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MG MGB Technical - NEED HELP! Steering wheel removal

I am trying to replace the turn signal, high beam unit on my 1977 MGB to pass Missouri safety inspection. I have removed steering wheels many times on American cars with no problem, using a standard steering wheel puller. I have the original rubber steering wheel which I love. My problem is getting the wheel off of the column. I have already removed the nut with no hitches. There is nowhere on the wheel to mount the puller and it certainly doesn't just slide off as the Haynes manual suggests, though I tried that many different ways. How do I remove the steering wheel? Many thanks.
Chris Wallis

Chris - European cars often differ from American cars in this respect. Try a little WD-40 and wiggle that wheel around some. -G.
Glenn G

Chris. remove the nut just so that it is flush with the top of the shaft. sit in the seat and put your knees behind the wheel pulling it towards you. With a brass hammer strike the nut with a convincing blow. the wheel should pop off.
Jim Pelletterie

I had the same problem. I used a standard steering wheel removal tool but had to use some smaller bolts through the steering wheel holes and some stout washers and bolts, also a lot of liquid wrench. It's tight but it popped off with some effort. I tried the hammer method but only managed to mark up the original wheel.
John

I don't like pulling the wheel too hard or striking the end of the shaft because if you have a collapsible column you can shear the plastic inserts. Rock (twist) the wheel violently and this will break the taper. But I don't think you have to remove the wheel to replace the turn switch. Certainly on UK cars just remove the cowl, 4 screws and then the two screws holding the switch saddle clamp.
Iain MacKintosh

Thanks all for the input. First off, North American cars do not have the two piece turn signal, it's one piece and the steering wheel must come off. I figured out a way to fabricate a very effective steering wheel puller, but did not have to resort to that. I sprayed WD-40 on the splines, used my knees and hands to pull the wheel towards me while heavily tapping on the steering column hub while working the wheel back and forth a little. Eventually, it came right off into my hands.
Chris Wallis

See, I told you it would work! I have never had to pound on the shaft hard enough to collapse the column or break the plastic inserts.
Jim Pelletterie

I've never had to take the steering wheel off to change the turn signal switch ot wiper switch in any of my Bs RB or CB. Never broke a cowl yet either.

If you're careful, the cowl will come off and go back on with little fiddling.

Luigi
Luigi

Luigi,
I don't remember having to remove the steering wheel on my 79 either to replace the turn signal stalk...what gives?
Frank

I think its in the step by step manual (read it sometime in my life) for replacing a turn signal stalk, but its a step not really needed.

Luigi
Luigi

Cars from Sept 76 on normally had a one-piece assembly containing *both* stalks which is impossible to get on and off without removal of the wheel short of destruction. Before that the two switches were separate and screwed together clamping them onto the column and so can easily be removed and refitted without removal of the wheel. If you have the later car but the earlier arangement then maybe the original column has been replaced with one from an earlier car. Removal of the cowl should not need removal of the wheel in any car, but again late models had two fixing screws low down on the cowl which it is virtually impossible to get at unless you drop the column. These screws aren't really needed, so just omit them when replacing the cowls to make future removal easier.
Paul Hunt

Chris, I hate to tell you this but I have had this problem with the late rubber steering wheel on two previous occasions. If you can't knock the wheel off from below using a 1" wooden dowel and a heavy hammer then it ain't gonna come off easy. Take a hacksaw and saw the wheel off piece at a time till you are down to the steel centre, peeling off the rubber as you go. Then use a hub puller. Drastic I know but it may be the only way. Getting hold of another wheel is easy but better to fit a nicer one such as a moto-lita.
roger lawson

Paul:

I'm starting to think that the UK and the US had two very different cowls. The the cown from the last edition 'B's ('76-'80) in the US were in two pieces very much like the earlier design. As a matter of fact the cowl on my '69 was from my '77. The only difference being that the headlight switch was integrated in the bottom side of the left cowl cover. I never saw one as you describe.

Luis
Luigi

Luigi

Paul is talking about the switches being in one piece - not the cowl - the cowls were always in two parts held together with screws underneath.
Chris at Octarine Services

Oh!

Never mind.

Luigi

Cutting a wheel off with a hacksaw is a bit drastic and I think totally unnecessary. Many ways have been described and whilst I agree it can sometimes be a bit difficult I cannot see it getting to that stage. No one has yet talked about using heat in the centre hub. This can be applied from the top if the switches are still in place or from the underside if they are removed. A small controlled flame from a butane hand torch is all that is necessary and remembering that the alloy will expand faster than the steel shaft, will very quickly break the joint. Put a puller on, apply some heat and twist the wheel violently and the joint will part. Remember, for safety just loosen the wheel nut two or three turns to prevent the wheel coming off violently
Iain MacKintosh

This thread was discussed between 28/10/2004 and 02/11/2004

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