MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - Horn button in Steering wheel centerpiece

I recently bought an early 50s Morris Minor steering wheel on e-bay (the sacred octagon said it was the same one used on the TD/TF, and it is). When I dis-assembled it I found that the center button was a push switch wired down thru the shaft. I have never noticed a horn button in the steering wheels on any TD or TF. (Although I never looked). Does anyone know of any T's that have horn buttons like this? Was it an aftermarket item? Or only used on certain models? It might be a nice feature to leave in when I switch steering wheels.

Terry
Terry Jacobs

Terry - None of the T series cars had a center horn push on the steering wheel and it would take quite a bit of fussing around to adapt one to a TD or TF. I have a center portion of a steering wheel that has a horn push in it and did not know where it had come from, so it is nice to find someone else with one who does know where it came from. You might want to put a query on the Y type BBS as there may be one of them that uses that kind of a horn push. Good luck - Dave
David DuBois

Terry,

The Y-type has a horn button in the steering wheel (and a ring switch that actuates the trafficators)

Willem van der Veer

Terry
I owned a Morris Minor 1000 in the early sixties and it had a horn button in the centre of the steering wheel.
John
PS. They were grea little cars.
John James

Terry

The TD steering wheel is identical to the Y Saloon and Y Tourer, both having a horn button in the centre. The saloon and YT/EXU model also used the trafficator switch (also fitted on the steering column) to control the trafficators on the saloon and the indicators on the YT/EXU model. Indicators were not fitted to YT/EXR & YT/EXL models.

However, the Y used a slip ring attached to the steering column. The wires were feed through the steering column and returned up the column to the slip ring. The indicators and horn were then connected to the slip ring. The TD did not have this feature and unfortunately the Y type steering column is a different length to that used on the T Type.

To my knowledge all TDs had the horn button on the dashboard, thus enabling the Navigator/Passenger to activate the horn as well as the driver.

David Pelham

Thanks everyone. I checked the Y board and it has a lot of discussion on this type of horn button, with enough information to have scared me away from trying to make mine work. The troubles seem to be with the "slip ring" David P described. There's already enough to go wrong with my circuits without adding more problems. Thanks again for all the comments.

Terry
Terry Jacobs

<<<snip>>>
However, the Y used a slip ring attached to the steering column. The wires were feed through the steering column and returned up the column to the slip ring.
<<<Snip>>>

Moss used to make up a kit that was based on this principle. I have one installed on my TD. The only problem is that if you don't use the car for a while, the steel slip ring rusts. The contact between the ring and the finger doesn't work and you've got no horn until the rust works off. It should have been made of brass instead. I installed it so I could use the hole for an oil temp gauge.

Blake
Bullwinkle

The MGB has a horn in the steering wheel using slip ring technology. Perhaps the boss could be modified for a TD/TF. My 72 B had a Moto-lita boss and wheel which looked very similar to the one on my TF
John James

If anybody EVER sees a serviceable Y-type slip ring assembly at some autojumble or in a parts bin, PLEASE contact me immediately, thank you guys.
Remo Peter

This thread was discussed between 08/12/2003 and 15/12/2003

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG TD TF 1500 BBS is active now.