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Stuck Marine Steering Wheel

Klink

Regular Contributor
I had to do some work on my center console and it was easier to do with the steering wheel off. My 15 1/2" stainless steel 5 spoke steering wheel was stuck bad. I loosened the nut out til it was at the edge, to protect the threads and to protect us (very important!) from having the wheel fly off and the puller guy fly out the boat when it snaps off . Then I hit the steering shaft with a bronze hammer, I must have done it twenty times even after letting PB Blaster work on it overnight and a few days, would not budge. I gave up trying and worked around the steering wheel.


That was 2 years ago. Today, I HAD to remove the wheel. I tried one more time the routine above without PB blaster, about 6 whacks, it can't hurt. It did nothing. I did all that because that was the advice I found online for someone like me that has nowhere to grab the wheel with a puller.


I went online to see other ways of solving the problem and found nothing I could use. Then it occurred to me to slip a piece of scrap 3/32" thick plate with a slot in it (see picture) behind the wheel and pull it with the puller. It took quite a bit of tightening and the plate bent a little, but it finally snapped the wheel off. I had to use 1/16 because it was the maximum I could fit between the steering wheel and the plastic cover behind the steering wheel. If others can fit 1/8" or more, it would be better to use, but I had no choice. I used a two jaw gear puller like the picture below.


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Last edited:
Correction: I had to use 3/32 because it was the maximum I could fit between the steering wheel and the plastic cover behind the steering wheel.
 
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