Easy way to remove center emblem on rimblow steering wheel?

[jeff8877]

Hi everyone,

Is there a trick to removing the round plastic center emblem on the rimblow without screwing up the pad? Are they glued in?

Thanks Much

Jeff

 

[Kit Sullivan]

When I replaced mine I warmed it up in the oven with all the other trim removed (of course!). Then I just popped it out carefully with screwdriver.

I just manipulated the new one in with no tools by hand.

 

[72HCODE]

it isn't glued in but it was pushed in when the rubber steering pad was new. if you have a original pad then it will be very hard and could crack if you try to remove the pad.

Heat can be used. leave it out on a really hot day let the rubber get soft then pop the emblem out. option 2 they make reproduction pads. the emblem pops right into those since the rubber is all new and soft. I used repops since my original pad was shrunk and cracking.

you can also place the pad in a big pot of boiled water. you heat up a pot to boil, take it off flame. then dunk the pad under the hot water for about 30-60 seconds then try and pop the emblem out. the pad will warp a little but put it back into the water for 20-30 seconds and it will heat back to shape. then pop the new emblem in while the pad is still warm-hot. if warped again dunk it in the hot water again it will straighten out. I used that trick a couple of times on certain rubber parts that have inserts.

the best is just use all the new reproduction parts. they make everything for a rim blow.

the entire center pad with inserts and aluminum pieces they make repop, and of course the rimblow switch you can get repop.

 

[Boss1Ray]

the best is just use all the new reproduction parts. they make everything for a rim blow.

the entire center pad with inserts and aluminum pieces they make repop, and of course the rimblow switch you can get repop.

Best source for all these parts? Need really good quality parts.

THX

Ray

 

[jeff8877]

xxxxx

 

[72HCODE]

yes the foam will absorb water but then you let it dry out, i did it a few times you can also wrap it with a towel and then toss it in the dryer on low heat or air dry for a while i did that also. you can also put the pad next to a dehumidifier to help get the water out, the point of the whole thing is getting the new emblem in without ripping or cracking the original pad.

the problem with a hair dryer or heat gun is the heat is concentrated to one area and usually not deep enough into the material surface. a real hot day might be rare in your neck of the woods so for the sake of speed it is an option you can try.

I honestly didn't have any issues with the repops, the reproduction ford OEM tooling for the dash pad was a nightmare by comparison.

I'm sure there were different batches of the pads made i ended up with 2 and didn't have the problems don is describing. i guess i was lucky or another manufacture did take over at some point for me this was about 7 years ago now.

some lubrication will help push an emblem into the holder.

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If your pad is dried and hard -

Coat it with a light coat of Vaseline - put it in a plastic bag - put it away for a couple of weeks / month

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if you try this don't use Vaseline, use a product like Nu vinyl, it will hydrate rubber and vinyl and you can put coat a pad then put it in a bag, however it can get into the foam and cause problems later. the effects of restoration on rubber or vinyl with this method are temporary once removed from the bag. within hours the part will return to pretreated form.

people have started to use Orange hand cleaner to treat rubber products it will soften rubber and swell silicon for an extended period of time, however if applied over a couple of hours it can damage the item you are trying to restore. time till damage is hard to know especially if you only have one of something to try it on.

people have also attempted to use transmission or engine treatments that are designed to swell rubber seals obviously this is more dangerous.

try a hot day first combined with a hair dryer wear gloves get the rubber hot and pliable then try it. if that doesn't work think about the next step.

I've used the water trick for years. I mold my own plastic and rubber pieces for restoration work and custom designs as a hobby.

 

[72HCODE]

wait what happened to the thread? i see some posts are deleted?

don had a good post and i was commenting on my experience based on don's from OMS

don i didn't delete or edit anything here

 

[Kit Sullivan]

There are some pretty sophisticated and tricky techniques here: very impressive. I love this place!

I guess I was a lucky one: I simply ( and carefully!) pried my old, faded and hazed emblem out of the original pad on mine, slimed up the opening and the new emblem with some oil andmassaged it into place with no issues. That was back in 2000 or so, so that pad was already 30 years old at the time!

My only problem is that the red and blue paint on the "tri-bar" behind Trigger faded out to nothing in less than a year...on a garage-kept vehicle. Sometimes you don't know how crap-tastic a repro part is until looooong after it is installed.

Live and learn, right?

 

[72HCODE]

most of the repop stuff isn't UV stable.

some of the backing decals even used tameristic pigment paint that is the cheapest pigment and its suppose to be for temporary proofing, even the UV from a florescent light will fad the black and cyan pigment out of it.

one trick was on the horse emblem on the grill, i had one fad out on me within 6 months. i ended up returning it and i figured it was cause of the really cheap silkscreen they used so before i put the new replacement on I bombed it with UV protectant Clear coat. so far over 8 years its still kicking with red white and blue.

sometimes you get really lucky with the emblem replacement i tore one pad on my first attempt but it was ok because it was a rotted green pad and i wanted to use it as a test to see what would happen on the black pad i was going to use.