steering box leak now a trickle - wheel won't come off

greetings all,
I'm new to this forum.
A couple of years ago I bought a MF 20c for $5,500. It's either 30 or 40 years old. And I have done some work on it, replacing hoses and such.
But now the steering box is leaking real bad. It was a drip but now it is a trickle coming out of the instrument panel. I want to remove the hydraulic box by removing the steering wheel and undoing the 4 lines attached lines so I can get it to the repair shop.
I finally was able to get the 1 1/4" nut off the steering column. But now the wheel will not budge. And it already has two cracked spokes from age.
Q: Should I try to use a gear puller? Or is it also threaded onto the column? I've sprayed it with PB Blaster to no avail.
Also, none of the gauges work anymore. Thought I would try to get them going as well if I can get the panel off.
Any advice or suggestions would be most welcome.
Thanks in advance!

You need to correct puller for that or your likely to damage the steering wheel. Depending on the steering wheel you maybe able to use a true steering wheel puller or you might need to use a pulley type puller

It's not threaded on, but either a splined or keyed shaft. A puller with a bearing splitter under is probably necessary, with some spacers to the metal hub, if it's like the wheel on our 40. Even then you may end up damaging
the plastic. Ours had a plastic tube around the shaft that extended up into the wheel base to keep the weather out. Had to destroy that tube to get at the underside of the wheel. Ended up breaking the plastic around the hub.
Came off with a heck of a pop. There is a post further down, think it's CaryC about 4 days back, on removing a steering wheel. Some adaptation and his procedure might be a good start.

There is a post further down, think it's CaryC about 4 days back, on removing a steering wheel. Some adaptation and his procedure might be a good start.

Click to expand...

Here's Caryc's post:

http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/viewtopic.php?t=1351031

(quoted from post at 13:40:33 04/16/18)

There is a post further down, think it's CaryC about 4 days back, on removing a steering wheel. Some adaptation and his procedure might be a good start.

Click to expand...

Here's Caryc's post:

http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/viewtopic.php?t=1351031

Click to expand...

As I said in my post...patience is the key. I soaked that wheel center in Amsoil MP three times a day for three or four days before I even put the puller on it. And, as I said, the puller was on it for 18 hours before it popped off. Using the flat side of the puller towards the wheel hub was the right way.

Or you can go incredible hulk on it like the guy in the link in my post and really screw things up.

I know of two men who ended up with injuries doing much the same thing on FE35 tractors . Broken fingers , strained back , lots of skin off . It really isn't worth it sometimes , unless you are trying to preserve complete authenticity cut a deep groove into the boss with an angle grinder, crack it open with a cold chisel and be done with it .

(quoted from post at 00:47:34 04/17/18)
I know of two men who ended up with injuries doing much the same thing on FE35 tractors . Broken fingers , strained back , lots of skin off . It really isn't worth it sometimes , unless you are trying to preserve complete authenticity cut a deep groove into the boss with an angle grinder, crack it open with a cold chisel and be done with it .

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X2 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Chances are you probably could use a new steering wheel anyways.

(quoted from post at 00:47:34 04/17/18)
I know of two men who ended up with injuries doing much the same thing on FE35 tractors . Broken fingers , strained back , lots of skin off . It really isn't worth it sometimes , unless you are trying to preserve complete authenticity cut a deep groove into the boss with an angle grinder, crack it open with a cold chisel and be done with it .

Click to expand...

Patience is a virtue. Some people have it and some just plow through things with force. I don't seem to have any of those injuries that you mentioned.

You obviously have more finesse than than those men Caryc

I hurt my knee trying to pop the wheel off my TED , if you sit with your knees under the wheel you can often lift them by pushing upwards . But then some are just about welded on with rust, and some are actually welded on after the stem was butchered, as in the video you posted !

(quoted from post at 13:44:43 04/17/18)

You obviously have more finesse than than those men Caryc

I hurt my knee trying to pop the wheel off my TED , if you sit with your knees under the wheel you can often lift them by pushing upwards . But then some are just about welded on with rust, and some are actually welded on after the stem was butchered, as in the video you posted !

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And I didn't have to buy a new steering wheel either. :wink:

SUCCESS! I bought a 3 jaw puller from Harbor Freight. It just did fit as the wheel hub is kinda convex. I had sprayed it previously with PB Blaster and I have it another shot. Put the puller in place and tightened it with a ratchet VERY SLOWLY one click at a time. After thinking it would break first I found what I believe to be a ball joint separater. Had it for decades and never remember using it before. So I gently tapped it, moving it around the hub and it popped loose. Now I'm waiting for the Gunk spray to clean all the crap off the instrument wires so I can disconnect them. For a carpenter I make a heck of a mechanic. Thank you gentlemen for your support.

(quoted from post at 14:53:11 04/18/18) SUCCESS! I bought a 3 jaw puller from Harbor Freight. It just did fit as the wheel hub is kinda convex. I had sprayed it previously with PB Blaster and I have it another shot. Put the puller in place and tightened it with a ratchet VERY SLOWLY one click at a time. After thinking it would break first I found what I believe to be a ball joint separater. Had it for decades and never remember using it before. So I gently tapped it, moving it around the hub and it popped loose. Now I'm waiting for the Gunk spray to clean all the crap off the instrument wires so I can disconnect them. For a carpenter I make a heck of a mechanic. Thank you gentlemen for your support.

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Congrats, glad you got it off in one piece.