How to extract horn from nose in my '81?

[Last triumph]

The horns in my '81 are positioned left and right between the head lamp assembly and the fender of the car and can just about be reached by hand by putting my had through he gap left by the open bonnet. One of them is inoperable and I want to remove it to rebuild it.

Problem is, it simply will not fit through the gap between the headlight assembly and the surrounding structure no matter the orientation.

What is the prescribed method for removing these horns that are not in the earlier and more convenient position of between the head lights?

Can't reach from underneath the air dam or via the wheel well as its all sealed off with no removable access panel.

 

[Oneball]

Does having the headlights up make a difference?

 

[Last triumph]

Sadly not, it is the side support plates that are in the way which do not move during articulation.

 

[Chuffer]

Sorry , can`t help there . My horns are between the headlights in the nose being a 1980 . The mind boggles as to why they changed things on the 1981 .

 

[johng]

Are the grills by the indicator lights removable? Would that give you access?

 

[Last triumph]

Are the grills by the indicator lights removable? Would that give you access?

Yes, removable, no, doesn't help access from that area - not enough gap.

However, via some contorting and mild swearing and removal of some skin, I managed to fish it out from behind and is now on the bench.

I put 12V across it whilst initially unresponsive, it springs to life, indicating dirty contacts inside. I'll strip, clean, rebuild and refit.

Thanks all!

 

[Chuffer]

Yes, removable, no, doesn't help access from that area - not enough gap.

However, via some contorting and mild swearing and removal of some skin, I managed to fish it out from behind and is now on the bench.

I put 12V across it whilst initially unresponsive, it springs to life, indicating dirty contacts inside. I'll strip, clean, rebuild and refit.

Thanks all!

Brilliant result It`s amazing how a few choice swear words and some ripped fingers can be more effective than even WD 40 and a big hammer sometimes !

 

[Last triumph]

Okay, so I have the horn all rebuilt and working, ready for installation. In fact I've got as far as getting it back within the shoe box sized cavity it lives, between the headlight support bracket and outer fender.

My issue is that I have to contort myself and bury my hand and arm up to almost the elbow to even remotely get the bracket to be somewhere (blind) in the vicinity of the rear of the mounting bracket - all by approximation and feel. But... and here comes the issue, my arm is exactly where I would need a helper to get a socket and extension to turn and tighten the screw for me to try and get it to blindly engage in the threads on the horn bracket.

I cannot fathom how on earth I'm going to do this.

 

[CaptainK]

Brilliant result It`s amazing how a few choice swear words and some ripped fingers can be more effective than even WD 40 and a big hammer sometimes !

This is so true. I was once swapping out a starter motor on my daily a fair few years back on the driveway. I had got all the nuts off bar one, and the last one was a right git and just wouldn't move. I tried as big a bar as I could get in there, kept trying as hard as I could with all my might and putting my weight into it etc, still no luck. And then in a moment of "very unlike me" I went into a rage and constantly swore at the blimmin thing and rattling the breaker bar in my rage. Then suddenly...... "gonk" .... it was loose. I swore again at it just to be sure and that bugger of a nut finally came off. My neighbours (a lovely, quiet street with nice people) must have wondered who that foul mouthed person was under my car

 

[Chuffer]

This is so true. I was once swapping out a starter motor on my daily a fair few years back on the driveway. I had got all the nuts off bar one, and the last one was a right git and just wouldn't move. I tried as big a bar as I could get in there, kept trying as hard as I could with all my might and putting my weight into it etc, still no luck. And then in a moment of "very unlike me" I went into a rage and constantly swore at the blimmin thing and rattling the breaker bar in my rage. Then suddenly...... "gonk" .... it was loose. I swore again at it just to be sure and that bugger of a nut finally came off. My neighbours (a lovely, quiet street with nice people) must have wondered who that foul mouthed person was under my car

My neighbour and I call it fuffing ! His drive and ours are side by side and when either of us are working on our cars there is always a lot of fuffing !!

 

[Last triumph]

No amount of swearing is turning me into Mr Tickle and permitting me space to get my arm in to position the horn correctly, whilst then giving me access to insert the bolt.

 

[Mr. Cricket]

No amount of swearing is turning me into Mr Tickle and permitting me space to get my arm in to position the horn correctly, whilst then giving me access to insert the bolt.

Best to walk away for a while. I stupidly removed the wiper door on the '71 to clean up the trough. Came off nice n easy but putting it back on took a year or two off my life and the dogs stayed away from the 'lunatic' in the garage for a few days. It would have been easier to break all fingers on my less dominant hand so they hinged backwards..

 

[johng]

How about mounting it somewhere a little more accessible?

 

[Chuffer]

How about mounting it somewhere a little more accessible?

Just what I was about to say . You beat me to it .

 

[Last triumph]

How about mounting it somewhere a little more accessible?

In theory yes, but I simply cannot and will not accept defeat - I just need to engineer a way to do it. I suspect there is a solution involving bent steel rods, masking tape and magnets to help align it from a remote stance whilst not blocking bolt access.

For the avoidance of doubt, this is the position of the horn on a '81 in mid restoration - easy access with the headlight structure removed....

The headlight support structure completely blocks in that area tight.

Here is what I have to deal with....

You can see the bolt holding the earth strap - behind that is where the bracket arm sits.

There is almost enough room to just about get part of your had between the headlight support structure and the bracket it mounts to vaguely manipulate the horn into kind of, almost, somewhere in the vicinity position, but only by blind feel at very awkward angles. Doing so effectively puts your arm and wrist directly in front of and obscuring that bolt - its very tight with no room to manipulate or move your arm whilst still trying to grip the horn with your finger tips without dropping it for the 73rd time.

 

[johng]

I admire your determination, but personally I'd just admit defeat and mount it somewhere that''s easy
On a different note, do you have access to the 81 in mid restoration, or is that just a photo you found on the internet? I would very much like to see a photo of the other end of the arrowed hose.

 

[Chuffer]

Would it help if you drilled a small hole through the top end of the retaining bolt at 90 degrees to the plane of the thread part way down its length , then thread a length of wire through it to use as a draw string to feed through the horn bracket and the hole on the body mounting and pull the assembly through until you can get a couple of turns on the nut to prevent it all falling off again . Does that make sense ?

 

[Last triumph]

I admire your determination, but personally I'd just admit defeat and mount it somewhere that''s easy
On a different note, do you have access to the 81 in mid restoration, or is that just a photo you found on the internet? I would very much like to see a photo of the other end of the arrowed hose.

View attachment 14327

Sorry, no access to the car in the picture, was provided by a US CF member.

Absolutely has to go back in the correct position otherwise I will fail at life by my own standards.

 

[Last triumph]

Would it help if you drilled a small hole through the top end of the retaining bolt at 90 degrees to the plane of the thread part way down its length , then thread a length of wire through it to use as a draw string to feed through the horn bracket and the hole on the body mounting and pull the assembly through until you can get a couple of turns on the nut to prevent it all falling off again . Does that make sense ?

Yes, a threaded wire to try and get them at least remote in position is my next attempt - the issue is getting it and holding it in the aligned position, true and square blocks access to the bolt which is lose in the hole, threading into the horn bracket, so its not like I can partially thread it into the hole in advance.

 

[Chuffer]

I wish you every success before you finally throw yourself on your sword rather than fail your self imposed `life` standards !