VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 1941 horn

I continue to have problems adjusting the horn ring on my ”˜41 special deluxe. After following the manual instructions several times I still end up with a horn that honks on its own at the least opportune time. Is there a way to install a horn button from a Master in my Special Deluxe steering wheel, or should I find a Master steering wheel and install it?
Thanks,
Sid

Don't give up just yet. Look further and try to find the annoying cause for the inadvertent blowing.

Can it be in the wiring or the pad' Is it adjusted correctly? Is the mast adjusted correctly? (not sure that the mast height will make a difference or not. I acquiesce to better knowledge on this suggestion.)

I'm having trouble with the grey car's horn blowing whenever I make a turn. I haven't looked at it yet but I think it is just a matter of the adjusting screws being a bit too tight.

Best.

Charlie

If the horn blows when the wheel is turned, you need a new bushing in the steering column. The bushing wears most in the straight position.

Are you saying that a worn bushing is the sole cause of a horn blowing when the steering wheel is turned.

If so, then I have a NOS one and it will be an easy fix, even so.

Thanks,

Charlie

In my case, the bushing was good but the wire from the bushing, down the column, had become frayed and would make contact sometimes while making a turn.

We’ve got the steering wheel off, and I’ve ordered a new bearing. How do we get the old bearing out? Thanks, Sid

My experience with this task was on a ”˜46 Chevy 1/2 ton truck, which may or may not be the same or similar to your car. I had to remove the column (tube) from the steering gear and dash mounting bracket, then slide the column (tube) upward and completely out of the cab. In your case there may or may not be enough clearance to avoid hitting the headliner? I then used a broom handle to lightly tap the bushing out from the top end.

Thanks Blue, we’ll check it out.
Sid

You really don't want to mess with removing the steering wheel mast (column tube), doing so will cause you to remove the transmission shift linkage which is very hard to re-align. Most shifting problems come from alignment issues with the linkage. The best way to remove the bushing is just to tap the edge of the bushing with a regular screwdriver and hammer up. Keep working the edge that rests against the mast up until it pops the whole assembly loose. You can see what a new assembly looks like in the attached pictures. It contains new bearings so don't worry about damaging anything just pry it all out.

Good luck, Mike

Sid
Do as Mike suggested. The differences in my experience were the truck has a floor mounted shift linkage and the column was needing to come out for additional repair, painting and other interior tasks during restoration.

We replaced the bearing, and after considerable adjusting, the horn ring works properly. Thanks for all the input guys. Sid

Congrats,

Of all the accomplishments I have had restoring my 41 getting the horn to sound tops the list. I bet I have over 40 hours trying to figure the thing out. I love to beep it whenever I am showing off the car.

Best wishes, Mike

I had the same problem with my '41 horn - would start blowing any time I turned the wheel all the way to the left or right and would not stop until I popped the hood and disconnected the wiring. Finally got the ring below the horn adjusted just right to cure the problem. It's a very delicate adjustment. Too much (even a quarter-inch) and the dang thing blows when a butterfly flits by. Too little and it won't blow at all. Just takes a lot of patience and experimentation.