How to remove steering wheel?

[Ripplewiggler]

Has anyone removed the steering wheel from a 3600? A steering wheel puller won’t fit, niether any gear puller. I tried using a pickle fork too; that didn’t work. I am afraid of boogerin’-up the plastic dash or facia/skirt on the wheel with the pickle fork.

I need to remove the wheel so I can remove the dashboard and pillar and then the running boards in order to paint them and also to replace the fuel line.

I thought about removing the steering wheel together wirh the steering column as an assembly but that appears to be unworkable.

[casscounty]

     In the service manual for my 6800, it says to remove the cover from the center of the steering wheel and the the nut and washer from the steering shaft. Then hit the top of the shaft with a heavy plastic dead blow hammer while pulling up on the steering wheel. I would think it would be easier if you had one person pulling on the wheel while another one hammers.

[Ripplewiggler]

Thank you for the reply and official procedure. Heh, I am assuming that yanking-then-hammer-until-something-gives beating is to be done underneath a shade tree?

[casscounty]

    Hammering and pulling should be done simultaneously. It would probably be a good idea to spray some penetrating oil on it and leave it sit overnight.

[petelesco]

If I could build upon the previous suggestions, I would suggest you only loosen the steering wheel nut. That way, when it does finally give, the nut will prevent the steering wheel from suddenly coming off, and hopefully prevent your resulting back flip. Unless that is what you want to do, I'm sure it would make for a good Tik Tok video....

[Ripplewiggler]

The ‘pound and pull’ method did the trick. I do all my mechaneckin’ alone, outside and under a shade tree, there were some complications requiring “persuasion” involving a hoist attached to the steering wheel, pickle fork prying up, sledgehammer (and a little pistol-whipping for good measure) it finally cooperated. PLUS, I now get a 10% skim from all the clippings the mower produces from now on. The Supermob ain’t got nothin’ on the Mower Mob…

BTW, if one researches the Supermob they will come to understand the How and Who behind this global destruction, digital I.D. and global depopulation Great Reset for world enslavement. The ‘why’ is the Zionist ethno-religious plan going back millennia seeking domination of all nations (one world government) by a few elite slave masters…all of that is in the Old Testament and Talmud-now combined with the power of institutional infiltration and technocracy.

During this Yamaha restoration, the intake valve stuck, eventually ruining two  rocker arms (broke) and pushrods (bent). Lucky for me I have a second parts tractor because those rocker arms are not available any longer. Rebuilt the head and am waiting for a new head gasket to arrive. Meanwhile re-upholstered the seat and am doing the repainting, fuel line replacement, deck repair, etc.

I had to buy the second (parts) tractor initially just for its carburator bowl as those are no longer available either.