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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - How to get the horn.........working

I have been trying to get the horn working on my sprite as the PO had used the headlamp flasher.

Has anyone got any picture of doing this with a Mountney Steering boss, from what I can tell I have a slip ring missing has anyone got any picturtes that I can work from?

Cheers
Shaun

just pull the wire out of the steering column
and atatch it to the center of the center cap.

pop it open and put a smal bolt throug the head will make contact with the spring the spring makes contact with the boss and that makes contact with the column witch is ground
Onno Könemann

1st...do you know that the horns will actually work...test 1st.


prop
Prop

Shaun,
I had a Mountney on the Sprite a while ago. I believe you have to take the slip ring off the original boss and screw it to the new boss and then attach a wire from the new horn push to the slip ring (solder). If you use a long enough wire you may be able to do as Onno states and not use a slip ring but one is advisable.


Steve
Steve Church

I took apart my 72 Midge that has a mountney and works and found said slip ring, the sprite being 67 had a different horn arrangement and therefor did not have the same style slip ring as the later models.

I am now on the look out for somebody who has a later style slip ring I can acquire as the cost from Moss/MGOC seems a bit expensive for what it is.

I have all ready tried the piece of wire but found that when you turn full lock it would short and the horn sound, funny at the time but just not practical for the MOT.

So I am after part no BHA5042

Cheers Shaun

Shaun

I have a mountney boss and the PO decided it didn't need a slip ring! That said it works so if it ain't broke ...

The push button makes a closed circuit between the three small metal clips which hold it in the boss and the spade terminal on the back of it. The idea is that the boss is earthed via the column, and the spade terminal connects to the negative side of the horn or relay if you have one. So there's two potential problems - 1) The column might not be a good earth. 2) You need a slip ring or somesuch to maintain the wire to the spade when the wheel is turned lock to lock. In my case both have been problematic for the PO. The wire to the spade is wound around the column about a dozen times, allowing it to turn with the wheel without becomming too tight or too slack on full lock. There's then a section of column which has been emery-papered to a shiney finish, and a piece of fairly thick bare copper wire it wrapped around it several times and then connected to a good chassis ground, thereby earthing the column. None of this is ideal, but if you haven't got a slip ring, and you're not a heavy horn user, then my setup will work just fine.

Ant
Ant Allen

Mine has the earth wire attched to the pinch nut at the bottm of the steering column (frogeye) to the chassis. Again it's wound around to stop it breaking free on full lock.
Gary Lazarus

I used an OEM slip ring and surround, standard horn brush and modified the brush length and fit until it worked. Make your own parts. I had to have a horn that worked from the center push as I use mine and the previous PO installed dash push button was not convenient enough. My wheel and hub are an old version of these from VB http://www.victoriabritish.com/icatalog/sm/full.aspx?Page=65
J Van Dyke

You might want to contemplate using a relay, too. Yes, I know that the only use Lucas had for a relay was to render a lamp intermittent (turn signal relay) when the switches didn't do that well enough, but they really do have their uses.
David "just relaying ideas" Lieb
David Lieb

Problem resolved, I was missing a slip ring, I have good earth at the boss. So I manufactured one using a piece of 28mm copper pipe and two tie wraps as it had the pick up still attached to the indicator stalk.

Works a treat and I have a horn that works from the centre push of the steering wheel.

Thanks all, now onto how to make the headlight flasher work.

Shaun
Shaun

This thread was discussed between 30/06/2009 and 09/07/2009

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