55 horn

troberts6 · 02-25-2007, 09:37 PM

I have a 55 Olds 88 and my horns do not work. I tried taking a wire from the battery straight to the horn itself but nothing happened. So i need to get some new horns. I've been looking around and can't find anything. Anyone know of anywhere i can find some?

Thanks for any help

2blu442 · 02-25-2007, 09:44 PM

I don't, but be sure you have a good ground on the horns before deciding they're bad. I've used my battery charger on a horn off the car to test them and if I don't have a good contact with the negative clip it won't make a sound. John

troberts6 · 02-25-2007, 09:53 PM

So I should take a battery charger and just hook the positive to positive and ground to negative and this will be the positive answer?

2blu442 · 02-25-2007, 10:02 PM

That's what I'd do. You've already run the hot wire to it and ruled out a break in the positive side. But if there's rust or corrosion interfering with the ground, you may not be catching that problem. Just a thought. John

troberts6 · 02-25-2007, 10:07 PM

Cool thanks. Also do you know what kind of oil filter it would take?

Tedd Thompson · 02-28-2007, 05:42 PM

troberts6, If your engine is stock and a after market spin on type filter hasn't been added you can get a filter at any Napa store.I use their gold filter #1121. works for me and my 55 S88. Tedd

troberts6 · 02-28-2007, 09:45 PM

Thank you Mr. Thompson.

Also, 2blu442 I tried to do what you suggested with the wiring for the horns, and I can't figure it out seeing as how there is one wire that runs from the horns to the horn relay. The shop manual I have says to take the horn apart and test it but I can't figure out what kind of screws are holding them together. There is also a selant type thing on the horns so I'm not sure if I should be messing with them untill I can find out what this stuff is.

2blu442 · 02-28-2007, 10:07 PM

The single wire is the hot wire, and it'll have some sort of gasket around the fork. Then the housing is grounded to the car through the mounting bracket. I attached the positive clip to the fork, then the negative clip to the mounting bracket, and heard a squawk out of the horn. John

Oldsguy · 03-01-2007, 04:58 AM

The hardware on the horn body could be rivets not screws and the horns may be rusted up so they don't work. If you can find a way to disassemble them it might be worth it since you have a manual to help you out. For what it's worth, unless you are looking for all original and simply MUST have those exact horns; why not just take a trip to the local junk yard and pick up a couple from any big sedan from the sixties or seventies? Most of them had good, deep sounding horns that would be appropriate for your '55. A horn is about as generic an item as you can get, especially if you stay with a GM item and they all work on 12 volts.

keith6989 · 03-01-2007, 12:45 PM

personally i like the nice squak that comes out of the horn on my 55. www.allamericanclassics.com has a 55 oldsmobile 4dr holiday that may have a horn, along with ebay, you see some sellers with a car that they are parting out, the horn may not be on yet, but if you shoot them an e mail they would probably post it up for you.
Good luck finding your parts

troberts6 · 03-01-2007, 04:30 PM

Thanks guys for the help.

02-25-2007, 09:37 PM	#1 (permalink)
troberts6 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: jacksonville, florida Posts: 21	55 horn I have a 55 Olds 88 and my horns do not work. I tried taking a wire from the battery straight to the horn itself but nothing happened. So i need to get some new horns. I've been looking around and can't find anything. Anyone know of anywhere i can find some? Thanks for any help

02-25-2007, 09:44 PM	#2 (permalink)
2blu442 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Medford, Oregon Posts: 923	I don't, but be sure you have a good ground on the horns before deciding they're bad. I've used my battery charger on a horn off the car to test them and if I don't have a good contact with the negative clip it won't make a sound. John __________________ 1964 Cutlass Factory 4spd 1965 442 4spd 1967 442 Auto 1967 Cutlass Convertible 1968 442 Auto 1969 442 W30 Auto 1970 442 4spd 1971 Cutlass Flat Top Wagon 1973 Che*vy 3/4 Ton 454/TH400 Tow Vehicle Only the tow vehicle is finished!

