horn

Maclab58

Maclab58

Well-known member
I hooked up my horn today and it would spin really slow but not make any noise. I cleaned the armature and it spins faster but still no ahooga. whats my next step?
 
Using a screwdriver, turn the serrated adjusting screw , on top of the motor frame , in until it forces the armature ratchet washer to contact the diaphragm and you get the desired ooogah
 
Also oil the two felts on the motor shaft. One in front and one in the back. A couple drops and wait a little bit and then a couple more drops. Then spin the motor with electrical power. The speed should be quite fast now. Then adjust the horn for sound. Of course this is after you have put the cover back in place.
 
You also might remove the bell and diaphram to expose the the lower end of the aramature; clean wheel and relube; I like boat wheel bearing grease, it has a 450 drop point, doesn't dry out, and stays in place. Also lube the end of the diaphram post.

Ron
 
I had to rewind the coils to get mine to work. I used 20 gauge coil wire, picked up at a local small motor repair shop. I was able to buy enough wire to rewind 3 or 4 horns for five dollars. When uncoiling your coils note the direction and the number of wire wraps (mine was 44 turns). The coils are mirrored copies of each other and are wound in opposite directions. While your horn is apart, re-solder all connections and clean all copper contacts. Check the springs on the brushes, if they are to strong they can cause excessive friction on the armature.
 
Ron in Quincy said:
You also might remove the bell and diaphram to expose the the lower end of the aramature; clean wheel and relube; I like boat wheel bearing grease, it has a 450 drop point, doesn't dry out, and stays in place. Also lube the end of the diaphram post.

Ron
Click to expand...

And, when you reassemble the horn, be sure the diaphram is in the correct orientation, as the chisel point need to hit the ratchet wheel squarely in the valley.

Also, after screwing the motor cover back on you may have to adjust the horn since the cover screw may pull the motor frame a bit and make the horn sound different than without the cover.
 
Contact cleaner, or brakekleen will clean the commutator and brushes for better contact. Over oiling of the shaft can cause grime to build up on the commutator. Check the spring pressure on the brushes. I think the original sintered brass brushes are better than the replacement carbon brushes.
 
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