Installing Horn on Steering Wheel

[mud pie]

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.

[rocketeer]

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

[mud pie]

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.

[mud pie]

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 !!

[RA472A]

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.

[macrisel]

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.