Hi all,
I have an intermittant horn on my 70. Sometimes it does, usually it doesn't.
I ordered the tilt/tele horn contact replacement kit from Corvette Central and I received my parts from CC yesterday (with very limited instructions/actually no instructions, just a picture). I've been talking with another member of this forum on the side re: how to. He tells me I need to use a wheel puller and a lock plate tool to implement the repair. I'm not familiar with the "lock plate tool". I'm pretty sure I can rent a steering wheel puller from the Auto Zone. Is there anything else I should be aware of before I start this job? Does anyone know of any good instructions / manual I should/could avail myself of? I have the 70 AIM as well as the Haynes Manual but even those are pretty sketchy on details (or cautions).

Thanks in advance,

John M Shattuck

The lock plate tool attaches to the steering column shaft where the steering wheel mounted. It has a u shaped bracket that pushes down on the lock plate, so a snap ring can be removed. The lock plate is under the steering wheel, and lock the wheel from rotating when the key is removed. Once the snap ring is removed, the tool is removed and the lock plate is lifted off to expose the turn signal switch.
If the car has a telescoping wheel, the shaft must be in the down (further from the driver) position, and the lock must be rotated to lock the shaft in postition. Other wise the shaft will lift up instead of pushing the lockplate down, and you won't get the snap ring off.

Ken Styer

Thanks Ken! I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Something I better add. The telescopic section of the column rotates a bolt to lock the telescope. When you take the lever off you will see the rotation portion that goes into the shaft. Many of these are a bolt like end with a large head that goes into the shaft, and the lock plate tool won't go over the head of the adjuster/lock to mount on the shaft. You may need to remove the rotating lock and look at the bottom bolt section that went into the shaft. Match up a bolt with equal length, diamiter, and threads. Cut the head off of the bolt with a hacksaw, and then use the hacksaw to cut a slot in the bolt where the head was. Now you can install the "tool" into the column and turn it with a screwdriver in the slot you just made. This will tighten the telescopeing shaft, and allow you to use the lockplate tool.

Ken Styer

|UPDATED|2/12/2004 3:20:09 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

Hi Ken,
I got it all apart, replaced the pieces according to the kit MAD sent me. Put it all back together, re-connected the battery and the horn came on non stop!

There was a little orange plastic piece that fit just inside the circular steel "spring like" telescoping electrical connection that rested directly on the steering wheel hub. It was broken in a bunch of pieces (old plastic). I think it's purpose was to channel the spring like electrical connector onto the other electrical connections that come up through the steering column. Of course Mid America Designs didn't include one of these orange plastic pieces in the kit they sent me! Also, there were two spacers on the original assembly versus just one in the fix kit from MAD. Suggestions?
BTW, thanks for your help with this.

Your right. The orange piece does create an electrical path to the wheel. You should be able to find this at any dealer and maybe NAPA. The same part was used for many models for many years. And the horn works by grounding the relay when you push the horn button, so any short will provide a ground and set off the horn. What spacer are you reffering to?

Ken Styer

Hi Ken,
The orange plastic part; that's probably it then! I bet it fractured in 6 or 8 pieces when I tried to re-install it. Actually, there were a couple of pieces already broken off before I removed it (had quite a time getting them out of the column). So now I need to find this orange plastic part. Any suggestions (like a part number or manufacturer)? I know, that's why we love these old cars!
The spacer I was talking about are the flat, thin metal "washer" like spacers with the 3 little ears sticking off of the round (at 12:00, 4:00 and 8:00).
Thanks again for all your help.
John

Perhaps I'm a bit tired, but I can't think of it at the moment. Let me check on it and I'll get back to you. I know I'll feel stupid when I see it.

They say there are two things that go when we get older. One is your hearing, and I can't remember the other.

Ken Styer