My Willys 3A and 3B Community
3A, 3B, DJ Technical Knowledge Base => "Original"-- Technical Questions, Answers, Observations => Topic started by: mud pie on December 20, 2010, 10:02:45 PM
-
When my father bought my (now) Willys back in 1984 or so, the previous owner had installed a clamp-on horn button on the side of the steering column. My dad left it as it is; I wanted to do it the right way so I bought a horn kit from Walcks.
When I popped the existing rubber button off the steering column, I found out why it was the way it was....
Apparently at some point, Mud Daubers (a type of wasp that makes nests of mud, for you northerners... ;)) had decided the column was the perfect place. The column was clogged with rock hard mud !! I used a vacuum and a screw driver and removed most of it, but you know some made it all the way down.
My question is; can I pour hot water down the column to try and "melt" the rest of it, or would that cause more damage than it cures ? I seriously doubt I can fish a wire down the cloumn the way it is.
Would using my air compressor on the bottom of the column work ? My goal is to get it as clean as possible with minimal dismantling.
-
Using air from a compressor is worth a shot as long as you have the kind of horn wire setup where the wire comes out the bottom of the steering box via a small hole in the end plug.
As an alternative you could get a hold of a metal wire coat hanger, straighten it out and slowly work it down the shaft while twisting it, then blow it out with compressed air.
Larry
-
Using air from a compressor is worth a shot as long as you have the kind of horn wire setup where the wire comes out the bottom of the steering box via a small hole in the end plug.
As an alternative you could get a hold of a metal wire coat hanger, straighten it out and slowly work it down the shaft while twisting it, then blow it out with compressed air.
Larry
Yep, I felt underneath, it has the small hole at the bottom. I may give the wire hanger a shot.
-
Tried a wire hanger, not stiff enough; yes, there was that much mud down there. Mud Dauber spit and dirt makes damn near concrete !!
While looking for something stiffer, I found one of those 4 foot long drill bits that you use to fish up a wall and drill into the header (used it to run wire for my home security system). I hand fed it down the column and slowly twisted it by hand. I hit about 2-3 clogs before I made it all the way down. Dust pouring out the bottom of the column.
Air compressor shot out some dirt, not all of it.
I fed a coat hanger from the bottom up, taped the horn wire, pulled it through. Now, after who nows HOW many years, my horn is now in the proper place !!
-
Just another suggestion. Piano wire is stiff enough to work well when fishing up the horn wire also. Costs a couple bucks, but handy to have around. I also made my windshield latch spring out of it.
-
I can definately relate to the mud daubers!! I have learned the hard way that when an engine is not running correctly, the first place I have to check is to see if a dirt dauber has built a nest in the air intake. For some reason, they really love the motors on boats, lawn mowers, 4-wheelers, and Harleys. I have a sneaking suspension they'll develop a liking to my 3A also..... :-/
I have a few "tools" that work great for breaking up the mud: an electrician's fish tape, a metal electric fence post and heavy gage fencing wire and last but certainly not least.........a plumbing snake that attatches to an electric drill.