Magneto won't work after correctly to my knowledge installing the horn
Forum rules
If you need help logging in, or have question about how something works, use the Support forum located here Support Forum
Complete set of Forum Rules Forum Rules
If you need help logging in, or have question about how something works, use the Support forum located here Support Forum
Complete set of Forum Rules Forum Rules
-
Topic author - Posts: 78
- Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2025 4:41 pm
- First Name: Lucas
- Last Name: Milatti
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1917 Model T Touring
- Location: Saint cloud FL
- Board Member Since: 2025
Magneto won't work after correctly to my knowledge installing the horn
last edit i think: Someone brought to my attention this being the wrong horn, I kinda thought so as well, I am not going to buy another horn any time soon, but what horn would be correct?
Edit again: Teflon on the bolt and a rubber washer before the nut fixed my issues.
Edit: how do I isolate the bracket from the steering column bolt, is there some sleeve to stop the bolt from touching the inside of said bracket?
I found that that was my issue.
I got a magneto horn for my 17 ages ago, and the bracket also ages ago but before I got the bracket I just sat the horn inside and ran the wires to it, it worked all fine. Today I actually decided to put it in right and I attached it to the bracket and the bracket to the car thus one went on the steering column bolts after doing all that it won't run on magneto. I need to get pics but what might cause this? Also I put a new wire from the button to the horn.
Edit again: Teflon on the bolt and a rubber washer before the nut fixed my issues.
Edit: how do I isolate the bracket from the steering column bolt, is there some sleeve to stop the bolt from touching the inside of said bracket?
I found that that was my issue.
I got a magneto horn for my 17 ages ago, and the bracket also ages ago but before I got the bracket I just sat the horn inside and ran the wires to it, it worked all fine. Today I actually decided to put it in right and I attached it to the bracket and the bracket to the car thus one went on the steering column bolts after doing all that it won't run on magneto. I need to get pics but what might cause this? Also I put a new wire from the button to the horn.
Last edited by LittleTimmy52 on Mon Jun 09, 2025 10:12 am, edited 3 times in total.
-
Topic author - Posts: 78
- Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2025 4:41 pm
- First Name: Lucas
- Last Name: Milatti
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1917 Model T Touring
- Location: Saint cloud FL
- Board Member Since: 2025
Re: Magneto won't work after correctly to my knowledge installing the horn
Since it's AC does it matter which wire goes to what post? Would that be it?
-
Topic author - Posts: 78
- Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2025 4:41 pm
- First Name: Lucas
- Last Name: Milatti
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1917 Model T Touring
- Location: Saint cloud FL
- Board Member Since: 2025
Re: Magneto won't work after correctly to my knowledge installing the horn
Also as much as I like to remove the horn to test, my firewall is wood and the square slot for one of the bolts is rotted a bit and I don't want to chance rounding that square more than it is
-
Topic author - Posts: 78
- Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2025 4:41 pm
- First Name: Lucas
- Last Name: Milatti
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1917 Model T Touring
- Location: Saint cloud FL
- Board Member Since: 2025
Re: Magneto won't work after correctly to my knowledge installing the horn
I have a hypothesis I think the Horn's body is grinding through the steering column Bolt because one of the bolts is off the steering column the other one just goes through the wood and isn't touching anything. Would grounding the outside of the horn kill the magneto power? Also how would I prevent grounding on that one Bolt just two rubber washers or is it more than that?
-
Topic author - Posts: 78
- Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2025 4:41 pm
- First Name: Lucas
- Last Name: Milatti
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1917 Model T Touring
- Location: Saint cloud FL
- Board Member Since: 2025
Re: Magneto won't work after correctly to my knowledge installing the horn
I switched the wires and now it will run off magneto but the horn won't stop sounding
-
Topic author - Posts: 78
- Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2025 4:41 pm
- First Name: Lucas
- Last Name: Milatti
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1917 Model T Touring
- Location: Saint cloud FL
- Board Member Since: 2025
Re: Magneto won't work after correctly to my knowledge installing the horn
With a little bit of multimeter probing it seems to me that the body of the magneto horn is shorting out through the one bolt on the steering column which is grounded and the body is indeed supposed to be isolated because one of the posts is directly on the body with continuity. Is there some sort of fail to rubber washer or something I need to put on?
-
Topic author - Posts: 78
- Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2025 4:41 pm
- First Name: Lucas
- Last Name: Milatti
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1917 Model T Touring
- Location: Saint cloud FL
- Board Member Since: 2025
Re: Magneto won't work after correctly to my knowledge installing the horn
I don't know if it helps or not but here's the picture of the back side of the horn it has one insulated and one uninsulated post
-
- Posts: 4726
- Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 12:24 pm
- First Name: john
- Last Name: karvaly
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 14/15 wide track roadster. 23 touring, 27 roadster pickup, 20ish rajo touring
- Location: orange, ca
- Board Member Since: 2020
Re: Magneto won't work after correctly to my knowledge installing the horn
I would think both need to be insulated to the body. I think thats what you discovered in your testing/trouble shooting.
