sealw98

So I have a 70 Cutlass with a sport wheel, it's missing the infamous" horn button", but when I plug the horn into the harness, they blow constantly. I pulled the steering wheel and removed the locking plate the horns stop blowing, as soon as I put the plate on and push it down just enough to get the ring on it makes contact again, and the horns are blaring again, are the horns set in a reverse ground system? Will getting a Horn button and installing solve this problem? Thanks for any help you all may lend to me.

MDchanic

When the horn wire is grounded, the horn blows.

You are grounding the horn wire.

- Eric

oldcutlass

Yes, the horn relay is activated by the ground wire from the horn button. Just disconnecting the horns does not disable the relay. You also need to pull the ground wire off the horn relay.

Octania

I suggest you fix it so that it works right. Damn handy thing to have, a horn.

oldcutlass

Pfffffft, I just get the wife to yell out the window.

sealw98

So is there a gasket that go in between the cam and the locking plate I believe the brass tabs may be grounding against the locking plate ?

sealw98

Here is the cam tabs I'm concerned with

Rustbucket2

Not sure about this , is the black locking plate upside down in the picture?

sealw98

As far as I know it's on correctly, I'm asking about the gasket, because I see them new online with like a black plastic ring around the top of the cam? Kind of a hard thing to know considering the column may have been gone into before, thanks for the response guys.

joe_padavano

The lock plate is oriented correctly. I don't know what "gasket" you are talking about, since there is no "seal" here. Are you referring to the plastic cover that snaps over the lock plate on some 1980s columns?

sealw98

like this covers the bent brass tabs.
Picture Information

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Octania

Do you have the wire and insert that goes into the vertical tubular extension shown above?

sealw98

I don't it's missing

AzMotorhead

This is what your contact and cancelling cam should look like.
And this is what goes inside the tubular part that makes contact with the horn button.

joe_padavano

Can't say I've ever seen that on a factory part. In any case, it's apparently just an extra insulator.

AzMotorhead

I also think your lock plate is on upside down. As I recall the snap ring sits down in a recess and is very difficult to remove unless you have the lockplate removal tool

sealw98

Locking plate appears to be correct but, I believe the cancelling cam has to have that gasket to prevent the grounding out, I looked a non tilt cam and the tabs are recessed which prevent them from making contact to the locking plate. Looks like someone may have put a newer cancelling cam which the tabs a not recessed which makes them touch the locking plate..... the pain of following behind someone else work.. I see on the internet photos of other newer model locking plates and those tabs are exposed thus no contact to the locking plate. so apparently no gasket is needed on this one.

sealw98

This is more or less what my cam looks like beneath my locking plate

Rustbucket2

Here are pictures of my 70 cutlass column part by part. hope it helps . just a thought, are you missing the spring that goes inside the cam?

sealw98

It does thank you, looks like the locking plate may be incorrect on my column I'm questioning if it's even a olds column looks like it maybe a Chevy column do there in lies some of my problems. I did make a plastic gasket and placed under the locking plate and problems have gone away. I just really hate to rig things up would love to fix it properly. I definitely appreciate all you guys trying to assist me. Nothing like the "Olds" family.

MDchanic

All A-body columns are the same in a given year, except for the shifter and signal light **** ends.

- Eric

sealw98

Lol guess I can throw that theory out the window thanks for the information . On to the next theory I guess or just may leave well enough alone. We will see when I get the horn stuff, if it works ,I will just leave it be.