'54 Merc Horn questions

[johnnybenchmd]

Thanks in advance for your patience. I am a newbie working with my dad on our first restoration project.
Our 1954 Mercury Monterey Convertible did not have a horn when we bought it, and trying to work backwards with the limited information in the repair manual and parts manual has been challenging, because not all the parts in the horn button assembly and none of the horn wiring was present.

1. Where was the horn relay originally installed? It was under the solenoid in the car we bought, but the wiring harness wires were not even close to being long enough to reach there. I was planning on mounting it on the firewall medial to the master cylinder.
2. It seems as if the horn button wire treads through the steering shaft. Where does the horn button wire exit the steering shaft? If I recall (from putting the steering shaft, column, and steering gear housing together and mounting it to the frame), there was not an exit point along the steering shaft other than the opposite end (which would put it in the steering gear housing).
3. It seems the horn button does not have the "floating plate" nor the foam pad. I'm pretty sure I can fabricate both (I will have to unless anyone knows a place to acquire either). Any advice on this?

Thanks everyone.

 

[miker98038]

If the 54 is like most old ford, it does come out the bottom thru the steering box. On the 55’s the horn relay is on the radiator support, left side. Not too bad (usually) to straighten a wire and push it down. Or vacuum a string up, tape the wire on, and gentle pull/push it down.

Can’t help with the button end.

 

[dmsfrr]

If the 54 is like most old ford, it does come out the bottom thru the steering box. On the 55’s the horn relay is on the radiator support, left side. Not too bad (usually) to straighten a wire and push it down. Or vacuum a string up, tape the wire on, and gentle pull/push it down.

Can’t help with the button end.

johnnybenchmd, just an example photo.
The hole may be covered with a layer or two of built up oily dirt.
.

 

[johnnybenchmd]

So I pulled the steering column, etc. and there is not a hole. This leads me to conclude that the steering box is not original. I’m not sure what to do at this point but I’m open to any suggestions.

 

[cokefirst]

from the shift indicator, it would appear you have a much later steering column than the one for the 1954 car. You will need to identify the column year, make and model and modify the horn circuit to meld the new and old parts. Another reason for LITFA!

 

[miker98038]

Coke’s right, first you need to ID the column. Does it have the turn signal mechanism in it and hooked up? As in working? If so there’s probably a horn wire coming out under the dash as part of the turn signal harness. Then is a matter of finding the right parts for the horn and running that wire to the oem relay location. Or whatever you want.

Is there a rag joint or splice between the column and the box? Lots of ways to change the box, so figuring out what was done would help too. Maybe more pictures. Might even get an answer out of the new social group section if someone recognized it.

 

[johnnybenchmd]

So I’ve been working through the problem and I’m pretty sure the steering column is stock and unmolested. Pictures of other ‘54 Mercs as well as the Manual of Chassis parts are provided. It came with an aftermarket turn signal. There is no rag joint or similar. The car is a Mercomatic, and I’m not sure that the column is the same for manual transmission’54s. If I’m still wrong about the column being accurate, please let me know as I’m open to learning.

I think the problem is that the steering gear box is not original, and the hole at the bottom just has a “plug”. My understanding is that the horn wire would have traveled through the steering shaft and then into a tube through the steering box before exiting out the bottom. The tube keeps the lube from draining out of the wire hole. Are these steering boxes designed to have a “plug” that can be removed and replaced with the plug with a tube? Clearly the plug metal is different than the cast box, and there are several threads on Jeeps that explain how to replace these tubes (picture of a tube also attached).

Thoughts?

 

[mercman from oz]

My friend owns this 1954 Mercury Monterey fitted with the rare Accessory Steering Wheel.

 

[johnnybenchmd]

I love it! That accessory option was a point of confusion for me until I discovered it was an option.

I hope his horn works

 

[mercman from oz]

Johnny, I asked Glen about hid horn. This was his reply:-
"It was working until this last trip, I went to blow it to someone & no horn.
Was working but only in one spot. Could either push or pull the ring."
So there you have it.

 

[54fordlover]

I put a Borgeson p/s box on my '54 and ran into the same problem. I found out that Lime Works makes a kit to bring the horn wire out the side of the steering column so it can run into the engine compartment to the relay.

 

[johnnybenchmd]

So in the end I just drilled a hole in the plug and made my own wire tube. I was able to thread to horn wire through. Hopefully it holds the grease in satisfactorily.