Horn button assembly help needed.

[Wander]

Ok I'm driving myself crazy tonight...I am trying to reassemble my horn button and I can't figure out what I did wrong.

I've searched for a diagram or even a photo but no luck so far. I've got an early IIa "banjo" style wheel with the center push horn. I've got the new plastic in place and the center section back in place, I put the star shaped copper piece under the plastic part and the spring button under that. When I reattached everything the horn would not shut off so I took it all apart again and now I can't even get the spring button back in place-ughhh. I did notice the two black plastic washer like pieces are pretty worn but they are still intact.

What am I doing wrong and does any one have a diagram or picture of the way it is supposed to look?

[Wander]

Update, I got the assembly back together ,the loop that holds the connection was bent . I still can't get the horn to turn off however. When I hook everything up the center section of the wheel that holds the horn button is charged and so when I push that back onto the wheel the horn is charged. If it is the black plastic pieces that need to be replaced, what have you used for these-they are no longer available so I will have to find something else that works. Finally when I removed the assembly the first the majority of the black film like material that lined the back of he center section fell off, do I need to put something back in it's place? I am wondering if that film prevented the charged plate from making the connection and sounding the horn and now that it's gone the horn will just sound continuously. Obviously I baffled and a little embarrassed to get bested by a horn button!

[siiirhd88]

Power from a solid brown wire is always supplied to the horn itself. The horn button is the path to ground to complete the circuit. The brown with black tracer wire from the horn goes to a black wire attached to the center plunger of the horn button. The brass star is always in contact with the top of the center plunger. When you depress the button, the edge of the brass star contacts the mounting ring, which is grounded via the steering column. If you have any continuity between the brass center plunger of the button and the ring, the horn will sound.

On my button the insulator around the center rod of the brass plunger is shaped as a 'T', with the base tube insulating the center rod and the top flat ring insulating the spring from the mounting ring. There are no flat rubber washers.... If the spring contacts the mounting ring via a worn rubber washer or insulator the horn will sound.

Bob

Make sure the wire connector isn'tcontacting the mounting ring.

[Wander]

That's it Bob-what I am seeing as flat washers should actually be connected in a top hat type insulator so that the plunger post on the horn button won't make a connection when it is not pushed in. That picture helps me a lot-Thanks!

Now I just need to find a top hat shaped insulator that will fit the dimension and that I can get onto the post-this could be a challenge!

[siiirhd88]

'Top Hat' is a good description for the shape of the unsulator. You can probably make one out of a piece of rubber tubing and a flat piece of rubber. Glue them together with silicone or some other sort of adhesive. You could even turn one from plexiglas or other plastic, say from a cheap screwdriver handle.... Use your electric drill as a lathe, file and sandpaper to shape.... cut off with a hack saw...

Bob

[bkreutz]

You might give these guys a call http://riwire.com/ They've come up with some odd bits that I've needed over the years.

[Wander]

The lathe mention gave me an idea, do you think cork will work? I have a buddy that builds fishing rods and he has a small lathe for turning reel seats and cork grips. Cork is easy to work but would it insulate enough and hold up? The area in the center of the steering wheel is dry so moisture wouldn't be a problem.

[siiirhd88]

Cork would likely insulate OK but I'm not sure about its durability. I'd think it would dry out and crumble. See if you can use the lathe for other material...

Bob

[Wander]

The lathe should work for most materials-I could even turn some scrap wood he has from reel seats on fly rods. I might also try some EPS foam like the type used on salt water rods, that stuff would also be easier to work into that center hole and expand around it to hold itself in place but still compress enough to not get in the way of the button.

To get this on I will probably have to take the connection loop off the post, do you think a simple solder is sufficient to re-attach it?

[siiirhd88]

Yes, solder should be enough to hold the tab. The spring doesn't have that much tension on it.

The material of the top hat is ridgid, not soft enough to deform. The top hat is designed to remain in place as the button is depressed, you don't want it to move around.

If required I'll send you my horn button bits as I'll likely not need them.

Bob

[siiirhd88]

Is your horn back to working? I figured the the easy way to make the insulator is by using lexan plastic rod, 7/16" diameter for the base section and a 1" rod for the top. Just slice thin sections for each part and laminate them together with liquid glue. Drill the hole thru the middle when the glue is set and its ready to use.

Finding the 7/16" rod could be a problem, but a 12" length of each rod would supply a goodly number of insulators, which are only 5/16" thick.

Bob