Momo Steering Wheel

That old janky wheel had to go. I guess I've been spoiled driving newer cars with those nicely leather-wrapped steering wheels. And since this MRtwizzle didn't have power steering, the need to have a nice wheel is top priority.

First I had to inspect the goods to make sure everything is there...

I picked up a Momo Jet steering wheel off some guy on Craigslist (Thanks Craig! You are the best!). It came off an E36 M3. I guess he had a recent scare and decided to get the airbag back. Its a nice wheel. Its 350mm which is a perfect diameter and fits nicely with those sport notches. The carbon fiber inserts near the thumb areas are a nice touch too.

I also ordered a steering wheel adaptor online. And just like an idiot, I decided to dig deeper in the pocket and ordered some riceboy pedals that ended up not fitting (more on that later). You can also see the extra adapter from an E36 M3 (on top of the brochure) and the new oxygen sensor (far left). The check engine light flickers like a disco light so I thought I might as well drop a new O2 sensor in there. Inspection photos below.




Anyhow, on to the dorky DYI stuff. Here is a quick photo of the old steering wheel. Notice the how the leather looks like it has a bad case of eczema. Seriously, I don't know what Colin (previous owner) did to this car. The entire car is pristine but yet the steering wheel looks like it had gone to hell and back.




First I had to remove the cover. Its held in place by a lonely screw towards the bottom of the steering wheel. To gain easier access, I turned the steering wheel 45 degrees and approached it from the side.





After the screw is out, it was easy enough to just reach back there and pull the up towards me.



And just like my daughter would say it, tah dah!



There you can see the center bolt that holds the steering wheel in place. It shows better in the second photo.



So now I should be able to undo that bolt and yank the steering wheel off right? Wrong! Not only was it a PITA, I also didn't want to risk breaking my pretty nose (which my daughter loves to squeeze and hear me say "honk"). I had to take a 30 minute timeout while I drove out to Autozone and pick up a steering wheel puller. So bolt out, steering wheeler in place, and voila! Steering wheel comes out.






Before I could install the new steering wheel, I had to put on the MOMO adapter made specifically for the AW11 MR2. I also had to snip the ground lead (green wire) off the old wheel and rigged it on the adapter so I can get the horn working. Notice the rubber accordion boot that came with the steering wheel adapter.



And here is the finished product after the install. The hex screws that came with the steering wheel weren't long enough to hold the carbon fiber cap around the horn button. I went ahead and skipped it for now but i'll have to look for longer screws later--maybe I'll find some from work. Also, I should have marked the top position of the steering wheel hub so it would have been easier to alight the steering wheel. It ended up being 10 degrees off and it looked hella dumb during the test drive. Taking it off and realigning it wasn't too bad but I could have easily saved that time by making a quick mark.



This mod didn't add any HP but at least it keeps my hands free of leather splinters as I fight my way around turns :-)

Something about finding boxes in your front steps when you get home

So 2 out of 4 packages arrived this week.   Now its time to get busy.   I drove her a couple time to work last week.   She ran pretty good but she is long overdue for tune-up and maintenance.

I picked up a Momo Jet steering wheel on Craigslist for $160 and which came with a E36 BMW M3 adapter.   I ordered the MR2 adapter from LTB Motorsports (good and fast service) and also picked up a set of Momo DNA pedals to get the free shipping.   The cat converter and gasket kit should be arriving today.

Below is a photo of the momo gear including the O2 sensor.

Its official!

They say you become practical very fast once your start your own family.   And money gets really tight too esp. when you have montessori tuition to pay and college funds to save up for.   So for now, I've given up the expensive sports car and cruise around in a minivan.   But I still have to have a toy.   So what does this man do?

I just signed the papers today and I am now a proud owner of a 1986 Toyota MR2!

This car has been sitting in my neighbors driveway for the longest time.   I've been bugging him to sell it to me but he is pretty attached to it.   Unfortunately (or fortunately for me) he recently moved and he didn't have space in his new house.   After going back-and-forth for a week, we decided to seal the deal at $1300.   I'll have to update quite a bit of stuff since this baby is now 23 years old.    But overall, she is in great condition, and considering her age, I think she can still keep up with the best of them. :-)

I'll keep this blog updated as I fix her up.   For now, here are some of the things I have planned for her:

1. General tune-up.  Change oil, plugs, wires, and cap.  Also various filters that are probably a few years old.

2. Replace the catalytic converter.   I took it to the shop the other day and it failed CA smog test.   An old cat converter is the likely culprit and possibly a bad O2 sensor since the check engine light turns on intermittently.

3. Replace hoses and cap that goes on the coolant overflow canister.  Also, flush and replace coolant.

4. Fix oil leak around timing belt and valve cover area.

5. Fix leak around driver side axle.

6. Redo suspension with possibly some nice coilovers.   She still turn corners pretty tight but I can tell the ride is getting a little tough.

7. Replaced worn out steering; found a nice momo wheel for sale on CL already.   Might pick this up tomorrow.

8. Get front and rear bumpers repainted.   This baby has got to have back--and front too ;-)

And who knows... I can tell this is going to be a never ending project!