Still waiting for my coupling to get tapered, I took the opportunity to take a breath and get the dash area cleaned up.
My new used flywheel showed up and looks great. I never knew if you lube a tapered flywheel it will crack it. Good thing Boomer told me that or I would have probably cracked the new one too.
I didnt really have a good day in the shop trying to get the steering wheel off. the wheel was already broken and held together with JB weld but it is more broken now. I was left looking at the metal hub inside the wheel stuck on to the keyed shaft.
I put the puller on it, no go.
Puller with heat, nope.
Soaked it with atf/acetone overnight, puller, heat, hammer, nope.
Heat and quench then puller, heat and hammer, nope.
So I just cut it with a cut off wheel and it pulled off. I found out that the shock from the hammer hitting the puller broke the needle off of my ammeter gauge
that sucks.
I also found out that this is a tough little area to work on. the control levers don't want to come out. it looks like the handles need to come off and that is not happening. they are super old and would probably fall apart under any kind of twisting. So I figured I'll cut the decal and sneak it around the steering shaft and levers.
Removed the old sticker, de-greased, sanded, painted black, clear coated dash area.
I repaired the ammeter with a bit of plastic (because the needle was in 3 pieces). Jb weld again to hold the new needle in place. Then JB weld the whole thing together. I also left the glass piece on top of a rag with wax and grease remover and the rubber gasket expanded so it wouldn't fit in the gauge anymore. One of those times when everything I touch goes to crap.
Moving forward I put the decal on the dash finally. It went on okay, some bubbles but pretty good and looks so much better. Black paint underneath is a must because it is so hard to line up all those holes and seams in one go. the throttle/choke slots would have looked off if it was not black underneath.
I have a plan for an oil pressure warning lamp on the dash which will run off of a signal inverter so when the low pressure switch goes open the lamp will turn on. I have a hole in the dash so why not.