Wiring new Mota Lita horn push into my MG Midget

[chad]

Hello everyone,

When I purchased my midget, it had what appears to be a Moto Lita steering wheel, or a knock off that fits a Moto Lita hub installed on it. I've been restoring the car for a good number of years, and finally i'm in the final stages, and one of my last issues is figuring out how to fit the horn push from the Moto Lita wheel and make it work the horn correctly. I have searched the internet and found this to be a fairly common issue when using this aftermarket type wheel. I have seen everything suggested from using wire and connecting the new horn push to the old slip ring, wrapping it around the column and hoping it works, to adding a new slip ring to the back of the hub (which i think i like the idea of). Here is a link that shows a few pics that someone else posted. https://www.mgb-stuff.org.uk/hp.htm I found another thread here from back in 2009 and a member mentions adding another slip ring on the back of the moto lita hub, and then wire it via the pencil horn brush to a plate that is taped to the back of the moto lita horn push button, then wire up the contact of the moto lita horn push button to the horn brush that contacts the new slip ring on the hub. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. I did find a post from an british site that mentioned contacting moto lita, and they could install a new slip ring on the hub and send it back, thanks and sorry for confusing post...

here are some pics of my hub , and column and a diagram that shows a mod to the moto lita hub by adding a contact and using the horn brush pencil thing to complete the contact to a new (?) slip ring

 

[dklawson]

I am having trouble seeing details in your pictures.

Take a look at your picture in the link below.
https://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/11/dscn1325c.jpg/

You have a wiper that appears to reach over and touch the steering column. (Bottom left with the purple/black wire attached to it). Is there a brass sleeve around the steering column that touches the brush assembly shown in the bottom left? If the brass sleeve is present it should be insulated from the steering column itself.

You should be able to connect a wire from that brass sleeve, route the wire through the center of the steering column, and terminate it with a female spade lug that you plug onto the back of the horn button. Take a look down the steering column. You should find a hole on the inside that such a wire would normally pass through to the brass sleeve.

If you don't have the brass sleeve that the wiper is supposed to rub against, I would make or buy one and wire it as I describe above.

EDIT:
I looked online for pictures of Midget steering columns. I only found one that looks similar to yours. See the picture in the link below (eBay auction so picture won’t be around long).

https://i.ebayimg.com/t/MG-MIDGET-STEERING-RACK-TURNSIGNAL-SWITCH-HORN-MECH-/16/!B3y-S9wB2k~$(KGrHqN,!hME)7sYFYbIBMnj7ltJ8Q~~_3.JPG

That appears to be the same type column that is on your car. Note the brass sleeve on the side of the column. Note that it is spaced off (insulated from) the column itself. The wire coming out the end of the column should go be connected to the brass sleeve and to the horn push. When you push the horn button, it will complete a circuit from the wire to the grounded steering column. So… all you should have to do is fit the brass sleeve if you don’t have it, and run a wire up the center of the column to the Mota Lita horn button. If you don’t have the sleeve, Moss shows it (the slip ring) as assembly #62 on the page in the link below.
https://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=29336&SortOrder=47#top

Note that this type of column does not use the pencil-like horn brush that you were discussing earlier.

 

[chad]

thanks dklawson,

I meant to give you credit for the diagram i posted, i found it in the other thread you had posted in.

I've been racking my brain and reading all I could this last week about this, and just now after reading your post the wire idea sounds good. I was always thinking of the wire going thru the small hole in the hub, thus needing slack so it could turn, but never did it register that i could run the wire right down the middle of the steering shaft right from the horn push, duh, thank you so much. I don't have the car right here at the house, but i'll double check the brass sleeve, but i'm sure its there.

 

[dklawson]

Until seeing the picture you posted of your steering column I was not aware that Spridgets had ever used that type of slip ring. What's shown in your pictures and the one I posted a link to on eBay are similar to the design BMC used on Minis before 1970.

Anyway, I do think with that brass sleeve you will have all you need to make the existing horn parts work. Be sure to let us know how it works out.

 

[chad]

Hi doug,

sorry for long delay, but just yesterday i was able to put the time in, and got it working nicely. I purchased a new brass slip ring from moss a while back (funny they aren't available right now) and got it installed, cut the bullet end of the wire, installed a nice connector that fits the moto lita horn push and bam it works perfectly. thanks for your help

 

[dklawson]

Excellent! I'm glad that getting the horn to work went well.

 

[58Custom]

Here is the pix of that adorable, old-world slip ring from dklawson's excellent post.