[C320-list] Stuck Steering Wheel

[Jeff Hare]

Oh, 

One other thing we have done with the wheel.  We put a dab of locktite red
on the key and put it back in the keyway so that it never falls out
accidentally (suppose you could use a dab of silicone adhesive or something
too).  Then like Dick Walker suggested we purchased the Edson Quick Release
wheel nut so that we can easily remove the wheel without finding a wrench.

For the hand wheel nut, we put locktite blue in the threads and let it dry.
Now it still screws on and off with some resistance easily but it won't
unscrew on its own from vibration.  But otherwise, you'll get in the habit
of checking that it's tight all the time while sailing or motoring.

-Jeff Hare

-----Original Message-----
From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf
Of John Ellis
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2018 8:12 PM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Stuck Steering Wheel

Jeff - thank you for your advice. It worked!

I left the Ziplock ice bag on for over an hour to compensate for the San
Diego winter ambient temperature. Then I tensioned the gear puller while
warming the wheel hub with a heat gun. After about 10 minutes of heating and
tapping the hub, and cranking the gear puller, the wheel came off.

I called Edson tech support this morning and the very helpful person I
talked to said this job would require a lot of patience and would probably
involve a lot of swearing!
Since I don't do a lot of gear pulling, I used the Autozone tool loaner
program. You give them a deposit (in this case $50), which they give you
back when you return the tool.
John
________________________________
From: C320-list <c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com> on behalf of Jeff
Hare <Catalina at thehares.com>
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2018 8:39 AM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Stuck Steering Wheel

Hi John,

Hard to imagine a gear puller didn't work.  But, try again, this way.

1. Wrap a ziplock baggie full of ice and a bit of saltwater around the hub
to freeze the hub, shaft and key.
2. After 20 min or so put a decent sized gear puller on and crank it down
quite tight, make sure the jaws are on the back side of the hub and aren't
catching the large washer that is sometimes on the back side.
3. Take a mapp-pro or propane torch and gently and evenly heat the hub (try
to avoid heating the shaft itself).
4. While doing that, very gently tap the hub between the spokes with a small
steel hammer (don't dent it, just tap tap tap tap).  The vibrations, change
in size from the heat and the pressure from the gear puller will cause it to
break free.

This almost never fails.   Then polish the shaft and inside of the hub with
220 grit paper and coat it with TefGel anti-seize gel and forget about it.

-Jeff Hare

-----Original Message-----
From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf
Of John Ellis
Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2018 8:53 PM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: [C320-list] Stuck Steering Wheel

Does anyone have any tricks for removing the wheel when it's stuck? I'm
replacing my autopilot and can't get the wheel to pull off. I tried a gear
puller with no success. I've sprayed P Blaster into the keyway to let it
work overnight and will try again tomorrow. Any suggestions would be very
much appreciated!

John

#271 San Diego