Wiring for stock horn

[daveboy]

I hope I am not wearing out my welcome with questions on my new purchase, but here goes my newest:

My '52 half-ton had no horn installed when I bought it. I would like to install a 6V horn, fairly close to original. But, I have no idea where to wire it. I have a wiring diagram, but that is of little help unless I want to completely rewire it. I am trying to find out where the horn actually hooked up to. I am fairly well versed in wiring (I work on office equipment, copiers, printers, etc...), and I would like to be able to wire right into the original wires and use my horn button. Can anyone tell me where to look to hook into this? I take it there is no horn relay and I have some cut and capped wires.

Please help,
daveboy

[NEWFISHER]

Upper column/horn bearing is a brown wire soldered to the bronze bushing and follows the column. If its been cut and rewired,pull the horn button, pull the steering wheel ( 180 puller ) and you should see the upper horn bearing and the soldered wire. Put 6v to it and check your lower column wires for voltage to trace the correct one.
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[G&R's57GMC]

Working from the horn backwards, Horn to horn relay to 6V,

Working from horn button down steering col to horn relay.

Horn button grounds the relay .

The relay supplies power to the horn.

Take another look at your wiring diagram and you'll see it.

[daveboy]

Both replies are helpful, but I cannot find a relay on my wiring diagram (which is from the shop manual). That was the plan was to just check for pwr at the relay and wire into it. There is a box on my left fender that looks like a relay, but not sure. Maybe you can share a link to a better wiring diagram than I have.

Thanks
daveboy

[nvrdone]

My stock wiring diagram does not show a relay. The wiring goes from the battery side of the amp meter to a fuse on the bottom of the fuse block. from there out to the horn. Then a wire goes from the horn back to the other terminal on the fuse. from there back to a wire that sticks out of the lower part of the steering column. Then up the column to the horn button that grounds out the circuit causing the horn to blow.
Hope this helps. Or is it as clear as mud ? Mote this is for a stock wiring harness.

[daveboy]

Nvrdone, you see it the way I see it. Yesterday, I thought I would pull the cover off my fuse box and check the pwr for the horn there. Well, the diagram shows 3 fuses if I recall, 2 for lights and one for horn. Well, I have two fuses, one marked tail lights and one brake lights. There is no third fuse! This truck has not been rewired and I am sure it has the original harness. This shouldn't be so difficult.

Thanks,
daveboy

[nvrdone]

Interesting that you only have 3 fuses. Mine's a '49 & I have 6 fuses in a box on the driver side firewall. Maybe yours was one of Chevy's early attempts at cost cutting. If you trace the wires I think you could figure it out. If nothing else, put an in line fuse in the wire from the amp meter to the horn. Good luck with this one.

[OrrieG]

I looked at the wiring diagram and power comes off the ammeter to horn back to column where the button closes the connection to ground. The wire to the ammeter comes from the battery thru a fusible link thru the starter. The fusible link provides protection for the starter and stuff wired off the ammeter. Apparantly the 6v horns do not draw enough power to need a relay. Based on that you can use any 6v source, protect it with a fusible link or inline fuse OR use the horn button as a relay ground. The way the factory has it wired it is not switched.

[nvrdone]

Ok, so I learn something new every day. I didn't know that the 53's had different wiring than the 49's. That's the great thing about this site - everyone has a great deal of knowledge and are all ways willing to share.

[daveboy]

Well, I am not as stupid as it would at first appear. OrrieG what you describe is exactly how I read the wiring diagram. But, I needed a second opinion because I am no expert, have never owned anything powered by 6V, and never seen a horn without a relay.

That is probably what I will do...find a 6V source, protect it with a fuse, apply pwr to one side of the horn and see if I can find that wire at bottom of steering column to supply ground. If I can't find that wire, I will probably just wire me up a button to supply ground.

Thanks for all the help.

daveboy

[daveboy]

Well, I thought I would post an update in case anyone else finds themselves in the same dilema as me. I was able to find the correct, 6V horn on ebay and the original mounting bracket. I tested it straight to the battery and ground and it works I mounted it to my intake manifold last night (strange place to mount a horn).

I found the brown wire coming out of the bottom of my steering column, but it does not have continuity to ground when the horn button is pressed Someday, I will probably pull the wheel and see if I can remedy this, but for now I have too many other things to worry about.

I found switched, and fused power at the fusebox for my tail and stoplights. So, I plan to wire into that and install a horn button on a bracket under my dash. Wish me luck.

daveboy

[NEWFISHER]

Good luck

If you found the brown wire, you are half way there. Pull the wheel and look for the other end of the wire to be soldiered to the outer bearing cage ( brass looking upper column area) it's most likely come un attatched. resoldier it or replace it-done, horn works

[daveboy]

Newfisher, I definitely plan to do that eventually. I have never pulled a steering wheel. How big of a job is it? I have a set of large gear pullers. Would that work or would I have to have a steering wheel puller?

daveboy

[NEWFISHER]

Super easy. A gear puller is designed to pull from the outer edges. You could use it, but would most likely break the center cup of the wheel. Check out a steering wheel puller at the local Orielies or carquest parts stores that loan tools with a deposit or grab a cheap one at Harbor Freight. They have a flat fixture that allows the correct threaded bolts to pass through and attatch to the inside area of th wheel cup. A center threaded rod, similar to the gear puller, is threaded through the fixture and applies pressure to the steering shaft after the nut is removed( use an air ratchet) and lifts the wheel off of the shaft. Under the wheel you will find the bushing. The horn pad pulls towards you and should have an area at the top to slip a screwdriver into to release it.
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[daveboy]

Thanks. That is on my long list of things to do.

daveboy

[Russell Ashley]

Buy or fab a steering wheel puller, they are cheap. Don't try to remove it any other way. Also, the shaft is not keyed so be sure to note the exact position of the wheel before you remove it. Might save having to remove and center it later.

[OrrieG]

Amen on marking the exact up position or wheel to spline. While they are not keyed I found on mine there was one place it liked better, which was the correct orientation. Make sure you thread the two bolts all the way into the wheel. They are usually prettry cruded up and the temptation is to only run them in 3-4 rotations. That usually leads to pulling the bolt out and stripping the threads. Keep the center nut on flush with the spline shaft, usually after applying a little tension a tap with a hammer on the nut/shaft will make the wheel pop off.