Re: getting the horn button off

Posted by HH56 On 2023/7/7 20:57:23

Bob J, In your article you asked what the black stuff was. I suspect it is the same sponge rubber like material Packard used thru 56. Along with being the round cushion and sort of spring on the horn buttons it is also found in a strip around the radio speaker on some models. On radios is used to cushion and seal the speaker opening as the radio pushes against the back of the grill opening.

I believe it must depend on what kind of weather and maybe what chemical or smoking environment the car is subjected to as to how it deteriorates. In your case and in several radios and later horn buttons I have run across it turned into the tar like glue mass you had. A real lot of fun getting the glue to release the radio or button as you found out. On other cars it was absolutely petrified and became a hard as rock material. The horn button will not push down in that case either. Those are the worst extremes I have come across but there is a middle ground where it must be heading toward petrification. In that state, when disturbed it sort of crumbles and turns into chunks.