MK1 horn mechanism in the steering wheel

[Etienne B.]

Hello all,

I am facing a little problem, that I cannot sort out, but you will probably be able to help me ...
Since I bought my car two years or so ago, It never had a proper horn wheel center fitted.
I just made the horn sreaming (!) by bypassing the wire from the column onto the aly tulip boss I had.
Very efficient, but not very tidy ...
Enguerrand (aka Pluto here) provided me with a bakelite bus wheel, complete with a rather tired horn center.

I tried to fit them yesterday : what a disaster !
While the wheel fits perfectly and looks like what it should, while the center fits equally easily,
the horn keeps functionning if the general contact is on.
I tried with a brand new MS center, only to face the same problem.
Car is positive earth.

Any idea, any trick I am not aware of ?
Please consider this is my first MK1 Mini, and that I still have so much to learn !

Cheers
Etienne

[Pluto]

Grand classique! C'est le fil dans la colonne qui fait court jus. Donc redémonter le volant et isoler le fil qui passe depuis la bague en cuivre jusqu'en haut... mine de rien, un petit boulot!
Sinon je le trouve très bien mon push horn..."rather used", y a plus d'époque, d'origine, du usé authentique!

[Etienne B.]

Merci Enguerrand,

Exactly what I feared !!
Trouble is, you probably remember that my column has a Trico/Neiman locker,
and I always wondered if it really is a Mini one ...

I loved your authentic center, but the bakelite ring has fallen in pieces, the repair your dad did - I guess - actually didn't last.
I will try to fit the original Austin center to the MS ring, to start with.
The MS Austin badge being rather different.

[Pluto]

j'ai eu la même sur la Marnat... tout usé. J'ai acheté en neuf à Beaulieu, depuis j'ai un klaxon!
Quand aux centres anciens, ils ne résistent guère au temps... et réparés, il faut les manipuler à la pince philatélique...! Bref, classique aussi. (Sur le Leston j'ai mis du NOS)

[Etienne B.]

Just a thought :
when the wire in the column is fitted with the isolating black plastic guide, the spring and the clip to hold it together, but still without the push horn center, I have no trouble ...