removing steering wheel

[snapperback]

how the hell do u take a steering wheel off??? its got me buggered, ive taken the nut off and it just wont budge.

[Roughasguts]

Go to Kmart and get a 3 prong gear puller.

Stick the 3 prongs under the steering wheel, and tighten the bolt the centralises over the steering shaft and it lets go with a big bang.
Scares the sh!t out of y'a.

Or you could have someone pull on the steering wheel while you give the steering shaft a good whack with a hammer, leave the nut on it though so you don't bur the thread on the shaft.

But be very carfeul the guy tugging on the steering wheel can end up on his arse pretty bloody quickly.

[ashh]

I had this problem, you may have to give it a few good wacks from behind, if its anything like car steering, Im pretty sure the spline thingy is tapered and when the bolt is tightened down it sorta jams the steering wheel onto the spline/steering coloumn. Maybe give it a good soaking with WD40 and leave overnight and then attempt again.
Other than that it may be a job for one of those three armed gear pulling gizmos
Hope that wasnt to confusing:)

[ashh]

lol roughas, beat me to it.

[Roughasguts]

Hi Ashh, Yeah i'm on me 11th hour at work and bored sh!tless.

[PWCDad]

Dont think its a problem for older wheelhouses ... changing my steering over the boat was only 3 weeks old and I had the "stuck on wheel" dilemma. The monkey at the factory put it on with a rattle gun by the feel of it !!! Geez !!

Used a harmonic balancer puller (like what the guys describe above) and a brass block to tap the nut area ... Man !!! ...was it damned hard to get off !!!

There is a tapered shaft with a keyway under there and a medium sized Woodruff key. I lanotec'd the new steering helm unit before putting the new wheel on ... nut is a nyloc so just needs to be firm not breaker bar'd on !!!

Regards
PWCDad

[tully]

Try this first. Grab the wheel with both hands at 9 & 3 o'clock and pull back, while flexing the wheel rim as much as possible in a sort of side to side rocking motion if you know what I mean. Takes a fair bit of grunt but usually works.
Failing that you will need a puller of some sort, but most cheap ones are crap and be very carefull hitting the shaft as most helms are only diecast body.

P.S if you try my way, leave the nut on a bit and you won't go A over T when it comes off. Good luck.

[Spaniard_King]

put the nut back on untill its just on the shaft, Then get your biggest mate to start pulling the wheel towards the direction to get it off then "you" at the same time hit the shaft where the nut is with a 4lb hammer as hard as you can... mind your mates chin tho :P

this works 9 out of 10 times

cheers

Garry

[finga]

put the nut back on untill its just on the shaft, Then get your biggest mate to start pulling the wheel towards the direction to get it off then "you" at the same time hit the shaft where the nut is with a 4lb hammer as hard as you can... mind your mates chin tho :P

this works 9 out of 10 times

cheers

Garry

Which bit works 9 out 10 times...getting the wheel off or missing your BIG mates chin with the 4lb'er??
:P
:D

[Spaniard_King]

Non of my mates would let me have 10 goes at them scott, I recon 1 would be enough :D

Garry

[Dignity]

Non of my mates would let me have 10 goes at them scott, I recon 1 would be enough :D

Garry


lol guess they wouldn't ne aroumd after the first hit ;D ;D

sanpperback - do as RAGS suggest - easiest method as soon as you put the damn thing back on again it is the same problem getting it off again - no amount of lube is going to help you.

[Chris Ryan]

Being a big bloke - I did both the pulling and the use of the "persuader". Ended up with the 4lber on the left foot, the wheel across the bridge of the nose and almost smashed the back of my head into the transom as I fell backward!!

I got the bastard thing off though....who got the last laugh then huh! :) :)

Chris

[timddo]

undo the nut. Bang from one side of the steering wheel all the way to the other and it will come loose.

[disorderly]

Being a big bloke - I did both the pulling and the use of the "persuader". Ended up with the 4lber on the left foot, the wheel across the bridge of the nose and almost smashed the back of my head into the transom as I fell backward!!

I got the bastard thing off though....who got the last laugh then huh! :) :)

Chris

That's some technique alright,chrishttp://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/../yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/grin.gif.
I recently had to remove my steering wheel and helm to replace the steering cable.
I think it was the first time in the 25 year life of the boat.
As mentioned by most above they certainly dont need the nut on the front to keep from coming loose.
I ended up removing all the screws on the helm behind the dash and bashing the spline until it pushed the helm backwards and the wheel popped off.
But I was already willing to sacrifice the steering wheel if I broke it(luckily I didn't)just to remove the bloody thing.

cheers Scott

[searay215ec]

thats why always leave the nut on, just loosen it off

[Chris Ryan]

Ahh Scott its all in the technique! ;)

I had the same reason to take mine off - snapped helm drive cog so I didn't give a crap if I bent/stuffed the drive shaft. The interesting thing was I had the helm changed, the new steering wheel on (the old one was cracked) and when I thought all was good and put the drive cable in, the damn connectors were different and there was no adaptor because of its age. (didn't realise this until I went to get on the water.....must have missed that one with the 8th or 9th can for the arvo...!!

SOOOOOOOO new bloody steering cable as well. Get some looks changing them in a Bunnings carpark:-/

[mally]

hey tully, u forgot to tell him to put a nappie on first . lol

[BM]

Try this first. Grab the wheel with both hands at 9 & 3 o'clock and pull back, while flexing the wheel rim as much as possible in a sort of side to side rocking motion if you know what I mean. Takes a fair bit of grunt but usually works.
Failing that you will need a puller of some sort, but most cheap ones are crap and be very carefull hitting the shaft as most helms are only diecast body.

P.S if you try my way, leave the nut on a bit and you won't go A over T when it comes off. Good luck.

This is the method I employ and usually is successful. A squirt of a lubricant such as Penetrene on the standard 3/4 taper shaft can also assist.

Failing that, and assuming the wheel is coming off in order to replace the steering, a 9 inch grinder in behind the wheel can be a more effort free way of removing the errr....... offending system.

Cheers

[Roughasguts]

Oh yeah I forgot heres a tip for using the gear puller to get that steering wheel off. It's a little hard to get the 3 prongs to stay in side the plastic edge of the steering wheel thay tend to wan't to pop out. So grab a zip tie to hold the 3 prongs in behind the steering wheel, wrap the tie around all 3 prongs and tighten it up. The gear puller 3-4 prong set is only 18 bucks from Kmart, a little dearer from super cheap.