Pulling a steering wheel on a Ford 3000

73Ford3000 · May 5, 2009

I need help! I'm trying to replace a powersteering seal on my 3000 and the steering wheel is not budging. I tryed a three jaw puller and the plastic around the wheel just crumbled under the jaws. There are no bolt holes for a steeringwheel puller and it seems to be mostly plastic so drilling an tapping my own holes are out. I have a slide hammer made for pulling axle shafts which I chained to the spokes of the wheel. I beat the tar out of the slide hammer and no movement. I then tried takeing part of the three jaw puller and combined it with the hub from the slide hammer that was still chained to the wheel and came up with some bastard comtraption that still wouldn't work. The only thing I can think to try next is to heat it with a torch and hope that the plastic around the wheel dosn't melt. Any suggestions?

DieselPower · May 5, 2009

Don't guess you could post a picture of it could you? Are there any holes that are not threaded. The reason I ask is there are some automotive steering wheels these day's that no longer use threaded holes but use two puller jaw type tips that are used with a T-bar puller. GM has been using this type for a good many years now. Just wondering if maybe it is set up like that.

73Ford3000 · May 5, 2009

No there isn't any holes at all in the wheel. The center hub has about a quarter inch of steel that circles the steering shaft and there is a half inch of plastic that circles the inner metal ring. There might be metal under the plastic. I may try to drill a small hole tomorow to see what is under it. I do not have a camera or I would post a picture. A buddy of mine suggested looking for a dowel pin or set screw. I didn't notice any but I'll double check for that tommorow also.

jimmysisson · May 6, 2009

I presume you tried the old way of threading the retaining nut back on until it's about 1/16" from touching the wheel. Put both knees under the wheel and pull up while smacking the nut with a 2# hammer (don't miss!). The jolt sometimes will do more than the steady tension of a puller. PB blaster soak first might help a little?
Jim

MMagis · May 6, 2009

I had a little trouble with mine as well. The only thing that holds it is the retaining nut, so there's nothing hiding. Jimmysisson's method is probably the best, though I think I also let mine set for a day with penatrating oil on it.

Soundguy · May 6, 2009

I just rebult the steering box on my naa last weekend.. steer wheel was a SOB.. I ended up cutting the spokes with a angle grinder and then heat the hub. that didn't work.. then i splt the hub with the angle grinder in 2 places.. 180' apart.. cut thru 98% of the way. then pop it with a big cold chissle... sometimes it's the only way.

I used a pulelr and other stuff for a couple hours before deciding a 50$ steering wheel was well worth it..

soundguy

73Ford3000 · May 6, 2009

Well the deed is done. I woke up this morning and checked on here for suggestions. I tried the knee tension hammer smack trick with no results I didn't think it would work after trying a slide hammer yesterday I tried anyway. I then moved on to an idea that came to me while laying in bed last night. I thought a three jaw puller would work if I could just get a bite under the wheel and distribute the force of the puller all around the wheel and not just at the points of the jaws. I was trying to think of what I could put under the wheel that wouldn't pull apart away from the column while the puller was under tension. It occured to me last night that I had enough car parts laying around here to put together a used car lot. I happen to have a nice selection of con rods and thought for sure I'd find one the right diameter to bolt together under the wheel. Well as luck would have it all the v8 rods I have are to big and the one crotch rocket rod I had was too small. So I continued to dig which led me to a bunch of machineing tooling that a buddy of mine is storing here. I found an entire box full of three piece lathe collets and found a set that fit perfect around the steering column. Not too lose not too tight. I found two hose clamps big enought to hold the collet around the column and proceded to throw the puller on it. Well the puller was too small to reach under the collet. Soooo after a trip to autozone to rent a 10" puller. I got home and as sure as sh$t it took just a couple cranks of the puller to knock the wheel free. I know that not everyone has an assortment of lathe collets laying around but I know a piece of thick wall pipe of the right ID and OD would work just as good. Split the pipe twice down two opposing sides and then you have the same thing. You might be able to pull it off without the hose clamps but honestly it is just one less thing to fight while trying to fight a three jaw puller. I will see if mom and dad still have a digital camera when I go visit for mothers day this weekend. If so I'll borrow it and snap a few pictures to post.

One other bit of advise. I did all this to replace the seal around the steering shaft. The I T shop manual tells you to get some schedule whatever pipe and then drill some large size odd fraction counterbore into the end to use to protect the new seal as its installed. The seal presses into the end of the steering housing which you have to lower over the steering shaft. I thought I could get away with carefully lowering the houseing over the shaft but after getting everything apart the shaft looks to be cast and whether it is or not is has some very rough spots that are close to the diameter of the machined surface that the seal rides on. I was affraid there would be no avoiding damage if I didn't protect the seal. So rather then try to put together what the manual recomended which would have undoubtedly wasted alot of time and more importantly money I came up with this. Wrap the shaft with electrical tape starting at the race for the seal and wrap towards the top until you reach the threads. Cover the tape with a coating of WD-40 and lower the housing over the shaft. Snug the three bolts. Then slowly and carefully pull the tape wrap loose being careful not to break it. The tape will unwrap from the shaft. Just unwind it as you pull. Then continue putting it together. It anyone has any other questions feel free to ask.

Eagleview · May 6, 2009

Well done , never say die .

A little trick i use to protect the lip while installing a seal over a threaded shaft etc. Is to cut a section of PET drink bottle to the correct length . Wrap it around the shaft once , grease the lip of the seal and slide it over and into position . The section of drink bottle can then be pulled out .

Soundguy · May 7, 2009

I've also taken thin waleld pipe and machined the outter diameter down, adn pressed it into the seal from the frontthen slip the seal down whtver shaft.. etc.. then slip the ppe out.

doesn't work in all applications.. but is great for some hyd motor apps that have exposed seals.. etc.

good job for getting her done.

soundguy

fltem06 · May 11, 2009

I had the same problem. I used a bearing splitter under the steering wheel(flat side next to the wheel) then used a "H" bar screwed into the splitter. Torqued it,put a little heat to it,torqued some more,a little more heat, and BAM!!Got 'er done.