Steering wheel removal P18

[Thomba48]

Thanks. I did not get round to it tonight. Shall look at it over the weekend. But generally speaking my set does not look any different.

 

The nut approach I have not tried out yet. But despite this set up I have failed ? I am unfortunately a third try lucky man ??

[Eneto-55]

53 minutes ago, Thomba48 said:

Thanks. I did not get round to it tonight. ....

Someone gave one of those "Round Tuits" once, but unfortunately I lost it.....

[Sam Buchanan]

To accommodate the pointed end of the puller, select a bolt that has a diameter slightly smaller than the bore in the center of the steering column. Drill a "dimple" into the center of the head of the bolt and drop the bolt into the column. Now you have a stable base for the puller and you can really crank down on the puller without it trying to walk away from the center of the column. The key is to keep the puller straight so all the pressure generated by the puller can be applied to the steering wheel. If the puller begins to lean to one side you are losing the mechanical advantage of the puller.

Edited December 12, 2019 by Sam Buchanan

[Merle Coggins]

1 hour ago, Eneto-55 said:

Someone gave one of those "Round Tuits" once, but unfortunately I lost it.....

 

Here’s another one for you...

[9 foot box]

   From the picture in #15 post, I would turn the puller over and put the center bolt in from the other side. Then you can use washers on the two bolts. I think the puller should be flat across that surface. Third times a charm, Thomba48. Use a drop or two of oil on the threads of the puller so you don't pull the threads on the casting, by using it dry. 

[Jerry T]

On 12/7/2019 at 7:04 AM, John Reddie said:

The puller is a good thing to have for the steering wheel removal and other tasks as well. I have a homemade puller that a former coworker gave me that he made to remove his steering wheel. I have had success using it to remove harmonic balancers as well. Once you receive your puller, the wheel should come of easily. Good luck to you.

John R

You can buy that entire puller set for less than 20 at Harbor Freight

[Sniper]

OP's in Germany, probably don't have a Harbor Freight nearby.

[Thomba48]

Ups. No. ?? But amazon. That will do. Thanks by the way for the on going interaction. Unfortunately with work and family requirements in place it is often rather difficult to sneak out for a minute or two to work on the car ???

[NickPickToo]

Does anyone have a picture of the horn wires coming into, through and out of the column for reference?  My 47 had no horn wires and the horns were in a box in the trunk when we took delivery ?

[desoto1939]

the horn wire that goes down the steering shaft is just a single wire.  You will need to feed a metal wire something that has some thichness to it so you can push it up throught the end of the steering box. There is a hole at the end of the steering box and there isa tube that goes trhought the box. This tube is small so that is why you need the wire to go all the way up to the top of the column.  When replacing the horn horn wire you need to tape the new wire to the metal wire that you just ran up the column and then pull the wire back out of the column at the end of the steering box. Take your time because the wire has to get into the small tube and then come out the end of the steering box to make the connection to the wire that goes upto your horn relay.

 

Rich Hartung 

[NickPickToo]

Thank you good sir.  It seems clear as day now that you've described it. Can you confirm that the picture attached is the exit of the tube.  then I get to go fishing.

Edited December 30, 2019 by NickPickToo

[Andydodge]

Yep............that tube/ferrule type of thing with the hole in it is where the horn wire comes out..................that tube is about 4-6" long, enough to get past the steering box internals and any chance of oil/grease or whathaveyou getting onto the wire ..................the horn mechanism at the steering wheel is just an earth switch essentially and the wire that goes up thru the steering box is the earth wire from the horn or horn relay.........make sense?..............lol...........andyd   

[Sniper]

That looks like it.  When I got my 51 this past September one of the things I had to do was rewire the entire car.  Long story, but suffice it to say it had to be done.  Anyway the one wire I did not replace was the horn wire.  When I took the Cambridge for it's annual inspection so I could register it the final thing the inspector needed to do was test drove it.  Guess what shorted out on the test drive?  the horn wire.  Those 6 volt trumpets are real loud when you are running 12 volts thru them.  As for where they go on your P18 I don't know.    here's a pic I found though

 

[desoto1939]

14 hours ago, NickPickToo said:

Thank you good sir.  It seems clear as day now that you've described it. Can you confirm that the picture attached is the exit of the tube.  then I get to go fishing.

