Removing Fairline steering wheel

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Dorset Dan

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I have tried removing my original steering wheel from my 2004 Fairline Targa 34 to fit a newer version I have purchased. Once the cover with Fairline badge is removed I have loosened the main nut on the s/wheel shaft.

However, once nut is removed, there is no movement at all when trying to remove the wheel even after a couple of soaks of WD40, so I bought a s/wheel puller kit from ebay. Tried it today with a decent amount of force and still no movement (although will return tomorrow with better bolts to go through the hub itself rather than the s/wheel spokes).

So question for anyone else who has removed an original Fairline s/wheel - once large nut is removed, is there anything else that I need to consider or will brute force ultimately prevail? I am just worried that I am going to force it too much and break something!

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Mine was just a taper.

Left the nut just proud of the shaft, large lever behind the hub so there’s force push it off and smack the nut/shaft with a lump hammer.

Two hits and it was off.

Dont wreck the threads on the shaft
 
Hi those steering wheel pullers are pants I took mine back because there meant for cars with air bags you need a normal 3 leg puller once fitted and tightened down just hit the centre bolt with a hammer and the wheel just jumps up from the taper took 60 secs with the right puller.
 
mikesyam said:
Hi those steering wheel pullers are pants I took mine back because there meant for cars with air bags you need a normal 3 leg puller once fitted and tightened down just hit the centre bolt with a hammer and the wheel just jumps up from the taper took 60 secs with the right puller.
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I've got exactly the same steering wheel, and I removed it using a regular three leg puller. I remember it being well on, but the puller did the job perfectly.
 
Thanks, I will return tomorrow with a lump hammer, a jemmy bar and some bits of wood to get some leverage (and try not to damage the dash).
 
mikesyam said:
Hi those steering wheel pullers are pants I took mine back because there meant for cars with air bags you need a normal 3 leg puller once fitted and tightened down just hit the centre bolt with a hammer and the wheel just jumps up from the taper took 60 secs with the right puller.
Click to expand...

jimmy_the_builder said:
I've got exactly the same steering wheel, and I removed it using a regular three leg puller. I remember it being well on, but the puller did the job perfectly.
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Something like this? https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-4-inch-3-jaw-gear-puller-cht607/

I have one of these but clearly they are designed for cars where there are existing threaded holes for the bolts to attach to https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/13PC-HAR...803138&hash=item3395fdf435:g:jL0AAOSwfcVUJa8d It might work though with a bit of adapting as there are two holes through the hub housing of the Fairline s/wheel so if I get thinner/longer bolts to go through and attach a nut behind, the 'pull' effect will have better purchase. I mocked something up today but as it was only attached through the spokes of the wheel I didn't want to apply too much force and bend the wheel!
 
petem said:
Dan, don't chuck the old one, I'll have it.

Pete
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The problem with it is that the Fairline centre cap was de-laminating and scruffy - it should have looked like this one (not mine -
this is an image I found) with a nice shiny logo but mine looked tatty.

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My brother has the cap to do a new logo in s/steel on his CNC machine but I haven't got this back yet.

I have one of these (but with a fairline embossed logo) which I picked up quite cheap on ebay - a couple of minor scuffs but I'll see what it looks like before deciding which to keep.

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Dorset Dan said:
Something like this? https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-4-inch-3-jaw-gear-puller-cht607/

I have one of these but clearly they are designed for cars where there are existing threaded holes for the bolts to attach to https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/13PC-HAR...803138&hash=item3395fdf435:g:jL0AAOSwfcVUJa8d It might work though with a bit of adapting as there are two holes through the hub housing of the Fairline s/wheel so if I get thinner/longer bolts to go through and attach a nut behind, the 'pull' effect will have better purchase. I mocked something up today but as it was only attached through the spokes of the wheel I didn't want to apply too much force and bend the wheel!
Click to expand...

I just went and had a look in my workshop and it looks like I bought the Rolson equivalent of this

https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p7...MIz9P35tnQ2QIVT7ftCh2wtQr1EAQYASABEgJW3fD_BwE

and used the 6 inch puller to do the job. HTH.
 
It's not a fairline issue. They buy the same teleflex etc gear as everyone else.
I've had this scenario loads since starting boating. Shaft is tapered with woodruff key. Back off nut so it is just proud of threaded end of shaft. Get a strong person to sit on helm seat and pull wheel towards them hard. Then thwack end of shaft very sharp/hard with hammer (actually you're hitting the nut). Don't pussyfoot around with hammer. It wants a proper thwack with a fast hammer. One good hit and you're done.
Or use a puller if access is available.

Edit- just noticed I'm mainly repeating farsco. Apols farsco.
 
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jrudge said:
Well done on finding a discount wheel. Do they have any more ?
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It was a one off ebay listing I think, it is definitely a used item with slight indentations here and there where something has been stored on top of it I suspect, but I paid less than £200 so I'll see what it looks like once fitted.
 
Really interested in this as it is exactly what I want to do and replace with the same Fairline one, I thought it would be a relatively easy swap and am surprised it is so tight.

Good Luck
 
Funnily enough just had this argument on another forum. Chances are the woodruff key is slightly corroded and or skew and thats causing the jam. Pullers will exacerbate that. Make sure it's straight and use plusgas to penetrate. Then walk it off if it's a tapered shaft. If that doesn't work try a few taps on the shaft itself. Gentle mind and with a blunt punch so you don't hit the threads.

For a challenge during the debate and for demonstration I popped down to the boat during the lunch hour and removed the wheel. 5 minutes tops. 26 y.o. boat

 
The 6 inch gear puller did the trick - took about 3 seconds once I started turning the centre bolt, no lump hammer or brute force required.

I think that the new wheel definitely makes it look more modern, but I don't like the fact that my already restricted review of the MFD is now a wee bit more restricted by thicker spokes / rim of the new s/wheel (but the very limited dash space on T34's kind of makes this unavoidable, particularly as I didn't want anything fixed to the top of the dash).

I think I will get the new fairline centre cap for the old wheel (once my bro has got round to doing it) and then decide which one to keep on there.

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Sent you a pm but happy to take the new style one of your hands if that is what you decide

Well done on removal. Sounds easier than mine. I got a passing engineer on board as the force used in the end was daft but without a puller no way !
 
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