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MG MGB Technical - Wiring Horn push to a Moto-Lita help!

I hope someone can help. How do I wire up this horn push to my 1969 MGB RD.(see photos) My B came with a Moto-Lita steering wheel and this horn push fitted by the PO, the brass slip ring etc is all good but the horn has never been connected up. All I can find on the interweb is how to attach this type of horn to a pencil horn push fitted to later B’s. Can it be done to a 69? This plastic MG horn push has metal plates inside which i think when pushed connect and make a circuit, if wired up right is this correct?


Dave MGB

This looks like my 67 car. The horn has 12v permanently on one side and you earth this point to sound it. My horn push is different to yours, its a clunking chrome affair and fixes with grub screws throught the wheel hub.
Stan Best

I have exactly the same arrangement on my '69 GT. First, check that it is going to work by earthing the central pip that I can see sticking out of your steering column. Earthing this should make the horn blow.

Assuming that works, you now need to alter the back of the horn push so that when you press the button the central screw touches that pip. The circuit is then earthed via the spring thing at the edge of the centre cap through the steering wheel boss. To make this happen I found a couple of nuts that fit the screw and then made a small bent piece of copper strip that I drilled so that it could be fixed to that screw. The strip was bent until pressing the horn push brought it into contact with the column pip.

This arrangement won't carry a lot of current, but if your horns are wired with a relay, them it will work fine. Mine has been OK for more than two years so far.
Mike Howlett

Presumably you have the insulated slip-ring on the column, which is what that pip in the centre of the end of the shaft connects to, and a brush rubbing on the slip-ring as the column is turned is connected to the horns which have 12v on the other side of them. The Moto-Lita should pick up an earth via that wire spring on the edge from the steering wheel boss and thence the main part of the column and the switch inside the centre connects that to the pip in the end of the column to sound the horns. Your horn push looks exactly the same as mine which has a wire on it going to the slip-ring on the back of the *wheel*, which is what was used from 71 on. If it *is* the same it may not be contacting the pip in the column reliably. Have a look at http://www.mgb-stuff.org.uk/hp.htm which has pictures and descriptions of the various arrangements used.
PaulH Solihull

I've never fitted a Moto Lita wheel, but I've fitted a couple of other after market brands. I gave up trying to make the horns work with the arrangements they provided & used the later type of indicator switch with the horn push on the end of the stalk. I found ones sold for Minis were cheaper than those sold for MGs If you're worried about originality, it's already lost with the Moto lita wheel. Barrie E
B Egerton

This Moto-Lita went on in 1969. Its always worked flawsessly via the hornpush ever since, it does not have a relay and drives twin horns, I also have a pair of Maserati air horns with spring loaded toggle on a perid auxiliary panel, no reason other than a bit of fun. The push is original ATM but I may be putting a replacement one on next year as like it's owner it's no longer as new.


Stan Best

This thread was discussed between 13/12/2010 and 15/12/2010

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