My 67 RS has never had a working horn in the two years I've owned it. I checked the black wire on the horn relay with an ohm meter, and I don't show any continuity to ground when the horn is pushed.

So, I took the horn cap off the steering wheel, and then took the inner horn contact cup off (held on by the three screws on the insulating ring). Turns out I have *no* horn contact/spring/retainer in the turn signal cancelling hub channel.

So, I order the new contact, spring and retainer from Rick's. Says it is for a 67. I get it today, and I can't figure out how it is supposed to be installed.

I found this thread on camaros.net, but it's pretty old and a bunch of the pictures are now gone, making the thread hard to use. Thought I'd look for fresh pictures anyone might have of how to assemble this thing.

Is the horn contact supposed to be installed with the 'nail head' end to the inside/bottom of the column, sitting on top of the spring? Is the horn contact supposed to protrude through the little slit in the retaining plate/cup?

If the contact *is* supposed to protrude through the plate/cup, then my contact seems too big because it is too large in diameter to slip through that slot.

Note, the next-to-last pic shows the surface of the wheel itself, with a bore for the turn signal cancelling cam at the 9 oclock position. The other two large bores are threaded. The cam bore has a metal/copper? contact at the bottom. Does the spring (shown in the last pic attached to the thread) go in first, followed by the contact pin (head end down)? and held in by the retainer? If so, how does this work to make contact with the plate above when the horn button is pushed?

 

The spring goes in, then the pin-fat end first I believe. The plastic retainer slides into the hole and holds the pin down. When the head of that pin contacts the back side of the round disc, and that disc touches the steering wheel when the horn button is pushed, ground is completed and the horn should toot.

 

Aha, got it! Thanks. Couldn't figure out what completed the circuit there. I'll try it out tonight and post the results, and maybe a little diagram to help future hotrodders. :-)

 

Did a quick check at 'lunch' and found I still wasn't getting the horn wire on the horn relay (black wire) to go to ground when I pressed the horn button. I checked the steering column shaft and it was not at ground either (using an ohm meter between a known good ground point and the test point in both cases).

Turns out the rag joint has (or rather had) a ground wire on it, and that has since been broken so it isn't connected. I guess I could get a new rag joint with the ground wire and try replacing it. For now, I think I'll try grounding the column inside the passenger compartment. Ideas there?

 

Maybe it's the rag joint, maybe not. OEM had a jumper ground strap, but modern replacement rag joints (unless it's a factory original style) have an embedded metal screen on one side to carry the ground. Testing for ground with a test light on both sides of the rag joint will tell if there's a connection.

 

Yea, definitely the old/original rag joint with jumper wire then. I checked (with ohm meter) across the joint and there is no continuity (steering gear side shows continuity to ground, steering wheel side doesn't).

I think I'm gonna replace the rag joint just on general principles. Probably not the best idea to rely on a 44 year old rag joint since I'm gonna flog this thing pretty hard on a road course. :-)

 

i have a quick one...i have an 89 RS. i need to reconnect my horn (was disconnected when i bought it) to pass inspection. I have NO idea what and where the wires are for the horn, can anyone help me locate the wires i need to make the horn work properly.? it is the LAST thing i need to do to get my car "road legal". thanks

 

Anyone have any extra OEM horns for a 69 RS/SS?