VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 horn assembly

The horn on the 52 Fleetline I just got does not work. I found the plastic ring broken into three pieces in the glovebox. Because I have never seen the horn assembled properly I do not know which parts I am missing. I do not have insulated bushings or a spring... just the broken plastic ring, a concave metal disk, three screws and the cap.

Can anyone give me some guidance on the parts I need to get the horn working again and/or an assembly diagram?

FYI, the horn works when I short the screws to the column so electrically I'm fine.

Thanks,
michael

You need to find yourself a shop Manual for the car Faxon literature advertizes in Hemmings Motor news along with several other vendors. So I would suggest sending in your $30 or $35 to join VCCA ,whichever it is now, go to VCCA.org the sign up forms are there, and while you are waiting a couple of months for the subscription to the G & D to kick in, go down to a magazine store and buy the current copy of Hemmings Motor News and read all the good information in the issue.

When you figure out what you need, try posting an ad in the parts wanted section. Ebay is also a great source for parts, fast.

Thanks, guys. I have a shop manual on order from Filling Station and hope it will have such detailed info.

I'll try to be nicer to the Chevy than I was to the ****... I'm older and wiser now.

michael

The pictures shown are for 1941-48--1949-52 different.
Sounds as if you need the three insulator bushings wich are tied together with plastic --also brush/spring that goes thru the wheel -and the plastic tube that it fits into.
There is not picture of it in my 1929-53 parts book or 1949-53 shop manual.

The parts order is in the cutaway drawing at the 9-8 page of the workshop manual, in the steering chapter(9). What it doesn´t teach is the adjustment you have to do. By tightening or loosening the screws you get the proper sensitivity in the horn ring. I´m using now a brush from an older **** steering horn ring.You can look for many applications for the parts, as they mostly were not chevy exclusives.
Pay attention that the proper scheme is the lower one in the page. The other is for the standard wheel.

The parts you need can be obtained from National Chev Assoc out of St. Paul, MN. Nationalchevyassoc.com or phone 651-778-9522.
New or used parts are available. Ask for their catalogue. They only deal in 1949 thru 1954 Chevy parts.

I found this website wich has been very helpfull during my restoration of my 52, the 50 to 52 are the same so take a look it should have just what you need.
http://1951chevymanual.web1000.com
hope this helps

In case anyone is interested, I found pictures that were helpful:

http://1946_54chevys.250free.com/49sg11.htm
-and-
http://1946_54chevys.250free.com/49sg14.htm

michael

I finally got all the parts I need now... the plastic ring, the spring, and the screw insulators. Once again, I am looking for the proper schmatic as an installation guide. What I cannot see in any of these pictures is whether the concave metal disk is installed with the concave section facing up or down, and what I do with the metal ring that only completes about 4/5 of a full circle. My guess is that the metal ring snaps into the plastic ring, but then it blocks the installation of the three screws (I think). Help.

michael

As I stated a while back-I know of no pictures of the horn parts for the 1949-52 Deluxe model .
Going from memory this is how they should line up.

The plastic "tube" is inserted into the hole in the steering wheel.The contact is inserted into the tube -contact has the coil spring in the center-lower "brush" rides on ring of column.(horn bearing).Next the flat diapragm spring is installed with the center raised part toward the top.The round plastic pivot with 3 half circle outter cut outs goes nextWhen the ring is depressed this ring makes the flat spring ground on the inner part of the steering wheel-so these areas must be bare metal -no paint etc..The horn ring is laid on top.The thin plastic ring with the 3 bushings drops in -cutouts in pivot lining up with bushings and 3 holes in horn ring.,...Wire ring sits under screw heads.Insert screws and tighten till horn ring is fairly firm-if too tight the horn will blow..

There is a cut-away picture in the 1949-53 shop manual but seperate parts are difficult to see.

Is the horn operational???

The horn is operational if I use a key or screwdriver to short it out.

I think I figured out why I can't get the horn assembled though... the guy who had the car before me apparently removed the steering wheel and lost some parts. I'm missing the coil spring that installs between the horn ring and the steering wheel, so there's no tension pushing everything including the flat diapragm spring up and allowing movement with tension. I don't know what its called or where to find it. Any suggestions? Also, can I get a steering wheel puller at the local parts store or do I need something special for old cars?

michael

The part that drops into the hole in the steering wheel????Thats the contact--has a lower brush that contacts the rim of the horn bearing-top will contact the diaphragm spring-has coil spring in the middle to keep tension an both ends - about 1 1/2" long-available from Chevs of the '40's-part #759037-$9.50.....Listed on page 73 of their 2004 catalog.Fits many years from 1949 up into the '60's....Also not necessary to remove steering wheel to install it.Any standard steering wheel puller can be used.

Nope, I have that part (horn button or something like that). What I'm talking about is the thicker spring that fits around the steering shaft below the steering wheel and above the bottom of the horn ring. I have the deluxe steering wheel, so as I understand it, it is this spring that creates the tension (pushing the horn ring down, away from the steering wheel so the horn ring can rock around to honk the horn). It's the "big" spring right in the middle of the picture (fig 16, not 15) at:

http://1951chevymanual.web1000.com/09steering/9_08.htm

What's this spring called and where can I find one???

Thanks,
michael

Oh-that spring.I was thinking of parts above the wheel....I believe that it grounds the horn(or completes the ground).The spring fits 39 and 40 cars,41-46 cars and trucks,47-57 cars-47-59 trucks...The old part number was 264832 , later changed to 3741877...perhaps you can find a used one.
I would call National Chevy Parts as they have some parts cars, etc.--651-778-9522--call as they are not to good at answering Emails.