Nick, Rich Hartung yes that is the exit hole out the bottom of the steering gear box. as stated the tube is approx. 4-6 inches long so this is how big of a hole that you need to tape the horn wire and the flexible metal pulling wire to fish it trought this tube. When the end comes out this tube you then have a  pastic connecter to link up to the horn wire that runs to the horn relay .

 

Rich 

[Sniper]

I used some weed wacker line to pull the new wire thru the column.  Just tape the two together well.

[NickPickToo]

So I just ran the wire by itself.  No fishing needed.  I used one wire from door-bell wire which comes as two untwisted wires.  24 cents per LF at Home Depot.  Its stiffer so it goes right up with no catching, but it's also flexible enough to easily bend into place when I add the wheel.

[Tooljunkie]

2 hours ago, NickPickToo said:

So I just ran the wire by itself.  No fishing needed.  I used one wire from door-bell wire which comes as two untwisted wires.  24 cents per LF at Home Depot.  Its stiffer so it goes right up with no catching, but it's also flexible enough to easily bend into place when I add the wheel.

Im thinking the bell wire you used is a single strand?

it wont last. It will need to twist somewhat. 

Edited December 31, 2019 by Tooljunkie

[NickPickToo]

4 hours ago, Tooljunkie said:

Im thinking the bell wire you used is a single strand?

it wont last. It will need to twist somewhat. 

yes.  Single strand.  thinking we may link it to something a little more flexible in the wheel.

[Tooljunkie]

1 hour ago, NickPickToo said:

yes.  Single strand.  thinking we may link it to something a little more flexible in the wheel.

Single strand of copper wire will work harden just from driving it. Then it becomes brittle and will break. The fine strand wire in my opinion would be best. The wire used on heater cords is my favorite for any place where its subjected to lots of twisting or flexing. Like in a door jamb. 

[NickPickToo]

51 minutes ago, Tooljunkie said:

Single strand of copper wire will work harden just from driving it. Then it becomes brittle and will break. The fine strand wire in my opinion would be best. The wire used on heater cords is my favorite for any place where its subjected to lots of twisting or flexing. Like in a door jamb. 

Good point.  In the least I can use it as the wire to fish with.

[Thomba48]

Sorry for not having responded earlier.

 

Thanks to your kind and rather explanatory support the wheel finally came off. Just before Christmas. It is now undergoing "surgery" and will hopefully be properly alive and kicking in a couple of weeks.

 

What I did notice, however, the wheel or at least a wheel was taken off before. The steering wheel column was significantly shortened during that process to such a level that I might have to think about a solution for security reasons. 

 

thanks again

Edited January 22, 2020 by Thomba48

[Young Ed]

what are you seeing that makes you think the column was shortened? Do you have the cup that goes around the factory signal setup? 

[Thomba48]

Hi. I am almost feared that question to come up as it might again indicate my total knowledge lack of everything ?

 

Fact is, the nut which by the way was broken from the beginning, has very little thread to work with. Sitting tight it actually does sit slightly on top the steering column itself. Well, whilst saying that my brain begins to work and I am beginning to wonder if that is maybe linked to the wrong nut? LOL. Certainly something I need to investigate a bit further.

 

Thom

[Andydodge]

Thomba..........whilst I have no direct knowledge of what style of nut the car may have on it I have seen at least 3 different types of nuts used on various cars steering wheels & columns...........these are the normal thickness nut, ie, about 10mm thick, then there have been a nut the same size, ie, across the flats from one side to the other BUT HALF the thickness, ie say only 5mm thick and finally a self locking nut that is about the same as the standard thick nut but has 6-8 slots cut into its top and/or they are pushed slightly towards the centre of the nut so that it "locks" onto the threaded shaft when tightened.............as always some pics maybe helpful.......BTW you obviously worked out how to get the wheel puller working..............did any of our comments help or just confuse the issue..........lol...............andyd   

[_shel_ny]

Typical slotted steering wheel nut that I have measures 9.32mm thick. Slots cut down to a thickness of  4.94mm