The Ford Barn

drolston · 03-21-2024, 06:52 PM

1941 Ford. You know those little cylindrical insulators that go around the screws that hold the horn ring to the horn attachment plate? The horn ring is supposed to be able to slide up and down on them a little bit as the horn is pressed against the spring and foam ring into contact with ground on the column bell.

I have some that are deformed and stuck in the holes in the attachment plate, preventing normal operation of the horn ring.

I have checked the usual suppliers and can not find them. Does anyone know a source?

fordor41 · 03-21-2024, 09:34 PM

probably could fab some. snoop around a home ctr or Lowes for some nylon the correct size

drolston · 03-22-2024, 02:04 PM

Horn rings for the '41 are notorious for breaking where the radial pieces join the center horn button. I may scrounge up a few broken ones to take apart for the little pieces. Otherwise, they should not be too hard to fab.

drolston · 03-26-2024, 07:38 PM

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The little cylindrical spacers that separate the horn ring from the attachment plate have a height of about 3/16", under a wider washer-type top. The holes that they go through on the attachment plate are 5/16 diameter. My spacers were crushed or swolen to the point that they were frozen into the attachment plate holes. Without free movement of the attachment plate on those spacers, the horn ring could not be properly installed with all three tabs engaged, and the horn was hard to get to make contact. Original replacements for those spacers are not available.

On the advice of fordor41, I ordered an assortment of black nylon spacers and washers from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBBC9SR1...roduct_details

That $5.00 set includes 30 pieces which are 7mm in diameter (fits nicely in the 5/16" hole), 5mm high (just a shade over 3/16"), and has a 4mm diameter hole that nicely accommodates the 1/8" diameter screw. The set also comes with thin nylon washers of 9mm diameter, which is big enough to cap the 5/16 hole in the attachment plate.
I cleaned the light corrosion off of the attachment plate and the inside of the horn ring to ensure good electrical contact. The foam ring you can buy anywhere. It acts like a firm spring, and works fine.

I put it all together and with a strong push-and-turn got all three tabs to engage, without breaking those famously breakable spokes on the '41 horn ring. The horn ring now sits level and works properly.

I think that all horn rings from '41 through '48 attach the same, so this fix might work for any of you having trouble with improper horn ring function.

03-21-2024, 06:52 PM	#1
drolston Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Williamsburg, VA Posts: 1,627	Horn Insulators 1941 Ford. You know those little cylindrical insulators that go around the screws that hold the horn ring to the horn attachment plate? The horn ring is supposed to be able to slide up and down on them a little bit as the horn is pressed against the spring and foam ring into contact with ground on the column bell. I have some that are deformed and stuck in the holes in the attachment plate, preventing normal operation of the horn ring. I have checked the usual suppliers and can not find them. Does anyone know a source?

03-21-2024, 09:34 PM	#2
fordor41 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: elmira,ny Posts: 1,518	Re: Horn Insulators probably could fab some. snoop around a home ctr or Lowes for some nylon the correct size

03-22-2024, 02:04 PM	#3
drolston Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Williamsburg, VA Posts: 1,627	Re: Horn Insulators Horn rings for the '41 are notorious for breaking where the radial pieces join the center horn button. I may scrounge up a few broken ones to take apart for the little pieces. Otherwise, they should not be too hard to fab.

03-26-2024, 07:38 PM	#4
drolston Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Williamsburg, VA Posts: 1,627	Re: Horn Insulators Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) The little cylindrical spacers that separate the horn ring from the attachment plate have a height of about 3/16", under a wider washer-type top. The holes that they go through on the attachment plate are 5/16 diameter. My spacers were crushed or swolen to the point that they were frozen into the attachment plate holes. Without free movement of the attachment plate on those spacers, the horn ring could not be properly installed with all three tabs engaged, and the horn was hard to get to make contact. Original replacements for those spacers are not available. On the advice of fordor41, I ordered an assortment of black nylon spacers and washers from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBBC9SR1...roduct_details That $5.00 set includes 30 pieces which are 7mm in diameter (fits nicely in the 5/16" hole), 5mm high (just a shade over 3/16"), and has a 4mm diameter hole that nicely accommodates the 1/8" diameter screw. The set also comes with thin nylon washers of 9mm diameter, which is big enough to cap the 5/16 hole in the attachment plate. I cleaned the light corrosion off of the attachment plate and the inside of the horn ring to ensure good electrical contact. The foam ring you can buy anywhere. It acts like a firm spring, and works fine. I put it all together and with a strong push-and-turn got all three tabs to engage, without breaking those famously breakable spokes on the '41 horn ring. The horn ring now sits level and works properly. I think that all horn rings from '41 through '48 attach the same, so this fix might work for any of you having trouble with improper horn ring function.