Horn wire hole leaking

[46plymike]

Anyone have this experience? What is happening that all of my gear oil has emptied out of the horn wire hole. It just started and got progressively worse Thanks ,Mike

[Andydodge]

That hole is actually a metal plate with a tube crimped/welded into it that goes past the steering box "reservoir" so I'd say the tube has a hole/crack in it or the seal has given up the ghost....lol.........have you got a workshop manual that shows what I'm talking about?..............when you undo the 4 small bolts/screws there are shims a spring and washers/oil seals and you should be able to see what the reason/problem is............make a note of EXACTLY what is there and in what order...........andyd

[46plymike]

Ok, thanks. I have a manual but the picture and directions didn't address it at all. I will take note of break down . Thanks again

[plymjim]

Had a similar experience with my '48.Turned out to be the gasket

leaking. You'll have to remove the plate referenced by Andydodge

in any event. As he says be careful to take note of what you remove

& in what order. Real slippery stuff in there. It all slid out onto the

floor when I did mine. Lot of fun trying to hold it all together, keep the

gasket dry, replace the bolts all while hanging upside down over

the fender. Hope you get it done ok.

 

[46plymike]

Thanks, Jim and Andy

It  doesn't appear to be the gasket/shims . I recall pushing a snake through the steering column to pull the wire through. In retrospect I was my own worst enemy. I created the leak . But it only weaped at first notice, now it's full on. Are there any replacement parts for the crimp or a better solution for hole repair? 

[Andydodge]

So what is the exact problem?........is the crimped piece leaking?............welding it maybe problematic although brazing or soldering might be easier and able to seal the crimp/crack......... I doubt whether you would find a replacement bottom plate as its really something that would normally come with a replacement steering box and would not have been expected to actaually wear out......maybe years ago there may have been something able to be ordered.........maybe try Andy Bernbaums or even try & find a 2nd hand steering box, as far as I know that part would be the same from 1939-40 up to the early 50's at least...........hopefully..............lol...........actually just had a thought.....I may have one..........its 11pm here in Oz so I'll have a look in the morning........andyd

[46plymike]

11pm! Where is Oz? Lol! So I pulled it apart and it has a few pin holes in it. It's a hard copper tube so that was an easy fix. I stuck the appropriate drill bit backwards for a backer and they soldered right up ,then shaped with a file. I think the real problem is that there is a seal that goes between the springs cup washer and the bearings hole . I'm going to try an o-ring ( Buna #110) let  you know how it holds up.

[Don Coatney]

Oz is down under. Andydodge is the wizards assistant bloke