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Hi Everyone,

After rebuilding the horns themselves I found the horn button itself seems to be missing some components that may have been left out in a previous restoration. I am guessing there are insulators and perhaps a spring missing, as the entire assembly grounds out whether rocking the button or not when installed onto the steering column. Can anyone describe the components or supply a photo or diagram of the horn contact assembly components? The parts book illustrations don't help, unfortunately. Any help appreciated.

Thank you,
Dave

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Hi Dave (VintageR), welcome at PackardInfo.com.

The -> 1933 - 1936 Service Parts Lists contains a list at page 169 (PDF-page 263).

G'day Dave(VintageR),
Gerd(Guscha) beat me to the punch but let me add my to PackardInfo to his.

Also, I invite you to include your '33 Eight in the Packard Vehicle Registry.

Thanks for the link Guscha. I suppose I should have mentioned that in addition to the parts book illustrations, I had also looked through the parts list on page 169. The parts I believe I'm missing are:

203997 Steering post horn button gasket, (3 req'd)
203778 Steering post horn button spring (1 req'd)

And I'm not sure if I'm missing one or more parts of:

209216 Steering post horn button and contact assembly (1 req'd)

Looking at the exploded diagram of the 42-47 horn button contact assembly I also found on packardinfo.com, there's a contact ring. Would a 33 also have some sort of contact ring as part of the horn button and contact assembly?

Now in terms of the operation of the horn button, does a '33 horn button function similarly to a 40's with horn ring? That is to say that the horn button is rocked out to the side where it "grounds" out to energize the horns. Can anyone confirm that this is the correct operation of the button?

Thanks again,
Dave

I don't believe the 40-54 horn buttons will be at all similar to the 34 if a posted photo of a 37 button is any indication. The 37 seems to have different pieces from those you are showing too so it many not be any closer but here is the link to the 37 photos if you want to check them out.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb ... opic.php?post_id=228203&keywords=37+horn+button

The only other early button photos I can remember being posted are for the 29-31 button and it also appears to be different than you have.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb ... ic.php?post_id=234517&keywords=horn+button

Thanks for the links HH56, I hadn't seen that second thread. The 29-31 parts look very similar to the 33, as far as the hand controls go, except mine doesn't have that spring on top. Looking carefully at the 33-36 parts book diagram it's tough to tell, but it doesn't look like there's a spring in that location. It does look like there's a spring directly under the horn button though. I'm also trying to determine whether the three screws that hold the horn button to the brass "fingers" need to be isolated from them. I don't see how it wouldn't constantly ground out without those fasteners being isolated.

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I have never had anything that old apart so without seeing the other pieces you have to compare to photos or the illustration and try to make some sense of it, my comments are just a guess. In reading the posts in the 29-31 thread a poster said pushing the button touches the contact on the end of the wire and makes the ground connection. That would mean the horn button needs to connect to ground in some way. Depending on what the button connects to or is supported by and what else is in the assembly to support the wire contact it is hard to say if screws need to be insulated. There does need to be something insulated to support the wire contact though. In the 29-31 photo I believe it was the black piece the fellow was holding in his hand but from what I see so far, no idea what supports something like that on yours. At any rate, there must be some kind of spring affair to keep the button pushed away from the contact on the wire and that may also be what brings ground to the button -- at least in later years ground to the button comes thru the spring.

Looking at the illustration, I am guessing there is some kind of plate attached to the column under the button that might be grounded and what may be a spring is resting on it. I think I see what may be a spring inside maybe a retaining pocket on the button?? The red arrows point to circles that I think might be end or sectional views supposed to be coils of a spring.

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Howard, although I had my '34 horn assembly removed to service the hand throttle linkage, it was so many years ago that I don't recall the details which is why I haven't been able to help the poster. But I was wondering, as you try to conceptualize the construction details, if you realize that neither the horn button nor the horn button surround assembly rotates with the wheel but is fixed and stationary?

Dave, I understand that and I think the wheel rotates under the levers and plate like piece with 4 holes shown above. What I was thinking is there is some kind of assy that attaches to the 4 holes like a plate or spring seat which is in the ground path and that piece holds the insulated contact and other button pieces. Maybe that half round white part in the middle of the illustration is a part of that piece?? Am assuming the horn button would then be on top of the cover like piece shown in the 29-31 photo and somehow fasten to whatever is under the cover.

As mentioned, never having seen an early one or photos of all the other pieces that might be present for this one, info on how it goes together and works would only be a guess.