The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Horn Button Issue

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OK, so I have OCD.....I got my new Horn Button Cap,the one with bow tiew on it. I put the retainer ring in and with the little dimples on it to line up the cap. Put the cap on and it is sideways to the cross arms on the steering wheel. I fought with it for over an hour and drove my neighbors crazy with the beeping. But I could not find a place that the horn would work and be lined up with the cross arms.... Crazy I know. I even tried on an old one to dismantle and re-adjust front logo...Does anyone know where I can get just a simple domed shaped one with no logo that fits a 54?
Driving me nuts looking at it not lined up.
Thanks

Jimmi, first thing to do is to take the wire from the horn relay that goes to the horn off at the relay. Now you can play with the button without driving the neighbors crazy but you can still hear the horn relay pulling in to verify things are working.

I'm not clear on the dimples that you're describing, it looks like you should be able to put the horn button on in any position you want. If the contact assembly needs to be reoriented, just take the steering wheel nut off and change the position. While you have the contact assembly off, make sure it's rust-free and clean before you put it back on.

Good luck, and very nice truck!!

Waldo, Thanks for the tip on the relay click... On the retainer ring ( I call it) the part the cap holds on to has all these fingers that stand up...on 4 of these fingers are dimples and on 1 is a elongated dimple.....on the inside of the cap are grooves that match so that they will mate and stay in place. I know the horn retainer has a tab that is bent down and touches the inside of the steering wheel.I have tried to move this part around to make the logo line up...but for some reason the horn doesn't work when I do that. All Parts are new
Thanks

Interesting problem. That retainer ring is actually a spring-loaded electrical switch that makes a connection between the horn relay wire that comes up the column, and ground at the steering post. I would pull that "retainer" again and look it over carefully while squeezing it together, make sure nothing is warped, and also maybe run some fine emory cloth or sandpaper in between the "wafers" (the two flat surfaces) then blow it clean with compressed air. Then orient the retainer so that the logo lines up and tighten it down, stick the horn button on and give it a try. Sometimes (often?) new electrical parts need a little fenagellin'. Also check the surface of the steering wheel that contacts the retainer, make sure it's not dinged or burred.

Dang, this oughta work, I like that bowtie logo. It'd be a shame not to be able to use it.

I haven't begun to do much of the restoration of my '54 yet but I have been accumulating replacement parts for a few months now. So I just popped my old button off and popped on the new one. Seems to be ok. There are four dimples in the cap that have to line up with tits in the retainer and there is one extra tit that lines up with the recessed slot in the button.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/dash

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

The part I have issuse with is......http://www.chevsofthe40s.com/images_product/large/758566.jpg
That part has a bent lip on the bottom that prevents it from bottoming out. I moved that piece in a circle around the inner part of the steering wheel and I only got 1 spot that makes the horn work. In that position the bow tie won't line up.....I'm on duty for the next 48 hrs. when I get home I will take some pics. so I can explain alittle better.
Thanks

Jimmi, according to the shop manual that tab that is facing toward the steering wheel fits into a hole or a slot in the steering wheel. I assume that's to keep it from turning from it's original position. Since that's a reman. part there might be a production issue with the location of the tab in reference to the dimples on the button. You might take a look and see if you can modify (cut, or grind) the tab on one side or the other in order to get the bowtie to line up.