VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Installing '31 horn bushing in steering column

I have a new FS horn bushing (they have a 4' long wire) and I have the steering column (aka Mast Jacket) out of the car (but not the steering shaft/box etc). I am wondering what the best approach is to installing this stuff. My inclination is to lower the wiring into the column until it can be pulled out hole in lower part of column, and then slip column over shaft and push column into place on steerring box with the clamp loose. Once that is in place, then press bushing onto steering shaft and carefully into steering column. Sound OK?

Second question is just how far to push bushing into column. I see a dimple on column which I assume should align with the groove molded in bushing to prevent bushing from rotating, so how far down does it go, there does no seem to be any lip to prevent it going in or to bottom on.

I have a new horn buton from FS and have read the '30 service news article on bending the two horn wires slightly for better contact. What I am thinking is that one should press bush in so far, check that button wires engage properly, and if too far out, tap bush a little further until proper contact is made. Any other suggestions?

Finally, was there any grommet or similar item used to protect horn wire as it left steering column to meet main harness near steering box? seem to me the 3/8" dia hole in column should have a grommet?

I used a long threaded rod with washers and nuts to pull the bushing into place.
Sid

It is far easier to install the bushing in the mast jacket when not installed on the steering shaft. I use a large long socket and a couple of boards. Feed the wire down the tube and out the hole. Lube the bushing with soapy water and start to push it into the tube. You may have to sand off a little rubber to get it to start. There is plenty of rubber as some mast jackets have a larger ID than others and it takes some resistance to keep the bushing from rotating. Use one board on one end of the jacket to support it and the other on the bushing to push in the bushing until flush with the end. Now put the closed end of the socket against the bushing and push it further into the jacket. The bushing bottom should stop against the dimple but can be pushed past it particularly if the slot lines up with the dimple. The slots are there so the rubber can more easily compress and fit tight in the jacket. Measure the distance from the top of the mast jacket to the brass contact ring. Match that distance to the original bushing height. If you didn't measure the original distance no problem. Either use the legs of the horn ring or calculate the correct distance by measuring the length of the bushing and subtracting it from the distance from the end of the jacket to the top of the dimple. If you get the bushing pushed too far take a blunt ended broom stick and push it back. It is not recommended to pound on the bushing as it could damage the wire or brass contact.

I don't recall exactly how I did this but I do recall using some sort of lubricant on the bushing.

Thanks Chipper for such valuable advice. I will proceed as you suggest, and hopefully everything will go as planned. Glad I asked!

No grommet was used. There was a celluloid type of tube several inches long that the wire went through for protection were it came out of the hole on the mast jacket.

Yeh, If you think about it, during assembly at the factory, there was no time for adjustments. So the bushing just slides into the tube until it hits the dimple. Done. That distance is fixed and the same for all cars.

As Chipper said, the diameters of NOS and Replacement bushings vary a lot. If you get a particulary tough one, it will take some "persusasian" to get it into place. I think that you can use Armor All or soapy water or most anything else to do this... anything that doesn't eat rubber.

If you want to be "safe" you could add a short 1 inch piece of shrink tubing to the wire where it exits the tube. Then heat it with a hair dryer. This will add extra wear-protection and probably not be noticeable.

--Bill

I'll figure out something to protect the wiring at exit location, perhaps one of the above, find a grommet that fits the locale, etc. I have a couple of 1/2" grommets I bought from FS but did not need, may try one of those plus some shrink wrap.

I finished this job tonight. To get bushing in mast jacket, I started with a couple of taps with a wood block, and once started, I use my 4' carpenter's pipe clamp to press it the rest of the way. They do a superb job, and no banging on bushing. As Chipper suggested I used a large socket to get it fully recessed, again using the pipe clamp. As Bill suggested I put some heavy shrinkwrap on about 4" of the wire about 2' either side of the hole.

The bushing is sure a snug fit over shaft. Made a block of wood with a 3/4 hole in it and tapped mast jacket down into place on steering box. Have not sorted horn button fit yet, tomorrow I plan. Now steering is all assembled, seem a bit stiffer than it should be. Even with fron end jacked off floor, too stiff. May have to slack off the various ball sockets and do some fine tuning to the steering box adjustments. Wish I knew someone who knows just how to tune these parts so they are free to turn, and no slop.

[b][/b]Gunsmoke,
I have read this subject with great interest.
I will be doing the same horn bushing installation. I was wandering if you had any afterthoughts upon completing the bushing installation.
Also were there any problems removing the column mast. Seems fairly straight forward but you never know.
Lee,

My only additional advice would be to test fit the horn bushing to the steering shaft beforehand. As someone suggested, the bushing may need a slight reaming in order to make for a proper fit, perhaps a couple of thousands slack. When the bush is pressed into the mast jacket, it is a very tight fit, and that may cause the inside dia of the bushing to reduce slightly. As indicated above, the bushing was far to tight a fit to my steering shaft (making steering stiff), and I plan over the winter to remove the jacket again and see if I can eliminate the stiffness (reaming the bushing). It would possibly wear on its own over time, but the nylon bushing does not appear to be something that would wear easily.

There were a few bushings that escaped without checking the bushing ID. The nylon bushings do reduce in ID a teensy bit due to the heat of molding. They are all supposed to be reamed and checked before they leave the factory. We use a pristine section of steering shaft to check them. If you get one that escaped without reaming and checking then it will have to have that done to fit properly. The bushing should be a thumb fit on the shaft.

The outside diameter is supposed to be too large for the mast jacket. It needs to have enough crush so it will not turn in the jacket. Since jackets vary in ID we had to make the OD of the bushing large enough so it was okay with all mast jackets. Some may find that sanding a little off the outside of the "rubber" will make them easier to get in. I have installed in the smallest ID mast jacket without sanding. Tough to do but because of the two relief slots on each side they do go in.

Everyone that gets a new bushing should have received an installation instruction sheet. If you didn't get one email me (address is in my profile) and I can send you one.

I've been away for a few days and just got the information you've sent me. Thanks Gunsmoke and Chipper for the additional information on installing the horn bushing. With the information you have given me I should have all the information I might need. It looks like I'll be doing some pre assembly before actual job will be completed.I'll let you know how I make out. Again thank you very much for the info you've given me.
I did get a copy of the instructions from the FS but the additional info supplied will get me around any pitfslls in the replacement procedure.
Lee