old car

Steering Wheel

April 2006:

To remove the horn push/trafficator switch assembly I always take the bottom off the steering box - don't forget to catch the oil! - as it  makes it easier (possible?) to thread the wires back down the column on reassembly.

It was fun getting the steering wheel off - none of my pullers could move it - so a 4lb hammer did the job after some effort (and yes, the nut had been removed first)

The steering wheel was not very presentable - although the plastic around the rim was OK, the plastic on the spokes was splitting and breaking away in several places.

As it was separately moulded to the plastic on the rim, it came off very easily.

The aluminium underneath was well oxidised and I had a fair pile of dust when I had finished with the emery cloth.  Slow cure (the original) Araldite was run in to where the joints had been to smooth them off and to secure the open ends.

Then Finnegans aluminium primer and two coats of Finnegans satin finish made it look almost as good as new; certainly better than it had looked before anyway.  .  .  .  .

I then nailed it back on the column, upper spoke vertical so the trafficator cancel switch would work.  I then refitted the horn push switchgear, the bottom end of the steering box and reconnected the wires.  Finally not forgetting to refill the steering box as all the oil will have run out!

So now the steering wheel looks smarter and Matilda's trafficators self-cancel when I turn left as well as right!