Steering Wheel Removal

[Murray Mk4 Inter]

Hi all,
I'm trying to remove the steering wheel from our Mk3 but I am have no joy. It will no move.
I've followed the instructions from the Mk3 Service Manual. I've removed everything from the horn button down to the retaining nut.
I'm using a harmonic balancer / steering wheel puller and I can't get the steering wheel to move at all.
I had so much pressure on it that I have now started to spread the thread at the top of the steering tube.

I've tried a bit of heat down the tube to try and brake the spline. I've soaked it with Penetrene. I now have made up a aluminium packer to place between the puller
and the thread on the end of the steering tube so no further damage is done.
I've used a rubber mallet to try and shock the steering wheel but hitting under the spokes while I have pressure on the wheel.
After all this, it still has not moved.

(I was going to put a photo of the current set up, but I can't work out how to put a photo here. )

Should it be this hard or am I maybe missing something?
The manual just says to remove the retaining nut and use a suitable puller and it will come off.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
Murray

[dkg001]

You haven't missed anything, some can be be very hard to remove, best advice is to keep at it, eventually they release.

[David]

Probably not a lot of help but ....  Put the retaining nut back on then loosen it a turn or so before using pullers, it will stop the thread spreading.   repeat if you get it to move.   I couldn't get the one off my RFSV my local garage did it for free as my wife gets her car serviced there.  They said they always put the nut partly back on for safety in case it all pops off under pressure.

[wfc1]

Hi Murray. Load up the puller fairly tight and try hitting the puller rod on the top with a sharp hit, a few times if necessary. This may work, no guarantees. It is like removing tie rod ends, you hit the bit that it sits in, not the bit you are trying to get out. Make sure you are using the packer so you don't damage the thread. I always tried hitting the steering wheel and ended up breaking the plastic.  Regards, Bruce.

[Murray Mk4 Inter]

Thanks everyone for your replies.
I can’t put the nut back on as I’ve already damaged the thread.
That’s why I’m now using the aluminium packer.
I’ve left the puller in place loaded up with pressure and soaked the spline again
with penetrene.
Hopefully I’ll get back to it over the weekend and try giving the puller a few sharp blows
with the hammer.
The steering wheel needs to be restored because of all the cracks in it, but I don’t like hitting it too much with the mallet.
Again, thanks for the input, an I’ll keep trying.
Cheers
Murray

[Chazza]

Thinning the Penetrene with acetone may help,

Cheers Charlie

[john.k]

I found a heavy slide hammer puller is far better.................needs to be a home made one with about a 5lb weight........if you damage the threads,you musnt recut ,but try to roll the thin steel back into place...............I reckon the army must have wrecked every steering box they worked on,judging by the number going thru the sales as scrap with flattened threads...........incidentally,a new wormshaft was a $1200 part at 1970 prices.

[Philthy]

Murray,

I have had success in the past disassembling an interference fit by packing it all in dry ice for a good while then applying heat to outer most part.

Sometimes you can hear the tension release when the heat is on.

Good luck Phil

[Murray Mk4 Inter]

That's what I was hoping would happen with heating the inside of the shaft and then cooling it down.

I did think about packing the inside of the shaft with dry ice to try and shrink it as well.

Again, thanks all for the suggestions. I'll keep at it, but it may be after Easter now before I get back to it.

Murray

[Bluebell One-eight]

If you are using a puller on a shaft with a thread at the end you should always leave the nut on if the situation allows it. This will stop the damage. While I was serving I used this method without fail. Undo the nut and sit in the driver's seat and grasp the wheel with the hand between the closely spaced spokes and pull like hell while easing a little on one hand while pulling more on the other. This make for a wriggling motion. It always worked and I did it a few months ago and it worked still. It does take strength, and if you think you are not strong enough try working the wriggle while the puller has pressure on it, but be aware that the puller and or wheel might land where it hurts.

[john.k]

Car ones often you just put you arms underneath and a few thumps ,and they are off............smaller inters this sometime works too.Ive had  the big Inter spline so hard to remove ,it broke the little 1/4" puller screws.....Commercilal steering wheel pullers that go arond the plastic boss generally end up cracking the plastic...................if you wreck the thread ,then you have to do sneaky repair by welding ,which is probably illegal..................but ,the rod is actually welded to the worm ,by a friction weld .........and I have seen these welds break......in fact one truck the steering column broke twice,and the guys refused to drive the truck ...........the reason was the cab had shifted on its rubber mounts ,and the steering column was forced over to fit the clamp bolts.......at least that happened the second time.......its kinda hairy when the steering breaks at speed.