31 Plymouth Horn Button question

[Patricks31ply]

I suspect I have a faulty horn button on my 31 Plymouth PA. Can anyone share how to remove the center plastic "button" on the steering wheel? I thought if I applied light pressure and spun the plastic counter-clockwise it would come out but no luck. Any help would be great. Thank you.

[keiser31]

That will not work. What you have to do is remove the light switch at the base of the steering column and slide the light control and horn ring/button/shaft out of the steering column tube. There are 3- screws holding the switch handle to the button/ring.......like so....you may have to drop the column support to pull the shaft all of the way out. BE VERY CAREFUL TO NOT BEND THE SHAFT.

Edited September 11, 2013 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[Patricks31ply]

Thank you!! I will let you know how it goes!

[Guest DodgeKCL]

Be VERY careful! The black pieces are not plastic they are Bakelite and now very old and delicate,read "breakable". Also the cast white metal light switch paddle is in the same boat now. Be careful.

[keiser31]

Any update on your progress?

[Patricks31ply]

None yet, wife has me busy with chores around the house. This week for sure!!

[Patricks31ply]

O.K., Got the horn working! Broken spring. Thank you Keiser31 for the pictures and directions!! BIG help. Now back to the "honey-do" list:-)

[Guest Newbie72]

On my 28 Chrysler 72 while working on the wiring on the headlight switch it dropped of the shaft and I can't get it to tighten correctly on the shaft. Do you have any idea what I'm not doing right?

[keiser31]

On my 28 Chrysler 72 while working on the wiring on the headlight switch it dropped of the shaft and I can't get it to tighten correctly on the shaft. Do you have any idea what I'm not doing right?

The only thing that I can think of is to have someone hold the light switch lever inside the car while you tighten the nut. Does yours have an "L" shaped bracket to hold it on the bottom of the column?

Edited September 26, 2013 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[Guest Newbie72]

Yes it does have a bracket but it's and open square. I tried using a needle nose vise grip on the shaft against the spark advace lever but that didn't seem to work. When I get a chance I'll have my wife hold the lever down on the inside of the car and see if it makes any difference. It seems like all of a sudden the shaft isn't long enough or the shaft won't go thru the switch enough. Must be real small clearances.

[keiser31]

Yes it does have a bracket but it's and open square. I tried using a needle nose vise grip on the shaft against the spark advace lever but that didn't seem to work. When I get a chance I'll have my wife hold the lever down on the inside of the car and see if it makes any difference. It seems like all of a sudden the shaft isn't long enough or the shaft won't go thru the switch enough. Must be real small clearances.

Be certain that the horn button ring/light switch lever unit is all of the way down against the steering wheel when you tighten it up at the other end. The nut clamps the switch mechanism onto the inner shaft, so you also have to be certain that the switch lever at the top is in the correct position so you can still turn it each way.