The
pair of original equipment horns on my TR4 had never worked properly
and despite adjustments of the tone screws, along with liberal doses of
WD40, they refused to behave. The Haynes manual maintains that they are
not user-serviceable and a quick inspection reveals that this woudl
appear true; the halves that comprise the horn body are riveted
together. However, with the aid of an electric drill, the rivet heads
can be removed to allow access to the innards.
First,
remove the leads while making a note as to which way round they go, and
unbolt the horns. With a horn securely clamped down in a drill press,
carefully drill through the rivet heads with a 1/4" drill. Make a start
for the drill by punching a point in the center of each of the rivets
to ensure the bit will be correctly aligned. With a punch, tap out the
rivet bodies and separate the horn body halves. Be careful not to
damage the fragile seals or the diaphragm.
The
horn is now in a state for inspection and repair. It is highly likely
that once the cobwebs, dust and grime have been cleaned out, the
components are in reasonable shape: a horn isn't really an item that is
likely to wear out with normal use, even after several decades! The
make-and-break mechanism is "on", i.e.: there should be a good
conducting path through them which allows the coil to be energized, the
diaphragm to move, and the path to be then broken. The rapid repeating
of this sequence causes the horn to sound. The contacts in a
perpetually silent horn are probably separated by a layer of muck and
must be cleaned. I restored my contacts using cotton balls drenched in
rubbing alcohol, and emery boards-the alcohol was also useful for
generally cleaning up the horn both internally and externally. The horn
can be tested with a voltmeter set to the lowest resistance range. When
you can get the contacts to reliably make and break, your horn is
mended, and you can begin on the other one! The halves can be rejoined
using 6-32 by 3/4" bolts, and reattached to the car. Reconnect the
wires and you should be rewarded by two distinct tones. Adjust each
horn for maximum volume by means of the small screw on top of the body.
Working on automobiles is inherently dangerous. Moss Motors, Ltd. is not liable for injury or damage due to incorrect installation or use of their products. All products are sold with the understanding that the safe and proper installation and use of the products is the customer’s responsibility. Follow factory workshop manual procedures and instructions, but use current shop safety standards and common sense. Some tasks will require professional advice or services which Moss Motors cannot provide.Email (for Moss Tech help):
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