Spunky6686@aol.com wrote:
> I have a bit of a problem. I am trying to take off the
> steering wheel on my 65 midget. I have removed the bolt but the darn thing
> wont budge. Am I missing a step or is there some trick. I put a puller on it
> but the puller went before the wheel did. They don't sell a new shaft that I
> have seen. If the did I would cut it and replace the shaft. Please give me
> all the suggestions that you have. Right now I will even try rubbing a lucky
> rabbits foot and pray for it to just pop off over night. Thanks for what help
> you can provide
Adam, I have never worked on a Spridget in my life, but I have
successfully reapaired and overhauled lots of Mgs, Minis and Frogeyes,
so I thought I would offer my thoughts.
First, I considered what would lock the wheel onto the splines. If it
might be even a smidgen rusty in there, I would recommend one of the
more robust, (expensive) penetrants, rather than the ususal WD-40,
Bardahl, etc. stuff.
Then, maybe the metal around the top of the hub has become distorted by
the force of the nut and washer. Most people way overtorque steering
wheel nuts and wheel nuts, due to natural paranoia. ;)
Sometimes when you can't get something to move, the solution is to turn
it even further in the wrong direction - opposite to where you want it
to go - just a very tiny bit more; often this will free the fastener up
very slightly. If you have had enough experience or have enough
intuition to know when it's going to break or weaken, and stop just
short of that point and turn back the other way, especially if you have
coated everything with a good oil or penetrant to prevent re-micro-welds
of the locking surfaces, you can work it back and forth a little bit
more each time until it finally comes loose. My rule is: if this works,
do not ever use these two fasteners again. If one of them is irremovable
from an essential part, replace the other one and use lots of
Never-Seize or equivalent copper grease when refitting.
Since your problem is not a nut or bolt that won't let go, but stuck
splines in the steering shaft and hub, I would suggest the same
attempted solution: try soaking in a really good anti-rust pentrating
oil for a day or two, then whacking the piss out of the wheel-hub - but
*down* onto the steering shaft further, *then* try knocking it back up
again. I have occasionally managed to free one of these up by rigging up
support for the steering wheel, pulled upward as far possible, then
banging the crap out of the steering shaft downward; sort of a backwards
way to go about it. I don't like to do this except as a last resort;
It's very important and fairly difficult not to bugger the threads on
the steering shaft in doing this. The accepted manner is to have the
steering shaft nut on the shaft, right at the top of the shaft, but even
this might not be enough to protect the shaft if you hit it a glacing
blow. Best have somebody with the requisite skill on the end of the
hammer if you try this.
Good luck; may the little beggar just give up and let go quietly. ;)
-Rock
--
Rocky, JJ Cale Band & Pratchett Books: http://www.rocky-frisco.com
Rocky's Mini Cooper Page: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/6437/
Mini Books: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/6437/rockboox.html
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