Removing Steering Wheel on a 70

[Davesaver]

I read in a post some where you screw the nut on leaving room for the wheel to move, sit on the tractor put your knees under the steering wheel and give the nut a couple of whacks and the wheel pops loose.

This has not been my experience. I now have a flat spot on my acorn nut from a 3lb bronze whacker. I put a wheel puller on it and I'm collapsing the threads on the puller against the little spinner thing on the end of the threaded portion.

I have let it soak with kroil for two days so far. I add kroil in the morning, when I get home from work and again before I retire for the evening.

I have left the puller on it to maintain some tension but not sure what to try next.

Any ideas?

[wdeturck]

It's a little late to tell you now that you don't use rhe acorn nut. They are NLA and are hard to find. You use another 5/8" fine thread nut and leave at least one turn for the steering wheel to have room to move then get your knees under it and apply a lot of pressure and use your 3 lb hammer and strike it with solid blows FLAT. If it don't pop off soak iot another day and try again. Since you have tried a gear puller I don't know what else is messed up. They will come off that way. If you have an air chisel you can use that and a piece of all thread put half way in the nut and tighten up against the threads and with your kees under it the air chisel . Patience is the secret.

[junkman1946]

Keep the tension on it and the Kroil. A tap or two on the end of the puller but nothing hard enough to damage the threads. Sometimes there rusted on so bad that they just refuse to come apart. Then comes the decision- save the steering column or the steering wheel. Good Luck Frank

[George Willer]

Use your blue tip wrench to make the hub get just a little bigger.

[Davesaver]

Thanks wdeturck, Junkman and George

I hadn't thought of heat. Defenitely worth a try even if it only makes a little more space for some kroil to get down in there.

I do have an air chisel and that would be a good way to rattle it's cage.

Thanks again I will try these tonight when I get home.

[lonnyb]

[quote="wdeturck"] They are NLA and are hard to find. [quote]

I know of a place that still sells the 5/8 fine thread acorn nut and they are nice and shiny to boot. A tad bit spendy, but its only money, right?

[wdeturck]

Lonny: I have a SS one on my 9 speed and the others that I saw to buy have a different shape. You have to watch out or the "Correct Police" will write you up on a ticket

[klejeune]

I know of a place that still sells the 5/8 fine thread acorn nut and they are nice and shiny to boot. A tad bit spendy, but its only money, right?

Do tell!

[Davesaver]

With all recommendations in place 5/8 nut and bolt, blue tip wrench and upward pressure it came loose with just a couple of whacks. For the sake of experimentation I put on the nut and bolt and whacked it a few times with out measureable results. I then passed the torch around it for a bit and then whacked it twice and it moved. A third whack dislodged it to where I was able to pull it off with my hands.

I have a hardware store here that has just about everyone of those little bins with assorted hardware and aisle after aisle of bins with nuts, bolts, screws and fastners. They have a Stainess Steel 5/8-18 Acorn nut. Don't know how it compares to the original but costs a little over $7.00 per nut.

Mine is still useable. Just has a nice flatspot on it now. should of put a chunk of wood between it and the hammer. Gots to learn somehow I guess. On to removing the column.

Thanks again for all your help,

[lonnyb]

[quote="klejeune] Do tell![/quote]

I was able to get a replacement 5/8 fine thread acorn nut for my 100 from a local company called Fastenall. If I rember correctly the nut cost $7.50 and the shipping was $4.50

[klejeune]

Oh, we have Fastenal stores here. I'll check my Ace Hardware too as they keep the bins with all kinds of nuts and bolts.

Thanks,
Keith