Two questions

F

fordfrank

Junior Member
Hi guys,
I've posted a couple of questions the past few days and gotten great support. Now I have two new questions that I hope someone out there can help me with.
I have a wiring harness for my lighting system that runs down the steering column. To install it I need to remove the horn button in the center of the steering wheel. How do I do that? Don't want to break anything getting the center button (horn) off.
#2 - I need a new ammeter. Best place to get one?

Thanks for all the help.

BYW, for the first time in many years, today my model A fired up and I was able to drive it down the driveway. One step at a time but this was a big one.
 
It's been a while but I think you remove a C shaped clip on the base of the column afer you remove the bail that holds the wire detent on. This allows you to pull the horn potton and rod out. Easy on an open car.:)
 
Thanks Roadster62! I was in need of the horn button removal tip as well. The horn never stops so I'm chasing down where the ground is happening.
 
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If it is on a closed car you also need to remove the steering column support clamp and unbolt the box from the frame so you can drop the column down to get the horn rod out of the column. I don't remember but you might have to remove the pitman are too
 
:pAmmeter buy a orginial restored by Doug Bruce and or Dan Bixby [on ebay phoncon] i think Dan sells them at $49.95 ??? I don't know about repro's .Check with Bert's too for a orginial ..:D
 
If the horn never stops, it might be THE HORN and not the button. Many repro horns are wired to fire off whenever they are GIVEN voltage, not when ground is presented as in the Model A.
Hot voltage is given to the horn at all times on the Model A.
 
I guess the other guys are way smarter than i , What wiring harness runs down the column, if it is a stock wiring harness you do not need to take out the column, you do not even have to take out the horn rod, just unclip the horse shoe clip, twist the egg apart you will see the contact point for all the wiring, you will being the entire harness right Thur this lower half of the egg, just install your new one at this starting point Aline the groove and reset the clip and of course connect the other ends, hope this is what your taking about AL
 
Read my post sounds like im being a smart butt, but not these guys are smarter than i but just dont know of any wiring like what your talking about al
 
Hi Allen,
Read his question again. He says he is INSTALLING a harness down his steering column. Its certainly not as found on an original Model A, but its what he says he is doing for whatever reason. I question at this moment that is ncecssarily the ground routing or horn button since he might have a repop horn that is wired for power GIVEN to it to activate rather then GROUND to an always hot system.
 
OK now i understand, you can keep the original setup, Just run a rely you can get this at auto zone it is a four prong relay, hook one wire hot to the relay and one ground from the horn wire, when you push the button the ground will contact the relay and send either hot or ground (you decide) to the horn this is neater and very small, i would draw a diagram but not that good on the computer yet ,
 
fordfrank said:
Hi guys,
I've posted a couple of questions the past few days and gotten great support. Now I have two new questions that I hope someone out there can help me with.
I have a wiring harness for my lighting system that runs down the steering column. To install it I need to remove the horn button in the center of the steering wheel. How do I do that? Don't want to break anything getting the center button (horn) off.
#2 - I need a new ammeter. Best place to get one?

Thanks for all the help.

BYW, for the first time in many years, today my model A fired up and I was able to drive it down the driveway. One step at a time but this was a big one.
Click to expand...

If you unclip the bail wire the light switch & horn contact will pull straight down from the steering column. Twist the cover and pull to seperate the cover over the harness. If you have an original horn that always blows you can remove the screw on the horn cover and pull the grounding wire out of the horn terminal clip. If the horn still blows check the brush holder screws to see if a small insulating washer is missing. Both screws and brush holders need to be insulated from the horn motor frame. Can you post a picture of your horn?

If you need to remove the horn rod you can slide a yardstick through the steering wheel to hold light pressure on the horn button. Then you need to push up on the light switch spider and remove the small C clip. The spider is located at 6 & 12 o'clock position when the handle is down at 6 o'clock position.
 
Thanks for the help on the blowing horn, pretty sure it is original (photos attached, I hope :confused:). Think the horn button is grounding all the time.

1) I removed the ground wire (yellow/blue) horn stops.
2) I remove the light switch from end of steering column, horn stops.

Check continuity from end of horn switch button (center of exposed light switch) and ground and 0 ohms so my conclusion is the horn button is grounding, the button does move up and down easily. I am not sure what to take apart to test or what and where to look inside the column to button for a possible short to ground. Any help.
 

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You'll have to remove the horn rod and then remove the wire inside the rod. Good chance it's touching ground, probably due to old worn insulation. I haven't replaced that wire myself, but I think you need to bend the horn button tabs to remove the wire. You may also have to drill out the wire on the bottom end, then solder the new wire to the bottom end, which will fill the drilled hole.
 
OK not hard, First unscrew the steering column support to all allow the column to drop a bit,. SLOWLY pull out the horn rod. BE CAREFUL Do NOT bend it at the roof, if you do this slow it will work, You will need to bend the tabs under the button to remove the horn button and be careful don't break them, Then UN Solder the base of the horn rod and you can get the Ferrel out and the wire, replace the wire and the little Ferrel with solder, there will be instructions and it is very easy,, they reverse the process and put it back in, i would also lube the horn rod when you insert it. that should do it, and just go slow, had to do it last month and made a world of difference,
 
try one thing first then go for what the guys tell you, unclip the egg , look at the horn rod right at the end their is a insulator which will dry rot, if the insulator is gone the horn will short to ground, i fixed my by wrapping cotton thread around it, then sliding heat shrink over the rod and heat it up with a small torch or lighter, after all done you will have a nice insulator, if yours is in great shape the follow the others advice good luck AL
 
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