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Tips
Tips

Steering Wheel Replacement

AUSMHLY

Obi Wan
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Hey guys,

I'm just about ready to replace my Mota-Lita steering wheel back to the original adjustable steering wheel.

Any tips that will make this project go smoothly.

Or maybe a breakdown of what to do first, second, till complete?

I've been told that I may have some fluid leak? If so, what fluid should I be using. My bad, if I am suppose to be topping that fluid off.

Side note, I've got the complete Mota-Lita set-up for sale in the classified section. (What condition is it in? Only driven on Sundays by a little old lady. OK, she was from Pasadena. It's near perfect.)

Cheers, Roger
 

Cutlass

Jedi Warrior
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Roger, I just installed my old, original wheel to make do until I get my final choice of a wood wheel. It's a pretty straightforward process, but I do have a couple of hints. One difficult process is installing the wiring harness through the stator tube. Lots of suggestions in the archives here. I accomplished the task with the stator tube, trafficator, hub and wheel out of the car. What worked for me was to remove the bullet connectors from the four wires, and solder an eye connector to the horn wire, which is brown and black, and a larger guage than the other three, turn signal wires. This eye served as a pulling eye, to which I hooked a piece of stout wire for pulling purposes. (actually three pieces of welding wire, looped together.) Then I placed a goodly amount of beeswax on the harness for lubrication. After starting the harness through the stator tube, I hooked the end of the pull wire to a suitable anchor, and pulled the stator tube onto the harness, feeding it carefully past the slotted end that fits into the trafficator, finally fitting the slotted end of the stator into the trafficator tube. Then I left the wire on the harness to help guide the harness through the steering column. When the stator was fully seated, protruding about 1-2 inches out of the steering box, I then placed the olive and nut on the tube and box, tightening when the turn signal lever was at twelve o'clock. Next I had to solder the bullet connectors back onto the wires.

Just be sure that as you place the whole assembly together you get all in the proper sequence. It's like threading beads.

As far as fluid is concerned, I used Moss's steering oil. No leaking, so now that you mention it, I'll have to go out tomorrow and make sure I remembered to put it in. I'm coming up on five years now, and there are many things to double check.

Don't know if any of this helps. Hope so. Jim

Installation after that was pre
 

gonzo

Jedi Warrior
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Hi Roger,

Earlier you were considering the smaller diameter option...so are you returning to stock-original or a custom-stock original set up?

The traffic controller will need to be completely removed before the steering wheel comes off. The easiest way is to first loosen the controller; unplug the 3 wires at their connection located behind the upper grill surround and push/pull wires flush to the stater tube hole (to prevent contaminating with steering gear oil). Loosen the nut and lift the stater tube/controller assembly out through the driver's side. The olive seal (behind the nut) may need to be persuaded a little to loosen up the stater tube and if you're lucky the olive could be re-used. Remember to place a small receptical near the steering gear idler to catch some of the oil that will drain after the olive is removed.

Once this stuff is out the C-clip wire needs to be worked from it's recess which is the only thing keeping the steering wheel attached. Installation is in reverse. Suggest indexing the steering wheel to center before pulling it off.

Give me a call and I could try talking you through it. Oh and I'm also in need of some paintless dent removal services. So let's talk.

GONZO
 
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Hypoid gear oil can be used in the steering box. I've been using Red Line's 84w/140, because I keep it on hand for the BMWs.

Edit: 84w? I meant 85w/140... :blush:
 

GregW

Yoda
Platinum
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Randy Forbes said:
Edit: 84w? I meant 85w/140... :blush:
84w is correct when your neighbor gives you gear oil. Cuz, well, that's when you say "Thanks buddy, I owe you one"
 

GregW

Yoda
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Cutlass said:
As far as fluid is concerned, I used Moss's steering oil. No leaking, so now that you mention it, I'll have to go out tomorrow and make sure I remembered to put it in.

I think the Moss oil you're talking 'bout is Penrite. I had leaks using regular gear oil. Penrite is much thicker, as in it won't go down the funnel thick. When (if) I do it again, I'll boil some water and let the bottle sit in it for a while so it flows better.
 
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If you are only replacing the wheel it is easier to remove only the wheel with out messing with pulling the wires out. It can all be done from the driver seat. As you have a BJ8 like mine you already have the adjustable collumn. It was about a 20 minute job. Or did I miss something in your post?
 

Cutlass

Jedi Warrior
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As far as I know, the only way to pull a stock BJ8 steering wheel out is either to pull out the wires, with or without the stator tube, or disconnect the four wires from the trafficator. Disconnecting the wires is possible, but challenging, due to the extent that trafficator has to be disassembled to accomplish this task. Bits and pieces can go flying.
 
OP
AUSMHLY

AUSMHLY

Obi Wan
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I think it's more than just the steering wheel. The hub that holds the Mota-Lita needs to be removed.
 

Cutlass

Jedi Warrior
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Roger: The wheel is bolted to the hub (the black wrinkle finished item). Remove the wheel. The hub and the trafficator remain. The trafficator is held in, at least in the original, in two ways. The first way is with three grub screws in the hub. I do see in your photo one hole for a grub screw. If your hub has these grub screws, loosen them. Next, the trafficator has a two piece stator tube that goes from the trafficator through the steering column, to carry the wiring harness. This long stator tube is held onto the end of the steering box, right behind the grill, with a brass nut, 5/8 inch across the flats, which compresses a brass olive around the stator. Detach the harness at its connections behind the grill. Remove the brass nut and the olive, sliding both over the harness. This is where the oil will begin to leak out.

When the trafficator and stator tube are detached, the entire assembly, with the harness, will slide out towards the rear of the car. then you can remove the hub. There is a circlip on the steering shaft just rear of the hub. This is to prevent the hub from coming off, especially when adjusting the telescoping steering wheel. The circlip needs to be removed. After removing the circlip, the hub will slide off, as it is splined. There is a "nut" at the forward edge of the hub which needs to be loosened, and which will come off with the hub. That should do it, with the exception of the spring,which I don't believe you have. This spring mechanism is decorative, and covers the bare steering shaft when the wheel is telescoped outward.

Hope this helps.
 

Cutlass

Jedi Warrior
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Roger: Alternatively, as indicated above, and if you are quite bold, you can disconnect the harness from the trafficator. That requires partial disassembly of the trafficator. One of the main problems there is that the harness wires are attached in a very confined area to captured brass screws, which are free to slide out into a confined area if you are not very careful. If that happens, more disassembly is required, with more potential headaches.
 
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I remember pulling the trafficator and horn off. As stated above there are three allen screws on the side (seen in your photo). Push the wheel forward and pull the upper stator tube towards you. Accessed three screws through the silver plate (holes provided)on the upper stator tube and disconect the wires on the trafficator and horn. Marked all wires before removing and digital photo helped. The curved spring assembly comes apart but is easily put back (with the pins in the proper direction!). I did not need to remove the olive. It appears from your photo that you do have the adjustable tube.
Before you sell the Mota-Lita, drive with the original mounted. You may not like going back. The smaller gives more knee room for entering the car and I feel it is a more precise feel to the steering. The original is also remarkably thinner to grip and I even had a Moss leather cover to increase the thickness.
Thats why they make different flavor ice creams. We don't all like strawberry.
 

Cutlass

Jedi Warrior
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Roger: There is a great piece on trafficator repair referenced somewhere in the archives here. I would not attempt disassembling any part of the trafficator without reviewing that article and all its photos in detail. The article is very well written and illustrated.
 
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