1940 Pontiac Silver Streak Steering Gear/Column question

[MCHinson]

I have a local friend and AACA Chapter member who owns a 1940 Pontiac Silver Streak. When he bought the car, he found that someone had bypassed the horn button by installing an aftermarket horn button. He tried to go back to the original horn button but whenever he turns the steering wheel, the horn honks. I have no experience with Pontiacs but have worked on some similar problems on Buicks. Today, we pulled it apart and discovered that the horn button is not the problem. The horn wire is shorting inside the steering column when he turns the wheel, causing the horn to blow,

 

I suspect that he needs to totally remove the steering gear assembly to replace the wire. Since that looks like it could be more of a job than he wants to tackle, he will probably send the car to a mechanic for this job. I figured I would ask here in case there is a less involved fix that is possible. I don't see any way to remove the existing wire, and pull a new wire into the column without total disassembly. 

 

If anybody has any experience and knows of any easier way to do this job, please let me know.

 

Thanks.

[deac]

Hi,

 

I own a '40 Pontiac Torpedo coupe with the same problem.  First it is not very easy to get help/advise on these cars; take it from me I have tried.  I have the standard '40 steering wheel on my car and want to change it to the optional Pontiac deluxe Flexible steering wheel.  I have the deluxe wheel but I am missing the horn ring.  When I find the horn ring I had planned to fix the spontaneous horn blowing and swap steering wheels.  Recently I had found out that when I do swap wheels the are the mounting 'guts' inside the column that must be changed as well.  These mounting 'guts' are almost impossible to find.

 

Presently I am still on a year long search for the horn ring and mounting hardware for the deluxe wheel.  I have yet to successfully remove the existing steering wheel because a standard steering puller does not work for this application; it's a special GM tool from 1940..  Now you are adding another hurdle to this project and that is that I might have a electrical short in the column. Great news.

 

Well if you find out anything regarding this subject I would much appreciate hearing about it.  If I find anything I will certainly pass it your way as well,

 

Chris

 

 

 

[MCHinson]

I have fixed an identical problem on a Buick in the past but the Pontiac steering column is a little bit different from the later model Buick one that I fixed in the past.

I was hoping for someone to chime in with some experience to tell me of an easier way but it appears that the column will have to be totally removed and disassembled to fix this problem. A breakdown of the insulation on the horn wiring inside the column causes the horn to blow when the wire shorts to ground inside the column.

 

I think my friend was able to remove his steering wheel through the use of PB Blaster and careful use of a rubber hammer repeatedly on the back of the steering wheel while pulling upwards on the steering wheel. 

[1940TORPEDO]

I need to pull mine apart and check mine out as well as the horn works intermittently when pushing the button. When and if I get around to it I'll let you know.