66 horn relay

[Jack P.]

My horn relay after 45 years is clicking instead of blowing my horns.

I did what any good corvette owner does, and hit it with a small hammer.

Horns blew. But it started to click again, hammer trick stopped working

Does it have value as an original relay, should I , can I have it rebuilt, or should I just by a new one. Can you get new guts and put your old cover on it.

I am all ears

Jack

[Ronald L.]

Re: 66 horn relay

Jack both, just depends upon your mission with the car.

[Dick W.]

Re: 66 horn relay

My horn relay after 45 years is clicking instead of blowing my horns.

I did what any good corvette owner does, and hit it with a small hammer.

Horns blew. But it started to click again, hammer trick stopped working

Does it have value as an original relay, should I , can I have it rebuilt, or should I just by a new one. Can you get new guts and put your old cover on it.

I am all ears

Jack

John Pirkle, Jr at Master City can rebuild it for you. He advertises in the Driveline.

[Edward J.]

Re: 66 horn relay

Jack, take the relay off and open it up( Just has two tangs that need to be bent over) take your wifes nail file and clean the point contacts on both side and try it. its generally a easy fix, it sounds like the relay it self is still working (The clicking noise). also check the horn conection also and check it for power when you press horn button.

[Jack P.]

Re: 66 horn relay

Jack, take the relay off and open it up( Just has two tangs that need to be bent over) take your wifes nail file and clean the point contacts on both side and try it. its generally a easy fix, it sounds like the relay it self is still working (The clicking noise). also check the horn conection also and check it for power when you press horn button.

Thanks to all for comments. I will take it apart and see if I can clean up the points. As I stated , the relay does make a loud click, and with a few raps on it, it worked. I have looked online and have a good idea of how it works.

I painted it, just before my 48 state trip and it looks like a bad paint job. So it would be a good time to redo the cover properly .

I don't know what proper is yet, but I am sure some one can point me in the right direction.

As for the direction of my car use, it will always be driven, and never judged in any NCRS type of show. Kind of hard to make a car look factory fresh, if it is a daily driver for 8 months of the year, and a weekly, conditions permitting, in the winter.

But I do like to restore original parts if possible, but most important to me is that parts be safe and reliable. My engine is original with almost 300,000 miles on it. It just shows you how hardy the 327 was and is. I am out to 60 over, so no more engine rebuilds unless I (sleeve it ?)

I will photo my work on the relay, and if it works, good for the car and me and some other members who want to give it a go.

That is the fun of owning an old corvette. Solving problems & many times, creating problems so you can solve them

Jack

[Valeria H.]

Re: 66 horn relay

Hey Jack,
I do not have anything to add to the discussion except as a default have John Pirkle Jr restore it if all else fails.

Just wanted to say hello and hope you find a solution to your horn problem.

We, who own old corvettes need to be able to "toot" our horns as much as possible!!

[Russ S.]

Re: 66 horn relay

Cover should be silver plated.

[Jack P.]

Re: 66 horn relay

Cover should be silver plated.

Thanks Russ, in real terms, is it something that I can do, or should I just drop it off at the local metal chrome co. , who did my seat side rails ?

I would not mind giving a try if I don't have to buy supplies to plate the world.

Jack

[Joe L.]

Re: 66 horn relay

Thanks Russ, in real terms, is it something that I can do, or should I just drop it off at the local metal chrome co. , who did my seat side rails ?

I would not mind giving a try if I don't have to buy supplies to plate the world.

Jack

Jack------

If you take just the cover to a local plater for re-plating it could be the most expensive cover you could imagine. Usually, platers have a minimum charge and I've never known one to be less than 100 bucks (probably a lot more by now). So, if you take them a single piece or a whole batch of pieces (that falls within the minimum order size), you pay the minimum charge.

This is why folks usually go with the home plating kits when they only have a few pieces to have plated.

[Jack P.]

Re: 66 horn relay

Jack, take the relay off and open it up( Just has two tangs that need to be bent over) take your wifes nail file and clean the point contacts on both side and try it. its generally a easy fix, it sounds like the relay it self is still working (The clicking noise). also check the horn conection also and check it for power when you press horn button.

Hi,

I took apart the horn relay. I found 46 years worth of rust and junk, but all was intact. Filed points and cleaned up case and base.

As you can see from photos, the coil and thin wire from the contact to coil was still intact. Once I cleaned parts and did a little rust prevention, I put back cover, installed back in car and

My two tone horns are working again. I wait on the silver plating, save it for my son when he gets the car.

The pictures are in order of taking apart and working on parts

















All cleaned and ready to put back in car



Toot! Toot! Tweet! Tweet!

[Jack P.]

Re: 66 horn relay

Additional information on horns not said in above post.

As I was restoring the car before my trip, my horns had stopped working. They were out of the car and I noticed that they rattled.

I did not take them apart, but began to shake them , tons of sand and dirt from years on the road came out. I kept this up until it stopped.

I put the horns back on car and they worked perfectly . If your horns have never been off the car and I would take them off and give them a shake out. Because of the way they are attached, dirt can go in but not come out. Your relay may also need the little fix , but I am sure emptying the horns will help.

But if that little wire from the terminal to the coil is still intact, a cleaning be all it needs. I just lifted one tab, then slid out cover. The tabs are small and can be broken .

Jack

[Glen C.]

Re: 66 horn relay

I recently had a similiar problem with the horns on my 66. After cleaning the contacts in the horn relay, one of my horns was still intermittent. I ordered the horn rebuild kit that includes the horn diaphrams from Long Island Corvette. There are enough pieces (rivets, gaskets, HI & LOW diaphrams, instructions) to rebuild both horns for about $35. When I disassembled the low tone horn the diaphram had rusted through, and there was alot of rust sand & bugs.

[Don L.]

Re: 66 horn relay

Jeeez, Jack. When I look at the photos of your dis-assembled relay, I can almost smell 45 years worth of salt air. Glad to hear you brought it back to life!

[Joe R.]

Re: 66 horn relay

I recently had a similiar problem with the horns on my 66. After cleaning the contacts in the horn relay, one of my horns was still intermittent. I ordered the horn rebuild kit that includes the horn diaphrams from Long Island Corvette. There are enough pieces (rivets, gaskets, HI & LOW diaphrams, instructions) to rebuild both horns for about $35. When I disassembled the low tone horn the diaphram had rusted through, and there was alot of rust sand & bugs.

Glen,

How did it work after rebuild? As good as new?

Joe

[Glen C.]

Re: 66 horn relay

Glen,

How did it work after rebuild? As good as new?

Joe

It looked & sounded good! The only way to tell it was rebuilt was the cross hatch marks (from my bench vice) on the crushed end of the rivets had a slightly different pattern than on the original rivets.