Steering wheel centerpiece

Walt-LA

Anyone had experience removing (and replacing) the plastic centerpiece in the steering wheel from its metal housing? Appears to be riveted or perhaps held by drive screws. Would like to replate the housing. THANKS, Walt-LA

Unknown

What year and model are you asking about?

Walt-LA

Dave,



'51 Hornet, Walt-LA

[Deleted User]

Walt , If it's a true 51 all you have to do to replace the center medalion is pry up the three retaining clips and it comes off. However,if you try to remove a later model Hornet medalion from late 52 and 53, then you have another problem. those models used a plastic stud that was heated and flattened onto the diecast trim ring. Those are a little bit trickier to do. First you grind down the flattened plastic stud and then during re installation you use small sheet metal screws to replace the ground off stud. It sounds more complicated than it really is just take your time.

Walt-LA

Hudzilla, THANKS! I was looking at a medallion which came with a '52 steering sector that I bought for the steering wheel. It has the studs that you mentioned, though I thought they were metal like the pin which holds the indicator needle.I popped my '51's, and as you pointed out, it does not have the studs. Since the car a driver, I'm trying to get around losing its use while dash and steering parts are being plated. And so looking at other sources.



I notice that the housing for the hydromatic indicator is also slightly different, not just the range indicator- and think the horn ring may be as well, but don't have the '51's off for comparison.



Again, thanks, All. Walt-LA

[Deleted User]

Walt, Actually the hydromatic selector indicator housing is the same for the the models you mentioned ,but for one difference. The pilot hole drilled on the underside of the indicator housing can be in one of two different spots. The one spot is directly in the middle of the "saddle" . The other is slightly off center. Dosen't really matter but it's one of those weird Hudson observations.Horn rings for all the 50-53 Hornets and Commodores were the same.The plastic indicator came in three flavors: Hydra-Matic Drive. Dual Range Hydramatic Drive ,and blank!

Walt-LA

Hmmm. The two housings which I have carry different part numbers: 306977 is from a dual range hydro in a '52 Hornet and is also marked PMC 2. Another housing with part no. 306377 is supposedly from a '51 and is marked PMC 1. They differ in the following ways: On the '52, there is a raised hemisphere in the housing that is located in the inlet on the lower right facing fom the back. It is cast into the metal and has a diameter of

3/16" - 1/4" . On the left, again facing from the rear, the inletting is different. The deeper slot is shorter for the "52. The bulb access ports have the same thread, but the outside dimensions are different. The '51 is flatter and of a larger diameter. Don't know what the hemisphere might do. But the difference in the inletting might prevent switching from one type hydro to the other. Dunno. Pilot holes are in the middle of the saddle in both, but are closer to the rear edge.



On the steering wheel medallion. I trimmed the retainers which hold the plastic insert to free it up. As, I had thought, the retainers were metal , probably lead, as it was soft enough to trim with a knife. These may have been pressed into the pot metal housing when the part was assembled. I think rather than trying to tap what remains of the soft posts, I'll make extensions for the clips that hold the housing onto the steering wheel- so that they do double duty - more like the '51 design. Walt-LA

[Deleted User]

Walt, Sounds like one of those housings is from a' 54 {306977} The other is from the 51-53 models {306377} That's what may be causing a descrepency.PMC 1 is the right one for the 51-53. PMC 2 is the 54 casting. The PMC 1 had about 3 or 4 different numbers for the 51-53 series depending where the hole was drilled on the saddle but will all interchange.

Walt-LA

Hudzilla,



THANKS, I'll go with the PMC 1. PMC 2 was in a '52, but I can tell someone had been into the shift linkage (messed up splines on the shift rod upper end. .) So probably changes some things around. Again, Thanks, Walt-LA