CraigLandrum
Jedi Hopeful
Offline
Marching ever forward with our miracle barn find TR3A, we tried testing the horns last weekend. They made a faint "click" sound, and after taking the top cover off I saw that the solenoid spring arm was a bit rusty. Cleaned all that up and ran some fine grit sandpaper between the contacts (lift the spring-loaded arm to move the contacts apart, insert folded-over sandpaper sandpaper, and release - then back and forth a few times).
After retrying the horn, it still just clicked. Because the solenoid wiring was a very large diameter, I suspected that the wiring was probably good, and it didn't appear burned or corroded.
The answer? The battery we were using wasn't charged! After recharging fully, both the High and Low cleaned-up horns worked fine. Had no idea that the TR horns were two separate notes (marked with an "H" on one and an "L" on the other inside the end of the horn). Neat sound!
Word to wise test only with a good charged up battery.
Also - our horns came with the half-globe covers removed and it took my son a while to figure out that a loose "U" shaped piece we found in the parts box locks into the half-holes on either side of the solenoid and arches across the top. The top of the arch has a hole in it that lines up with the hole in the center of the half-globe cover allowing a small bolt or screw to hold the cover down tightly. We had only one of these hold-down arches and my son quickly fabbed up another out of scrap sheet metal for the other horn.
After retrying the horn, it still just clicked. Because the solenoid wiring was a very large diameter, I suspected that the wiring was probably good, and it didn't appear burned or corroded.
The answer? The battery we were using wasn't charged! After recharging fully, both the High and Low cleaned-up horns worked fine. Had no idea that the TR horns were two separate notes (marked with an "H" on one and an "L" on the other inside the end of the horn). Neat sound!
Word to wise test only with a good charged up battery.
Also - our horns came with the half-globe covers removed and it took my son a while to figure out that a loose "U" shaped piece we found in the parts box locks into the half-holes on either side of the solenoid and arches across the top. The top of the arch has a hole in it that lines up with the hole in the center of the half-globe cover allowing a small bolt or screw to hold the cover down tightly. We had only one of these hold-down arches and my son quickly fabbed up another out of scrap sheet metal for the other horn.