Hello,
My steering wheel is cracked. First I thought it needed replacing, as it would not pass the ministry of transport test, but then I stumbled upon a site, where was mentioned filling up the cracks with gorilla glue, which expands when it dries, then sanding and repainting.
Is it hard to remove a steering wheel? I read the technical manual, but the terms used are so technical, that it frightened me off.

Dead easy.

Just needs a good jerk.

In the worst instance
a few taps with a soft hammer.

Best undo the nut first though

Undo the nut but leave it on loose or you may need a dentist call. Not the position so you can put it back the same
Never thought about Gorilla glue, I might experiment with a spare wheel I have

Gorrilla glue will set to a fragile foam

Kits available on eBay,
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=steering+wheel+repair+-leather&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR3.TRC2.A0.H0.Xsteering+wheel+repair+-leather+kit.TRS0&_nkw=steering+wheel+repair+-leather+kit&_sacat=0
I daresay they will send it NZ.

Specialist companies exist.
Here's one,
https://www.rimblowrestorations.co.nz/

My pleasure Phil

Nice to have some company
at the typographical error Co.
I thought I was the sole mebmer :-(



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-01-27 12:38 PM by 0123.

I left England at 11 years old to go to South America. The next 20 years of my life I spoke Spanish and just about forgot English. I have been trying to catch up for the last 40 years.

You've no chance of catching up Phil

English English changes so quickly
I'm always several laps behind )

It's our cunning way of keeping
Johnny Foreigner in his place )

I found this link to provide very interesting information on repairing bakelite. I think I may follow it when I repair my Bugeye wheel.

http://www.tinshackrestoration.com/2014/01/13/banjo-steering-wheel-restoration/

---

Bob Marcum

1959 Bugeye
1960 Morris Minor Tourer
Ex vintage Mini racer

Thanks Bob

Have you seen the price of the kit he used %-(

That tinshackrestoration.com article is quite interesting.

A bit of an aside . . .

One thing I noticed in the article is the inappropriate use of self-etching primer.

The “active ingredient” in self etching primer is, typically, phosphoric acid, which is intended to convert iron oxide (rust) to iron phosphate, a stable substrate for subsequent coatings. Because it uses acid, and because that acid is intended to be used with rust, spraying etching primer on filler, primer, paint or epoxy is counterproductive—-in fact it is almost a guarantee of future coating failure. Although it may have other applications, self-etching primer is intended for use only on bare steel, to convert microscopic rust pits (although you may have success with more visible rust). It is also intended to be used sparingly, using a light (translucent) coating, because a heavy coating means excess phosphoric acid, which hasn’t been used-up in the conversion process, will be trapped against the steel beneath subsequent primer and paint layers, ultimately resulting in a coating failure. Self-etching primer is also not compatible with epoxy primer and should be only be covered with a compatible primer-surfacer or sealer.

I wondered how much the guy go paid
to promote the stuff he used :-(

A reasonably informative discussion here
http://www.autos.com/auto-repair/self-etching-primer-vs-epoxy-primers