Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

HI know there must be a post somewhere on this site, but for the life of me I can't find it. Therefore, how is the horn ring removed on a '51?

push down, turn counter clockwise. Hope this helps.

Place your palm on the plastic emblem and push down slightly as you rotate CCW or to the left. There are some tabs on the emblem that fit into slots on the ring and after rotating 10-15 degrees will line up with openings so the emblem comes off. There should be a rubber cushion under the emblem which may have dried or worse, turned into a gooey mess. Dry and it becomes hard so emblem may not want to push down, gooey mess and the rubber acts like glue.

Once the emblem is off you should see the screws threaded into the wheel that hold the ring in place. Be careful to note locations and not lose any plastic insulating washers around the screws.

Howard,

Thanks for the quick relay. I just noticed that I posted this on the wrong section. Well I can now proceed on the my issue at hand - horn doesn't sound. I've checked the relay and it is OK, but there isn't 6 volts on the "B" post. The horns sound when supplied with 6 volts. I've measured the "S" post to ground when the ring is depress and don't see a connection to ground. Looks like a two problem issue to me.

Is there a way to move this post over to the "Post War (1946-54)?

Thanks Marty

Kev can move the post to another forum if he sees the request.

No voltage at B on the relay is interesting. It should come directly from the solenoid post where the battery cable connects and unless a wire is disconnected or broken should be present at all times. Did you check the other relay terminals for voltage to make sure the relay is not miswired.

On the horn relay, B gets voltage and supplies the contact common and one side of the relay coil. S is the other side of coil and in the horn version receives a ground thru the horn ring to energize the coil. There is a connector located a short distance from the bottom of the steering box that connects the horn wire from ring to the loom. When pushed, the ring provides the ground from the steering shaft via a tiny gap around the circumference that makes contact with another plate which constantly touches the wire going down the steering shaft connecting to the relay. The pieces are kept apart by insulating washers. H is the normally open side of the contact that closes to supply voltage to horns. There could be a miswire at the relay and nothing would be damaged -- just the horn doesn't blow.

There is also another version of the relay that looks identical but has different operating characteristics. In the other relay the coil is grounded at the case and needs a voltage to operate. If not the original, possibly the relay has been replaced at some point with the wrong type. Not sure how much an issue that similar look was on the 6v relays but can be a problem on V8s with the different relays used side by side in 56.

Howard thanks for the info, I had checked the Electrical diagram when I started troubleshooting the problem. After my last post after getting the horn ring off, I discovered the wire in the column did not exit the steering column, which I should have picked up on in the beginning (live & learn). I bench checked the horn relay and determined that it was operational.

I did not see a wire that was connected at the starter that ran to the relay's "B" post. To correct this problem I tied into the Battery terminal on the voltage regulator as it was more convenient. I ran a new wire up through the steering column and fed it directly to the relay. Reinstalled the whole mess of parts to test.

Testing the horn yielded partial success with about two-thirds on the horn ring giving a strong blast. I shimmed one side of the upper ring support to move it closer to the ring cup. It is now 100% functional.

Howard, again thanks for your input.

(Topic Moved)

Kevin

Thanks for moving this post. Sorry for the inconvenience I caused you.