-
Topic author - Posts: 78
- Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2025 4:41 pm
- First Name: Lucas
- Last Name: Milatti
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1917 Model T Touring
- Location: Saint cloud FL
- Board Member Since: 2025
Re: Magneto won't work after correctly to my knowledge installing the horn
I just put a ton of Teflon tape around the threads then a rubber washer on that steering column bolt and it's all fine and dandy. Thanks though
-
- Posts: 1230
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 5:39 pm
- First Name: James
- Last Name: Golden
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Model T Roadster
- Location: Bowie, MD
Re: Magneto won't work after correctly to my knowledge installing the horn
The Top Right insulated terminal goes directly to the Magneto Post.
The Lower wire is providing a ground to make the horn blow.
The other end of that wire should go to the horn button.
The other wire from the horn button should go to ground.
Both of the horn wires should be black.
The Lower wire is providing a ground to make the horn blow.
The other end of that wire should go to the horn button.
The other wire from the horn button should go to ground.
Both of the horn wires should be black.
-
- Posts: 6609
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 7:21 pm
- First Name: Allan
- Last Name: Bennett
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 van, 1917 shooting brake, 1929 roadster buckboard, 1924 tourer, 1925 barn find buckboard, 1925 D &F wide body roadster, 1927LHD Tudor sedan.
- Location: Gawler, Australia
Re: Magneto won't work after correctly to my knowledge installing the horn
James has nailed it, I think. One wire to the magneto post. The second one goes to the switch. The top-of-the-column switch used on a 1917 model has an inbuilt ground connection in the form of a brass plate on the bottom that has a tab going to the other switch terminal.When the button is pressed, the ground is made and the horn blows.Relying on the column tube mounted to a wooden firewall is not going to work unless the steering shaft or the control rods make the ground.
On the Canadian cars with which I am familiar, the grounding device was deleted from the switch when battery horns were introduced and a second wire was added to make the circuit.
Allan from down under.
On the Canadian cars with which I am familiar, the grounding device was deleted from the switch when battery horns were introduced and a second wire was added to make the circuit.
Allan from down under.
-
- Posts: 367
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 1:36 pm
- First Name: Colin
- Last Name: Mavins
- Location: Winnipeg Canada
Re: Magneto won't work after correctly to my knowledge installing the horn
witch horn would be the earlier horn one with 2 posts or just 1 post I have both and was going to put one on my 1912 touring.
-
- Posts: 6609
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 7:21 pm
- First Name: Allan
- Last Name: Bennett
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 van, 1917 shooting brake, 1929 roadster buckboard, 1924 tourer, 1925 barn find buckboard, 1925 D &F wide body roadster, 1927LHD Tudor sedan.
- Location: Gawler, Australia
Re: Magneto won't work after correctly to my knowledge installing the horn
Colin, battery horns have just one post. I don't think I have seen a two post magneto horn, but that doesn't mean there is such a beast.
Allan from down under.
Allan from down under.
-
- Posts: 5172
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:18 pm
- First Name: Steve
- Last Name: Tomaso
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1914 Touring, 1919 Centerdoor, 1924 TT C-Cab Express, 1925 Racer
- Location: Longbranch, WA
- Board Member Since: 2001
Re: Magneto won't work after correctly to my knowledge installing the horn
There's a photo above of a 2 post mag. horn !
-
- Posts: 6609
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 7:21 pm
- First Name: Allan
- Last Name: Bennett
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 van, 1917 shooting brake, 1929 roadster buckboard, 1924 tourer, 1925 barn find buckboard, 1925 D &F wide body roadster, 1927LHD Tudor sedan.
- Location: Gawler, Australia
Re: Magneto won't work after correctly to my knowledge installing the horn
Thanks Steve. Sometimes the "bleeding obvious" is not seen. I have no idea how such a thing would be wired up to work.
Allan from down under.
Allan from down under.
-
- Posts: 4082
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 4:06 pm
- First Name: Jerry
- Last Name: Van
- Location: S.E. Michigan
-
- Posts: 6609
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 7:21 pm
- First Name: Allan
- Last Name: Bennett
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 van, 1917 shooting brake, 1929 roadster buckboard, 1924 tourer, 1925 barn find buckboard, 1925 D &F wide body roadster, 1927LHD Tudor sedan.
- Location: Gawler, Australia
Re: Magneto won't work after correctly to my knowledge installing the horn
The steering columns in early cars with magneto horns initially had a small tube to carry a single wire up to the switch on top of the column. That tube was fixed to the column with separate spot welded saddles. Then they devised a single wire U shaped tube. There was only a need for a single wire as the switch was used to ground the circuit via the steering column components. So, it looks like one wire from the mag post directly to the horn, and a second wire from the horn to the switch which is used to make the ground.
Two wires were run through a larger U shaped channel on the later cars with battery horns.
It looks like I was confused. Not that unusual when electrics are involved. The horns with one terminal are the battery horns. Being mounted on the engine an internal ground is assured. One of two wires up the column delivers power to the switch and the switch then delivers power to the horn, down the other.
Allan from down under, I think!
Two wires were run through a larger U shaped channel on the later cars with battery horns.
It looks like I was confused. Not that unusual when electrics are involved. The horns with one terminal are the battery horns. Being mounted on the engine an internal ground is assured. One of two wires up the column delivers power to the switch and the switch then delivers power to the horn, down the other.
Allan from down under, I think!