Spitfire Mk3 - horn wiring on steering column

[Olpie]

Following an incident last year when the wiring to the starter solenoid caught fire, I'm currently rewiring my mk3 Spitfire. Thankfully the car wasn't damaged .

To rewire the horn push, does anyone know if it's necessary to remove the steering wheel or dismantle the steering column?  I have a Haynes manual but any additional hints will be appreciated.

[John Bonnett]

No, there should be no need to dismantle the column. If the horn is operated by pressing the centre push, it acts on a graphite pencil in contact with a slip ring. The slip ring connects either to one side of the relay coil (if fitted) or one side of the horn. Pressing the horn push completes the earth through the steering column at the rack end of which should be a cable to an earthing point on the chassis.

[Casper]

but you can't get to the slip ring (or the wire arrached to it) without removing the wheel.

 

C.

[John Bonnett]

but you can't get to the slip ring (or the wire arrached to it) without removing the wheel.

 

.Quite right but but is there any need to?

[dougbgt6]

The steering wheel comes off very easily if you want to get at the disk and wire. But as John points out, is the short length of wire damaged? Probably not. Certainly no reason to disassemble the rest of the steering column. I have, twice over the years, had to replace the graphite pencil thing. And I would check the steering wheel rack still has it's earth.

[Casper]

 

 

.Quite right but but is there any need to?

If he wants to 

 

 

rewire the horn push,

then yes.  The OP didn't ask about the horn button or pencil, he asked about the wiring.  It may well be that the wiring from the connections just under the dash is still good, but how would he tell if the loom as burnt out?

 

 

C.

[dougbgt6]

Casper, "The OP didn't ask about the horn button"  Well actually, yes he did.  So we told him what we knew.   

[Pete Lewis]

There s the bunch of bullets where the column harnes connect to the dash harness often a contributor to disconnections .

 

the rack earth is short wire from the rack grease plug to the chassis ,

and theres a wire link across the column UJ which is a common failure in the earth circuit.

Using the more modern UJ upgrage works ok and dosnt realy needed the wire link