Stupid Q dejour - horn push/badge won't stay put!

[livinginthepast]

Will someone please help me understand how the hornpush/badge is supposed to lock into the steering wheel hub?

I purchased the car with the hornpush removed and never could figure out how to get it to stay in place. Frankly, I don't even know if I have all the right hardware. On the back of the push/badge there is a wire clip that appears to have something to do with solving this mystery, but nothing else stands out.

Any suggestions appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[toysrrus]

Hi There livinginthepast,

I have the same problem. Doing some reading; I believe there is supposed to be a "Groove" inside the steering wheel hub for that "Spring Clip" to fit into & secure the "Horn Push" but I`ll be darned if I can find or see it??

So; Anyone out there have some suggestions?

Thanx, Russ

 

[Sarastro]

That semicircular piece of wire doesn't so much hold it in place as make the electrical contact to the body of the steering wheel hub. You'll notice that there is a metal patch it contacts.

Not sure what kind of car you have or how the button varied over the years. The horn-button assembly, at least on my Bugeye, is held in place by three clips on its periphery. These have a pointed part that digs into the body of the steering wheel, supposedly holding the whole thing in place. Invariably, these points lose their sharpness or form a groove where they mate with the steering wheel hub, and even if you have the clips, they don't hold well any more.

In short, it's just one more uninspired design, among many others.

I had to fill that wear groove with epoxy to get mine to hold. I also found that wedging a little thick paper (say, a strip from a business card) between the button assembly and the steering wheel hub could also hold it more or less well. This, by itself, might work if you've lost the clips, which sounds like it might be the case.

If you figure out some clever way to keep that thing in place reliably, please let us all know.

 

[drooartz]

I used a bit of paperboard wedged around the button when I was using the original steering wheel. That seemed to help keep everything in place. This was on a Bugeye.

 

[Pythias]

At least on the MK III Sprite, It's a push and TURN deal. Shove it in and give it a little twist, If I recall correctly, anti-clockwise, but maybe the other way. It will be sounding while you do this unless you pull the fuse. I'm not sure how they work for other models.

 

[livinginthepast]

Aha! I suspected as much! This is a 61 bugeye (well, a 60 first registered in 61)and I was wondering what the fix would be if it turned out that it was just friction that held it in place. Great tip re. the epoxy. Thanks!

 

[livinginthepast]

The cardstock is also a nice, quick fix.

I don't have any clips at all, other than the small wire semi-circle (that, as was pointed out, may be related more to electrics than securing the horn push).

Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[jlaird]

A bit of epoxy is the trick, it does work.

 

[HAN8L1965]

On the 65 Sprite there are two ears on the inside of the steering wheel hub. With the spring in place and the copper cap behind it it twist about a quarter tun onto these ears. There is also a little plastic sleve and spring that fits down into the center of the steering column where there is an electrical contact. My sleeve had broken but I found the barrel of a ball point pen cut to length was a perfect replacement. The sleeve keeps the contact from touching the back of the horn push until you push on it to blow it. This is a little hard to line up and then twist into place.

Mark

 

[David_Doan]

My Bugeye has the same problem with the original black steering wheel. I tried wedging with cardboard and double-sided tape, but nothing was permanent. Tonight I got the idea to use magnets to hold it in. I glued in magnets that were "donated" from an old hard drive. They don't quite touch the steering wheel nut, but they are close enough to hold it securely.

Pics in my blog: https://doanfamily.net/blog/

I hope this helps someone else, I search all over and found nothing else.

David

 

[Billm]

The original method of holding the horn button in was a series of 3 barbed clips spaced around the horn button. They clipped on the horn button and grabbed (with the barbs) on the steering wheel ring but over time the barbs have dug grooves on the wheel and lost their usefulness.
The magnet idea is about the best fix that will work that I have ever heard! Congratulations!!
BillM

 

[BugeyeNJ58]

I had the sameproblem with my 59 BE after I replaced the spring/plastic horn push ( Looks like a Bic pen). Turned out it was too long. I sanded down one end, and then the horn button stayed in place.

 

[The_architect]

I like all of these ideas better than mine:

 

[Sarastro]

Great idea (about the magnets, I mean, not the blue masking tape)! Given the relative costs of hard drives and Sprite parts, it almost might be worth it to take a hammer to your new terabyte drive!

(Sorry. Hurts just to think about that one!)

 

[Gundy]

I used some black rtv .
Ghetto fab.
The POs had used this as well.
I discovered this when I popped it off to re-set the wheel
the first time. Getting it to stay on the re-install was fiddly
work.
I about stroked when I went to see it in the paint shop and someone had removed the wheel! I noticed the plunger thing
lying on a work bench. I pointed it out to a shop guy and suggested they put it someplace and label it.

When I got the car back the button was on and still works.
I don't know what they did but I'm not about to take it off to see. Thw wheel was off kilter but I disconnected the shaft
down by the steering rack to get it straight. I didn't pop the button out.

Tip: note the collar and horn trim are brown from age in one
pic.
I used black shoe polish to get the things black in the second pic..
Made a BIG difference.