just drive it as if it had manual steering. I've owned a couple of full-sized Fords and Edsels without power steering and am familiar with how they drive, and it's not a problem for me. My question is how easy would it be to disconnect and/or remove the system, and how would I go about doing that? What are the pros and cons of doing this, if I did have it repaired about how much should I be prepared to pay a competent mechanic to do it, and who would you suggest I buy the power steering box from?

 

[tbird5866]

Just remove the power steering pump belt and see how it drives... I think that will tell you to get it repaired.
Do you know precisly where it leaks? If it's at the pitman shaft (on the bottom), that can easily be resealed. Maybe it's a hose. Do you know? If you disconnect the system, you will lose your windshield wipers and, in time, ruin the gearbox. There is a shop here in Fort Worth that rebuilds gearboxes.