Topic: Steering wheel stink!

[Angela]

I have long noticed that every time I opened the rubber-maid tote I had stored my 67 deluxe steering wheel in (during the car's restoration process), the smell was horrible! I thought it was the foam I had wrapped around the wheel to protect it. However, upon finally pulling the steering wheel out to put it back together, I noticed that even a week later it smells absolutely putrid. Further, I found these guys discussing the same smell from their collection of 60's vintage mustang steering wheels:

So what gives? How does one get rid of this stink? I simply cannot put the wheel in the car else the whole interior will be unbearable in a couple hours.

Am I better off buying a repro wheel to use, keeping the original for show? If yes, what is the difference between 65-66 and the 67 wood grain wheels? For years I have noticed advertisement that the 65-66 repro is "concours correct", while the 67 version never states the same.

[67gtasanjose]

67's are completely different and a 65 or 66 will not fit.

As far as the stink...I have no answer

[Mike_B_SVT]

Huh... I've been wondering what the deal was!  My wheel smell like... well, puke, and on hot days I'll get a whif of it occasionally.  Here I just figured that the PO had a few too many one night or something, and it never all got cleaned out of the nooks and crannies.  Heck, the key ring that came with the car had a bottle opener on it, and there has been a significant amount of sheet metal replaced on the car.  Hmm... he also owned a liquor store too!  Talk about an "Ah HA!" moment for me here... it all makes sense now!

[markb0729]

Try Nature's Miracle.  It's marketed to neutralize pet urine (works well) but I've used it on many smelly things with good success. If you can soak your steering wheel in it, I think that would be best.  May be worth a try.

Edit:  Here's a link, http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=natures%27+miracle&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=36911903987&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15948402224418533232&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_6w3lwdrrzt_e

[Angela]

I'm sorry to resurface this topic, but I've tried everything I can think of and nothing is helping to remove the horrible smell from my original wood grain steering wheel. There is simply no way I can put this wheel in the car, for fear the interior will then smell so bad I'll never be able to sit in the car.

What else can I do? I really don't want to buy a repro steering wheel, but is that my only choice? Do all original '67 wood grain wheels smell like puke? Or, is that an option, spend big bucks on another original and hope that one doesn't reek?

I thought about trying to apply some sort of varnish on the wheel to seal it and keep it from out-gassing. Has anyone tried such a thing?

[ragtop]

Just guessing, but the finishing material that Ford's supplier used on the wheels might be the culprit.  A little sunlight and the stuff probably loosens up and begins to smell like the wonderful things that are used to concoct those finishes.  It probably can't be washed away.  My son has a 69 SportsRoof that came to him with a wood wheel.  He had let the car sit outside and the wheel's finish began to flake off and discolor.  I actually removed the old finish with a stripper, sanded the wood and then refinished it with a very hardy clear verathane.  Worked great.

[NEFaurora]

My vote is the repro wheel made of a more modern different material that will not stink...  You should not get dinged for it by the judges..

)

Tony K.

[Mike_B_SVT]

My vote is the repro wheel made of a more modern different material that will not stink...

...as far as we know.  Who knows how the modern materials are going to hold up over 40+ years?  I'm sure the original designers didn't think thier steering wheels would eventually drive people to replace them because of the smell either. 
Or maybe the did plan it that way so that people would eventually buy new cars?  LOL!

[WT8095]

Digging around on the net, I'm finding a lot of references pointing towards Cellulose Acetate Butyrate being the culprit. It was commonly used for steering wheels and tool handles (think about the old nutdriver sets from the 70s). Apparently when the butyrate starts to decay, it forms butyric acid, which characteristically smells like rancid butter or vomit.

Theroetically sealing the wheel with shellac or more sophisticated things like polyurethanes should keep the stench at bay. Of course if it ever cracks and breaks the seal the stink will come out again...

One interesting decription here:

http://dwarmstr.blogspot.com/2013/02/why-toolboxes-and-tool-handles-stink.html

[67gtasanjose]

I took my wheel out of the box it is stored in the other day...It is an original wheel portion anyways, best of my knowledge...All I can say is:

"My sh*# don't stink"   

[yelostang]

Learned to drive on a 39 Chev with deluxe wheel. And yes, it DID have the Puke aroma.......nothing new.

[GT500KR]

One interesting decription here:

http://dwarmstr.blogspot.com/2013/02/why-toolboxes-and-tool-handles-stink.html
[/quote]

Interesting article!

[67gtasanjose]

I guess my used wheel hasn't had a chance to degrade enough to stink, it is NOT my original wheel, that one is long gone. It is a used wheel bought off the 'Bay about 10 years ago. I'll try and keep sun exposure to a minimum when the wheel comes "out of the closet".

I had a chance a few months ago to look at one of the reproduction wheels being offered first hand at the Columbus Oh Ford Only Swap meet. They arrived on the market about the same time I bought my used wheel. WOW! Am I am very happy I have a good used original wheel! The one I had my hands on was an EPIC FAIL! Just another one of those items you cannot figure out why they cannot get it right...USED/GOOD are (near) impossible, USED/RESTORED is about the best you can hope for but choose who does your restoring wisely based on experience of others...I've heard some horror stories about restorations of these wheels. 

Maybe somebody could post here a reputable restorer of these wheels.