Stator Tube
The accompanying drawings (3) are taken from the Service Parts Manual, page 90 and show the exploded view of the late (ZB) Horn/Turn signal Assy. If you have the Shop Manual for the ZB, the same drawing can be found on page J.4, but without the view for the latter assy.
The problem with the horn blowing when the steering wheel is turned, is in all likelihood the result of the horn push assy needing to be adjusted. This is assuming that the tube through the steering column is intact and is not allowing the Horn/Turn Signal assy to rotate with the steering wheel. See Drawing 2 for the following explanation.
The
lower part of piece 84 (motif support) in the drawing is bolted to piece 85
(horn ring and contact) and can cause a certain amount of distortion in piece 85
especially if any spacers, washers, etc. are missing. This will cause a high or
low spot on the inner ring of piece 85, allowing it to touch piece 95 (bottom
contact) and cause the horn to blow. If you look at the drawing of piece 85, you
will notice three studs that go through spring, piece 87 (horn ring return
spring, 3 each) and through piece 90 (sleeve and horn ring bracket assy). There
are shown in the view, unidentified nut and washers, again there are nuts and
washers for each stud, even though there is only one shown. It is these nuts
that adjust piece 85 up or down. The problem is how to get to these three
adjusting nuts and it is here that thing begin to get complicated. Obviously,
one has to raise this whole Horn/Turn Signal Assy. sufficiently high, out of the
steering wheel hub, to gain access to the nuts.
See Drawings 1 and 3 for the following explanation.
Start the removal/access process by undoing the wire connections at the end of
the steering column (keep track of which wire goes where, you will be tested on
this when you have to put everything back together). in Drawing 3, remove item
23 (nut, olive). Remove item 22 (stator tube olive). Don't worry about taking
these items completely off, just let them hang from the wires. The stator olive
may be a problem to remove as it is this piece that pinches down on item 93
(stator tube) to hold it in place. If the olive will not come off of the stator
tube, you will be faced with a dilemma. The lower portion of the stator tube can
be pulled out of the end of the steering column, but it may be a bit dicey to
get it back into place as it slides over or in the next tube in line and is
keyed so it will not allow any rotation of the tubes. It is possible to get
things back together blind in the steering column, but you may have to withdraw
the whole thing, which means cutting off the wire connector bullets, getting a
new lower tube (standard steal brake tubing can be modified to work and getting
a new olive from NTG (you have been warned). Next is to remove the three stator
ring to steering wheel grub screws (item 94 on Drawing 1), only one of three
shown in drawing. Once everything is loose, the whole Horn/Turn Signal assy can
be lifted up out of the steering wheel hub and the three adjusting nuts run up
or down to insure that the horn contacts hit evenly all the way around when the
horn rim is pushed, but that the contacts do not touch anywhere when the
steering wheel is rotated. This is a trial and error adjustment - adjust,
reassemble, test, @#%$ it, remove , adjust , reassemble, test. Eventually
everything will work as it is supposed to and you can button it up and quit
worrying next time you are behind a bunch of mean looking biker dudes and want
to turn the steering wheel.
It has been something like ten years since I had to fix and adjust the Horn/Turn
Signal Assy on my car, so I may have forgotten something. As I said above, a
standard steal brake tube can be used for the lower stator tube. As I remember,
it is 5/16 ID and it will have to be slotted at the top und to receive the key
on the next tube up.
Good luck,
Dave DuBois,USA
The large brass nut at the base of the colum locks the stator tube via an olive.
It is necessary to undo the nut BEFORE removing the tube. It is in one long
section, and can be withdrawn up into the car only if the steering wheel clamp
is undone and the tube lowered.
You might find that cleaning up the nut, olive and tube lower end, you can
re-clamp the tube with the olive.
Neil Cairns,UK
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