Wood steering wheel

[rjkoop]

Going to try this method to remove the striped allen key bolts... on a bench vise so as not to damage the steering column...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyx-QoP3IsI

[spider2081]

When I look at the video it looks to me the screw he is removing was a torx to begin with.
I have found there is a difference in the quality of screw drivers and Allen wrenches, Sort of you get what you pay for. So first start with a good name brand and correct size proper tool. Its probably a little late but next with a sharp pin or scribe clean the well where the tool goes as good as your can. This is especially true if it is painted. remove all the paint so the tool can reach all the way in. Soak with penetrating oil like PB Blaster. If you have a Allen bit like in the video tap on it with a hammer as shown to seat it all the way in. I also like to put valve grinding compound on the sides of Allen wrenched to increase their bite. Valve grinding compound also works on screwdriver tips.

[rjkoop]

Got the hub removed from the old steering wheel and reinstalled on steering column. Next issue. The lip of the brass ring seems to be the exact same size as the lip on the hub.



I assumed the brass ring lip would fit into the lip on the hub. Am I doing this wrong? Should the lip on the brass ring fit inside or outside the lip on the hub?

Richard

[rjkoop]

So... had my wonderful wife come out to take a look and see if she noticed what I can do. She said 'Why don't you just not use the brass ring and everything should fit perfectly?'. Um.... she was right. Everything works perfect and the brass ring was probably used for other hubs.





With the tucked in bumpers, Ferrari style mirrors and the new steering wheel this is the look I wanted. Thanks goes to Autoricambi for the mirrors, and Allison Automotive for the steering wheel... And my wife for pointing out the obvious.

So I told her she should fix the Fiat up from now on and I'll watch the Young and the Restless, the Bachelorette and sip wine (oh, and the million other things she does when I'm outside)... She declined... thank goodness!

Richard

[shmoky]

Will a steering wheel from a 1975 fit a 1980?

shmoky

[vandor]

Yes.

[btoran]

Also, the problem with a nice new wood wheel is that you'll want to upgrade the dash wood immediately!

I found this out the hard way, but love the results:

....before


....after

[Exit98]

Bruce your interior looks beautiful.

[RRoller123]

+1. Covering the ash tray top and the vertical bit beside it adds a sense of flow to the wood installation. Very clever!

[btoran]

Thanks. I think they should all have come from the factory this way, but I'm biased.

The above picture is a bit old and needs updating (which I'll get to one of these days). Where the ashtray used to be shows just a piece of wood in the picture. Since then, I embedded a FIAT logo (from a key chain) flush into the face of the wood. I also swapped the stick shift knob for a wood one, which I finished in the same way as the rest of the wood (mohagony, with 2 different stains, and 12 coats of marine UV varnish).

Well, looks like today was the day for updating the picture, but will have to do it again when the car is clean.

here's what it looks like now......

[raysorm]

Installed new steering wheel - had a hex nut striped and use the video advice. worked like a charm and new wheel is in