Horn Rod Install Question

Jerry McConnell

Jerry McConnell

Member
My Model A was missing the light harness and all the hardware when I got it. I ordered the horn repair kit and plan to install a new light wiring harness in the next few days. I removed the horn rod and it was packed with grease below the button area at the steering wheel. I see some copper contacts, are there any other components that go into the steering wheel area before I install the rod? Should it have been packed with grease? Jerry
 
the steering box should have 600w oil in it. However, because of the grease fitting through which the 600 should have been pumped, many folks misunderstood and pumped the box with grease. If they way over pumped it, grease ends up in the steering column. I have seen other cars with grease pumped so far that it was under the horn button, but never a Model A. Its hard to imagine how it would get through unless the rod was loose enough. But after 80 years there's no end of weird mechanical tales on old cars. You might want to check the steering box to see if its full of grease. If it is, the steering will be harder than it could be if it were filled with 600w, or (these days) Penrite steering grease which is a 1200 weight liquid lubricant that tends to leak out less easily than 600. If your box is full of grease, you'll have to take it apart to clean it out.
 
There shouldn't be any grease under the horn button. The copper you found is a bushing to help keep the light rod from turning when the wheel is turned, though I couldn't get my repro horn rod to fit through with the bushing in, and the rod still doesn't turn without it.
 
700rpm said:
There shouldn't be any grease under the horn button. The copper you found is a bushing to help keep the light rod from turning when the wheel is turned, though I couldn't get my repro horn rod to fit through with the bushing in, and the rod still doesn't turn without it.
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the repro rods must have the top 1/2 inch filed to a smaller diameter to fit without turning. File them small enough and you can get the copper bushing on too. I asked the manufacturer ( a great fellow in Grants Pass) why the rods were larger diameter than original. It seems the original size round stock is not available. The stock he can get is whats available at a fair price. Being aluminum, its easily filed or sanded down a few thousandths to fit. It would be nice , though, if there were instructions with the rod or in the catalog. You can also drill out the inside diameter of the steering shaft.
 
pat in Santa Cruz said:
the repro rods must have the top 1/2 inch filed to a smaller diameter to fit without turning. File them small enough and you can get the copper bushing on too. I asked the manufacturer ( a great fellow in Grants Pass) why the rods were larger diameter than original. It seems the original size round stock is not available. The stock he can get is whats available at a fair price. Being aluminum, its easily filed or sanded down a few thousandths to fit. It would be nice , though, if there were instructions with the rod or in the catalog. You can also drill out the inside diameter of the steering shaft.
Click to expand...

Thanks Pat. That's good info. I'll do that on my next one, but the current install seems to be working without the bushing.
 
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