Restore/rebuild original horns

[Allison Winn]

Must be a forbidden topic....very hard to find a good how-to video of horn restoration and very hard to find parts. Horns are very simple devices. I found 2 videos of shade tree mechanics fumbling around with horns but they didn't do a reassembly with new gaskets and rivets.
Both my 289 and 290 horns have good coils, just need to re assemble. Mine had a single paper gasket but the kits come with 2 per horn, don't know why. Anybody know of a good, complete video of horn rebuild?

 

[70lt1z28]

Zip Corvette has the parts, but it sounds like you have that already.

Not a video, but maybe even better is this:

https://www.corvettemagazine.com/1957-1975-corvette-horn-rebuild/

Don't think Corvettes had anything special in the horn so it should work.

 

[rotinrob]

70LT beat me to it.

There is a lot on the web about rebuilding them but not much about putting them back together. I guess no one wants to give away the secrets to the rivets. Not a video but this is fairly comprehensive about how to do it including the rivets.
1957-1975 Corvette Horn Rebuild | Corvette Magazine | Corvette How To's & Technical Articles

rotin

 

[Twisted_Metal]

Here's a thread which showed success with evapo-rust...
1970 Horn Relay Restoration | NastyZ28.com

There's also a company which specializes in restoring classic car horns...
The Horn Works - Car horns repaired rebuilt and restored (carhornrestoration.com)

 

[Allison Winn]

10-4 and thanks for the info. I am a do it yourselver so I'd like to make every attempt before sending them off. I did all the dis assembly, cleaning and testing - these things are ridiculously simple devices, basically a metal speaker. Just surprised I can't find a video of someone putting them back together.

Twisted - the first link is about a horn relay, not a horn. But FYI the horn coil wiring should not be cleaned with any solvent, can short out the winding I believe. I would also not glass bead any of the few internals - can also damage stuff and you don't see that part anyway

 

[Twisted_Metal]

See post #18 in the NastyZ28 link.

 

[bkmont]

Here's a thread which showed success with evapo-rust...
1970 Horn Relay Restoration | NastyZ28.com

There's also a company which specializes in restoring classic car horns...
The Horn Works - Car horns repaired rebuilt and restored (carhornrestoration.com)

Follow-up. Horns still blowing.
Bryan

 

[Allison Winn]

Learning as I go....
On re assembly the steel shank on the steel wafer plate has to be centered in the coil housing and cannot touch the walls or the horn will absolutely do nothing, not even click.

The small adjustment screw is vital. It doesn't really change the pitch of the horn like some say. It optimizes the point break with the strength of the magnetic "stroke" on the sound plate. Adjusting in or out in 1/4 turn increments changes the horn sound between a sick baby goat and a raspy moo. Somewhere in the middle the sound is cleaned up and gets louder like you want it.

 

[Oldskool62]

Great thread. When I tested mine (run a wire from the positive) it sparked out so I guess it's toast.

 

[ronzz572]

I'm a do it your self guy also. Tried to do horns once and threw in the towel. Wasn't enough info on doing them and sourcing the correct rivets. I chose to send them to thehornworks Gary will get them looking and sounding like new. Fair prices also. At least give him a call and check prices? When he's gone I may choose another choice. But now I like the easy route.