TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sun Mar 15, 2020 3:38 pm

Wondering if anyone else might have used this kit. Cant get it to work, when I tighten down the screws, the contact ring is forced against the contact on the steering wheel.
https://www.westcoastmetric.com/i-22964981-113-670.html
At first I thought maybe the screws werent long enough, but I still have the original ones, and they are the same.

Sun Mar 15, 2020 4:48 pm

Looks like the standard kit most places sell. Why did you replace the screws/springs? Same problem? If so, make sure the contact ring on the horn isn't in backwards.

Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:35 am

joemama wrote: Wondering if anyone else might have used this kit. Cant get it to work, when I tighten down the screws, the contact ring is forced against the contact on the steering wheel.
https://www.westcoastmetric.com/i-22964981-113-670.html
At first I thought maybe the screws weren't long enough, but I still have the original ones, and they are the same.

One does NOT screw those down all the way !!!

Mon Mar 16, 2020 11:22 am

I do, but don't crank them since they will distort on the end. BUT have used small washers to space them back a little in occasion.

Mon Mar 16, 2020 11:22 am

Mainly replaced the stock old stuff because the isolator looked to be in bad shape. I was also missing 1 spring, but I could have found one at the hardware store. Thanks for the information that the screws are not to be tightened down. I will try leaving them loose, but the threaded portion of the screw is not all that long.

Mon Mar 16, 2020 11:48 am

You don't need much to get it to work. Like I said, I tighten mine down, but once in a while I have to add a small washer at the end and it gives enough. And you snug them down evenly as you go.

Wow...I think this is the first time I disagreed with Cusser.....LOL

Mon Mar 16, 2020 1:13 pm

andk5591 wrote: You don't need much to get it to work. Like I said, I tighten mine down, but once in a while I have to add a small washer at the end and it gives enough. And you snug them down evenly as you go.

Wow...I think this is the first time I disagreed with Cusser.....LOL

That's OK to disagree.

1. Don't overtighten these and strip out the threaded holes

2. I try to tighten up evenly, and keep trying the horn ring for actuation at various points around its rim. When the horn can be actuated from multiple areas, I stop tightening.

Note that my experience is with 1970 and 1970 VWs, but have done such work on earlier VWs back in the 1970s at work. I have no experience with these on 1972-on VWs.

Tue Mar 17, 2020 5:32 am

The one thing that I have seen repeatedly with overtightening is the bottom of the screw mushrooms out, effectively shortening it just a little, and if I didnt have a replacement set of screws, the little washers did the trick.