02-25-2007, 10:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
2blu442 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Medford, Oregon Posts: 923	That's what I'd do. You've already run the hot wire to it and ruled out a break in the positive side. But if there's rust or corrosion interfering with the ground, you may not be catching that problem. Just a thought. John __________________ 1964 Cutlass Factory 4spd 1965 442 4spd 1967 442 Auto 1967 Cutlass Convertible 1968 442 Auto 1969 442 W30 Auto 1970 442 4spd 1971 Cutlass Flat Top Wagon 1973 Che*vy 3/4 Ton 454/TH400 Tow Vehicle Only the tow vehicle is finished!

02-28-2007, 10:07 PM	#8 (permalink)
2blu442 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Medford, Oregon Posts: 923	The single wire is the hot wire, and it'll have some sort of gasket around the fork. Then the housing is grounded to the car through the mounting bracket. I attached the positive clip to the fork, then the negative clip to the mounting bracket, and heard a squawk out of the horn. John __________________ 1964 Cutlass Factory 4spd 1965 442 4spd 1967 442 Auto 1967 Cutlass Convertible 1968 442 Auto 1969 442 W30 Auto 1970 442 4spd 1971 Cutlass Flat Top Wagon 1973 Che*vy 3/4 Ton 454/TH400 Tow Vehicle Only the tow vehicle is finished!

03-01-2007, 04:58 AM	#9 (permalink)
Oldsguy Administrator Join Date: May 2004 Location: Lees Summit MO Posts: 3,132	The hardware on the horn body could be rivets not screws and the horns may be rusted up so they don't work. If you can find a way to disassemble them it might be worth it since you have a manual to help you out. For what it's worth, unless you are looking for all original and simply MUST have those exact horns; why not just take a trip to the local junk yard and pick up a couple from any big sedan from the sixties or seventies? Most of them had good, deep sounding horns that would be appropriate for your '55. A horn is about as generic an item as you can get, especially if you stay with a GM item and they all work on 12 volts. __________________ Dan '77 Cutlass Supreme '46 2 door

02-25-2007, 09:53 PM	#3 (permalink)
troberts6 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: jacksonville, florida Posts: 21	So I should take a battery charger and just hook the positive to positive and ground to negative and this will be the positive answer?

02-25-2007, 10:07 PM	#5 (permalink)
troberts6 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: jacksonville, florida Posts: 21	Cool thanks. Also do you know what kind of oil filter it would take?

02-28-2007, 05:42 PM	#6 (permalink)
Tedd Thompson Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Forest Ranch Ca. Posts: 15	troberts6, If your engine is stock and a after market spin on type filter hasn't been added you can get a filter at any Napa store.I use their gold filter #1121. works for me and my 55 S88. Tedd

02-28-2007, 09:45 PM	#7 (permalink)
troberts6 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: jacksonville, florida Posts: 21	Thank you Mr. Thompson. Also, 2blu442 I tried to do what you suggested with the wiring for the horns, and I can't figure it out seeing as how there is one wire that runs from the horns to the horn relay. The shop manual I have says to take the horn apart and test it but I can't figure out what kind of screws are holding them together. There is also a selant type thing on the horns so I'm not sure if I should be messing with them untill I can find out what this stuff is.

03-01-2007, 12:45 PM	#10 (permalink)
keith6989 2Blue 55" Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Nova Scotia, Canada Posts: 380	personally i like the nice squak that comes out of the horn on my 55. www.allamericanclassics.com has a 55 oldsmobile 4dr holiday that may have a horn, along with ebay, you see some sellers with a car that they are parting out, the horn may not be on yet, but if you shoot them an e mail they would probably post it up for you. Good luck finding your parts __________________ Robert 1955 Oldsmobile Super 88

03-01-2007, 04:30 PM	#11 (permalink)
troberts6 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: jacksonville, florida Posts: 21	Thanks guys for the help.

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