Horn button turns on steering wheel

[spineguru]

The horn button on my TR3 turns on the steering wheel. Before I start tearing things apart (and usually making things worse), I thought I would check to see how this is supposed to work. Is the horn button (and attached turn signal switch) supposed to turn with the steering wheel or is it supposed to reamain in place? Right now, it can turn independently from the steering wheel. However, there is enough friction between the two that when I turn the wheel, the horn and turn signals rotate, as well. Unfortunately, when the wheel returns to it normal position, the horn and switch do not necessarily return, leaving the turn signal switch at a weird poistion (5 o'clock vs. 12 o'clock as an example). This is easily fixed by rotating the horn button around again, but that is irritating. Regardless of whether the horn and wheel are to turn as one or if the horn should remain stationary, how is this fixed? What needs to be adjusted? Thanks to whoever has some insight on this.

 

[Geo Hahn]

You may have a broken stator tube. Perhaps you need to begin with a review of what is inside there. Here is a site that shows some detail of the trafficator (Britspeak for turn signal) it may be for a Healey but yours is similar:

https://web.archive.org/web/2004042901085...trafficator.htm

Some of the pics may not load as this is an old site courtesy of the 'Wayback Machine'. And here is a site with narrative on removal of same:

https://hometown.aol.com/bgahc/01_jwha_trafficatorremoval.html

Of course you could be very lucky and just have a loose gland nut on the bottom of the column. If you look under the front bumper at the front of the steering box you will see the end of the stator tube -- a steel tube that projects out thru a hollow nut and has wires emerging from the end of it. That tube should not turn when the wheel turns. Watch while someone turns the wheel side-to-side (may want to raise the front wheel off the ground for this). If the tube is turning then maybe you just need to tighten or replace that nut. Note that when/if you remove that nut the oil in the steering box will dump out -- not much but messy. Box can be refilled thru the fill plug on top of the box or the hole (rubber plug should be in it) in the lower half of the steering column.

Good luck.

 

[sp53]

Well Bryan it sounds like your stator tube is broken. There have been many good posts on how to fix/replace them. It is basically just a hollow steel tube with a slit on one end that holds the head still when the wheel turns. In addition, it carries the wires down through the steering column to the lights and horn. However, tell me how did your steering problem work out because if your mechanic is going to pull the box out you can fix the head at the same time. However, I would recommend that you first loosen up the adjustment nut on top of the steering box making sure to leave the top cover on because the drop arm travels in an ecliptic motion and will pop up and perhaps chip the worm gear. After the adjusting nut is loose, you can move everything more freely to see what is binding. If you still can not see the problem, then take the cover off and look in at the worm gear to check for chips. In the final analysis and if possible, I would leave the box in the car and fix the tube while everything is in place; it helps to hold stuff down. Besides pulling the steering box out is a can of worms you might not want to open.
sp53

 

[Geo Hahn]

This just in (from another list):

[ QUOTE ]
Listers:
The shipping tube problem from a couple weeks ago has been solved, and stator tubes are now available from www.macysgarage.com.
Mark Macy
New Carlisle, OH

[/ QUOTE ]

This is great news as these things have been very hard to obtain for years and though they can be fashioned from tube stock not everyone can or wants to do that.

 

[spineguru]

SP53, to answer your question about the steering problem, my mechanic agreed with some of the comments on this forum and thought that the steering box may need to be rebuilt / replaced (depending on what we founf out once we opened it up). He did fix the pull to the left by using the trick of switching the left and right wheels. It now goes straight down the road, which has made the hard steer to the right better. So for now, I am just leaving the steering the way it is and will just monitor whether it gets any worse.

Now, onto the horn and turn signals. I will check the gland nut and see if it loose. I my also try to pull off the horn and trun signal assembly from the top (as described in the link provided by Geo Hahn) and see if something just isn't lined up. I am hesitant to dive into the steering box. It is a bit beyond my skill level, and the I do not want to flirt with making the stiff steering problem worse.

Thanks for your input everyone. This site is great. It's like being a kid all over again. My mind is sponge for all this stuff! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[spineguru]

You nailed it, Geo Hahn! The Gland Nut was loose. All snugged up and the horn and turn signal stay right where they should. Also snugged up the 3 locking set screws around the steeering wheel. They were a little loose. I have no idea if that did anything, but sometimes it feels like you accomplish something when you tighten it.

Thanks!