Removing horn cap on a '59

[MinnesotaPaul]

I have to get in and do some work on my turn signal switch. The housing around the switch moves when I turn the signals on and off. This requires removing the horn cap and steering wheel. How is the cap attached? Or more precisely, how is it removed?

Do I need a wheel puller to remove the steering wheel?

And finally, how is the housing around the signal switch (actually the whole assembly) held secure?

Thanks for your help.
Paul

 

[JohnZ]

The horn button just snaps on and off - just pop it off with a flat screwdriver. Yup, you'll need a steering wheel puller, and mark the steering shaft and the wheel hub before you pull it so you get it back on indexed exactly the same way, or the cancelling mechanism won't work. The bowl just clamps on the O.D. of the tube with a screw and wedge arrangement - phillips screw at the front of the bowl (facing the cluster). Disconnect the battery first.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Yes.Definately disconnect the battery first. Looks like our '59s were pretty close at one time. Mine is #881.

 

[MinnesotaPaul]

Tom and John,

Thanks for the help. I will disconnect the battery lest I scare myself to death working on the horn!

How does one get at the phillips screw - the one facing the cluster? Perhaps this will be obvious when I get into this. Right now the housing moves a bit everytime I put on my turn signal.

Tom, yes, looks like our cars are just 40 SN's apart.

This is my first Corvette. It seems like a good car but I'm finding all sorts of little things to work on.

Thanks again.

Paul

 

[Tom Bryant]

This is my first Corvette. It seems like a good car but I'm finding all sorts of little things to work on.

.

Paul

We could trade cars then you could find all sorts of BIG things to work on. :L

Tom

 

[Toy4Hal]

Paul, just did this project myself today. Wish I had of looked here first. Would have saved me much time. All the aformentioned data is correct. Wheel cap pulls off straight. Nothing holding it except the pressure clips. I was able to pry mine off by hand, (once I understood it was not attached some other way).

Then the horn contact is removed with three screws (phillips). Then the single nut (3/4") holding the wheel on the spline.

My process then was to remove the lower steering column cover (one screw-dead center). That allowed me to get to that screw holding the turn signal housing.

Now, all that said, that same little screw is what secures that turn signal housing. So, if your only issue is that the housing is loose, you might get lucky by just tightening that one little screw.

Assuming you need to continue, once you loosen that turn signal housing ans let it slide down, you can use a large screwdriver to help you "pry" the steering wheel off.

Hope this helps.

Hal