Dave :
I've done it (disconnect the wiring at the control head), but I don't
recommend it. To do it, you have to undo the bullet connectors under
the hood, and pull the wires back through the stator tube to get some
working room. Then you sit in the driver's seat and basically
completely disassemble the control head with it still attached to the
car, dripping small parts into your lap, etc.
Looking at the back of the head, there are three screws through the
bakelite part near the outer edge. Remove them and collect the face,
horn button, spring and spacer. Then turn the metal disc on the back,
so you can undo three more screws through the holes in the disc. Slide
the metal pivot assembly back up the wire.
Now, you'll see 6 brass nuts, with wires under 4 of them. To undo the
nut on the brown wire, you'll have to hold the matching screw head on
the horn contact. The other 3 should be on captive studs. Don't forget
to take out the screw from the horn contact, as otherwise it will fall
out at the most inopportune moment (Murphy's law).
Reassembly is the tricky part <g> Hint : use a magnetic screwdriver
plus needle nose pliers. Note that the ring terminals on the wires have
little tabs that are supposed to go into the holes in the head, so the
terminals can't turn on the studs and short out.
IMO A simpler approach is to drain the steering box, then take the head
loose, and pull the wires through the stator tube until the bullet
connectors touch the end. Then remove the gland nut and olive and pull
the stator tube out with the wires still inside it. (Support the
control head, and have a rag handy, in case the wires pick up some oil
coming through the steering box.) Now, instead of trying to pull the
steering wheel off the column, you can just take out the top bolt of the
clamp at the split in the inner column, and pull out the upper half with
the wheel still attached. You'll probably want to mark the clamp
position on the column, or else be careful to get the wheel centered
when you reassemble.
If you just need to move the car around, etc., you can simply stick the
steering wheel and column back into the clamp, without inserting the
bolt. But, don't drive the car that way ! Having the steering wheel
come loose in your hands can be a memorable experience !
Randall
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