To remove the horn button and indicator assembly :
Removal and refitting of the stator tube is dead easy (when the body is off) details as follows:-
1). Colour code the wires which come out of the bottom of the steering column.
2). Unplug the bullet connectors, leaving the outer sleeves on the wiring harness and not on the steering column wires.
3). Put an oil catchment tray under the end of the steering box and undo the brass gland nut. Slide it down the wires and keep it safe.
4). Get a friend to rotate and pull the indicator switch / horn button assembly inwards towards the rear roof of the car.
Warn him or her to be gentle, as bakelite is very brittle and this component is quite rare because of bad handling.
You may need to GENTLY grip the outer curve of the olive at the bottom of the stator tube so that it slides through as your colleague twists, pulls and rotates.
If someone has over-tightened the olive in the past, you might struggle to get it off and may even have to cut it.
5). When the stator tube has been pulled through the olive, get your colleague to SLOWLY pull the switch assembly until the first bullet connector is about to go into the steering box.
6). Inside the car, undo the three countersunk slotted screws which hold the horn button / indicator switch assembly to the flat plate on the top of the stator tube.
7). Push the stator tube back into the column again and safely store the three screws by screwing them back into their original holes in the switch assembly.
8). Under the car, attach a wire to the longest of the stator wires (for pulling back later).
9). Carefully feed the bullets from the bullet connectors into the bottom end of the stator tube whilst your colleague GENTLY pulls the switch assembly and wires out of the top.
You will notice that each wire is thin and has been cut to a different length to allow all of the bullet connectors to go up the stator tube in different positions.
If someone has cut them all to the same length, or fitted thick wires, you will have to unsolder the bullet connectors and take them off again.
10). Once the original wires are out of the stator tube, disconnect your pull-wire and leave it in the stator tube (protruding at both ends).
11). Now for the difficult bit if the car body is still on the chassis. Pull the stator tube out of the column as far as you can, it will hit the headlining.
12). Gently cause the stator tube to curve, making sure that it does not buckle or crease. Bend the disk end down, holding the middle up so that you can get more space beyond the disc.
Make sure that you do not bend the tube where it comes out of the column. Get the whole tube to spring into a curve along its full length.
13). Once you have clearance beyond the disc end of the tube, pull the last few inches out of the steering column slowly into the cabin, preventing excess oil from soiling the interior. It may help to wrap the bullet connectors and tie them to prevent snagging.
For disassembly of this horn and indicator assembly
click here
and it will be free.beware of oil leaking on the interior when
removing.
14). Put the olive into the brass gland nut and GENTLY screw it back onto the bottom of the steering box, to keep it safe.
When refitting, ensure the indicator switch is held in the desired position while tightening the retainer nut.
Note that removal of the chrome insert around the horn button gives access to nothing more than the contacts for the horn button.
First, carefully pry the horn button trim ring away from the Bakelite head being careful not to scratch it.
Once the horn button is loosened, the horn spring will be revealed. Its small diameter end faces to the Bakelite head. The laminated blades of the horn switch secured by two brass screws also become evident.
Examine the entire assembly. On the back of the unit, viewed from the side, a small tab bent down in a slot can be observed.
The tab can be pushed up so that it slides on the flat plate and the unit can be rotated slowly.
Doing so provides access through three holes in the base mount plate to three slotted screws.
Before removing the three screws, making a note or reference mark of how the two halves of the unit secured by the three screws goes together.
Then remove the screws. The correct orientation of the turn signal is straight up, but if the two halves are orientated incorrectly,
the turn signal lever will be either pointed down, or off to the side.
The stator tube, base plate, locating plate, the base mount plate, assorted washers and spring can then be separated from the Bakelite mounting plate and head.
This assembled unit does not need to be disassembled. It can be pulled of the wires and set aside for assembly later.
Examine the back of the mounting plate. There are six nuts visible. Three are for the turn signal switch, two are for the horn (one goes through the brass ground ring)
and the one without an attached wire is to hold the head and the mounting plate together (It is barely visible in the photo under the wiring sheath).
Make a drawing to illustrate the colour code and to where each of the wires should reconnect to its proper fitting later.
If your plan is to install a new wiring harness only and you do not wish to disassemble the control head to access the turn signal switch
it is IMPORTANT to install the new wires onto the screws one wire at a time.
A. The screw on the right in the photo is accessed under the horn button.
Hold it with a screwdriver and loosen the nut holing the wire, remove the nut, change the wire, refit and tighten the nut.
B. The nut second from the right is held in placeby a hex head screw recessed into the bakelite mounting plate.
The turn signal lever must be moved so that it is aligned behind the screw/nut. It will hold the screw in place
permitting removal of the nut and old wire, change the wire and refit and tighten the nut.
DO NOT let the turn signal lever slip while doing this procedure or you will likely be disassembling the complete unit!
C. Reposition the turn signal lever to the centre position and repeat step B. above for the screw/nut located third from the right.
D. Reposition the turn signal behind the screw/nut located fourth from the right and repeat step B. above.
If all you are doing is replacing the wiring you are finished. Leave the screw/nut to the far left through the horn ground ring alone.
Remove the two screws holding the laminated blades of the horn switch under the horn button. The horn switch will lift out.
The third screw can then be removed and the bakelite head can then be separated from the mounting plate.
The turn signal lever is attached with one screw to the back of the bakelite mounting plate. Underneath it is a curved wire with a spring on each side of the lever.
There is another little spring and ball at the bottom of the turn signal lever.
If you carefully remove the single screw to separate the lever from the assembly, the springs and small parts should stay in place.
Note how they should be reassembled, then take apart,
clean and lubricate with a little lithium grease.
If you experience an explosion of
parts, don’t be alarmed. It will all go back together! All components are
identified in the photo below:
The proper positioning of the two hinges or "triggers" is important. They have angles on the end that fit opposite each other.
They need to be placed as seen in the image and drawing for the canceling switch to work.
Before reassembly of the
complete unit, now is a good time to refinish the bakelite if it is needed.
Carefully place the head and the mounting plate together pushing the spring at the end of the turn signal lever into the mounting plate.
Holding the two pieces together install and tighten the single screw and nut at the bottom of the unit.
This screw/nut will securely hold the two pieces together while the horn switch screws and nuts are inserted and tightened.
Feed the wire through the base plate and the stator tube.
Reinstall the three base plate screws with the trigger opposite the turn signal lever.
I found it easiest to install the screws with the unit on its side.
Don’t forget to then reposition the thin plate with the locating tab to the slot and push it down.
Reinstall the horn button, spring and chrome trim ring.
Note that the button and ring have a locating notch that matches up with the bakelite head.
I
recommend cutting the bullet connectors off the wires, solder the wire or tie
the fishing line left in the steering column,
to the new wires and slowly pull the new wiring harness through the stator tube and out the end of the steering box.
The fit of the harness in the tube is tight so it might be best to tape the wire ends together as they are pulled through.
The short stator tube fits down and into the longer stator tube in the column.
The tubes go together in only one orientation, directed by the dimples found on the side of the short tube.
Dirty or pitted points may prevent horn from sounding.
The olive at the bottom of the stator tube, located on the steering box, tightened with a brass nut often leak oil even when tight.
Solution to above olive leakage problem is to use " Penrite Semi Fluid Grease"
none.