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I bought one of the German 'uprated' water pumps which has an outlet
plug that is the wrong size and leaks. I tried all my usual go-tos:
teflon tape, JB weld, threadlocker, even brazing--which ruined the
seal--and none of them sealed and held. Eventually, at the
suggestion of our own Steven K. I tried Permatex 'Seal and Lock'
which both sealed the leaks and secured the plug. I haven't tried it
on steering wheels, but I think it worth a try (NFI)<br>
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<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Permatex-THREADLOCKER-SandLK-1-18OZ-Industrial-Sealants/131196196?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0">https://www.walmart.com/ip/Permatex-THREADLOCKER-SandLK-1-18OZ-Industrial-Sealants/131196196?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0</a><br>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 4/8/2026 5:35 PM, JSARCH wrote:<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The
most likely reason the steering wheel cracks come back is
because the steel ring inside the plastic is continuing to
rust and expand. Eventually the steel will rust through and
the steering wheel will fall apart. I stored my BT7 steering
wheel while restoring the rest of the car. When I started to
restore it, it fell apart as if it was filled with dust. You
may have observed this same process when you see cracked
concrete with rust marks around the cracks. For safety’s
sake, I don’t recommend restoring steering wheels.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">
Healeys <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:healeys-bounces@autox.team.net"><healeys-bounces@autox.team.net></a> <b>On
Behalf Of </b>Michael Salter<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, April 8, 2026 12:13 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:healeys@autox.team.net">healeys@autox.team.net</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Healeys] Steering wheel repair<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%">Many years
ago, I repaired the large cracks in the original steering
wheel of my Phase 1 BJ8 by grinding them out with a Dremel
and filling the cracks with JB weld. After sanding and
repainting with epoxy gloss black it looked great however,
after a few years, more cracks appeared at the interface
of the JB Weld and the original plastic from which the rim
was molded. Back then I replaced the original wheel with a
shiny new Motolita wood-rim wheel, with which I was never
completely happy, and all was good, sort of.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%">I am now
faced with having to do the same type of repair on the
original wheel from the BN2 which I am currently
restoring.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%">Before
starting with the JB Weld process again I thought I should
do a little research to see if I could find a filler
material which would form a stronger bond with the plastic
rim material.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%">Gemini told
me that the rim was made of Bakelite but I was not
convinced. Bakelite is a “thermoset” plastic which, when
heated, does not melt. A simple experiment quickly proved
that the rim plastic was a thermo-plastic material because
it easily melted and could be deformed when heated and
again unlike Bakelite it dissolved in acetone.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%">I have done
some Googling and it seems that it’s very likely that the
plastic used for molding the rims was Tenite™ cellulose
acetate. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%">Does anyone
know for sure what the original steering wheel rims were
made from?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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