The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Horn wiring

I'm putting in a new harness in my 41 1 1/2 ton, 6 volt. I'm not great with electricity so I'm hopeing to just follow the drawing. The truck came with a really great old horn. The trumpet is about two feet long. It's a very quiet horn. It's mounted on a bracket with what I think is a horn relay - three spade conections with no wires on them. The factory wiring diagram shows just one wire going to the horn and no multiple conections. The horn is hooked up that way now but who knows if if ever blew without the relay. Can someone tell me if I need the relay and how to wire it?
Thanks a lot, Joe H

I don't know specifically about the '41 but the early AD trucks didn't use a relay so I'd guess the wiring diagram you have is right.
With that set-up the wire through the steering column was hot. If it wears through the insulation you have troubles.
If you convert to relay one terminal is hot, one goes to horn and the third is the ground, which will run up your steering column. If the insulation wears through on it all it does is honk your horn.

You are near right Cletis. Except the hot wire does not go up the column. It used an insulated horn & the hot wire went to the horn & the ground went up the column. The relay system is much better.

If the wire in the steering column was hot 12V + and you hit the horn button .... a dead short and blown fuse would have occured, thus letting factory smoke out of the wires. Currently NO kits are available to to re-install factory smoke.
The Ret. Wrench is correct.
The column button simply completes the ground circuit for the horn when pushed. 41 vs. ?? year truck really does not matter .... wiring and making it go, all use the same type (in theory) systems. Voltage to points, gen./ alt'r, heater, lights, horn or radio.
The relay system (works on all these systems, but the higher draw systems should use it), is by far the best system to use. They didn't have these type relays 'way back when' so keeping your truck stock also means safety and reliability on your part.
Use the relay ... my $.02
Ps let me look at home for the 'how to' diagrams.
But I just googled this, forget it says M/C and does not say chevy truck but it applies:
http://www.armchair.mb.ca/wings/relays/

the system won't allow me to edit my $.02

So I forgot to mention this important part...
you have to insulate the horn from the body or metal mounting position, ((I used wood) so when you hook +12V to the horn, only the horn button ground path works the sound.

Thanks guys, I'll try the relay.
Joe H.

the system won't allow me to edit my $.02

So I forgot to mention this important part...
you have to insulate the horn from the body or metal mounting position, ((I used wood) so when you hook +12V to the horn, only the horn button ground path works the sound.

Joe H,

I am pretty sure that the long trumpet horns were aftermarket or an option. Mine had a pair under the hood minus the bracket....they did have a relay..I know the small, manifold mounted horn did not.

If you want to see something funny....warn your five year old that you will be sounding those twin trumpet horns....then watch her jump when you do

Ok...sounds mean...but she forgave me...I did warn her though...

Caroline, you don,t need to insulate the horn if you use a relay.