loose horn syndrome

britbike220 · May 11, 2011

Has anyone figured out a sercret way to tighten the horn w/o taking half the bike apart. I can't see a way, but thought someone may have a special tool or sercet method to get the horn tight. Mine keeps coming loose.

Tim

Hortons Norton · May 11, 2011

Right before you get to the sludge trap you can get to it. :cry:

DogT · May 11, 2011

I'm not sure about 71 and up, but up to then, you should be able to take off the rear wheel and the rear fender and then get to it. Locktite.

Dave
69S

Hobot · May 11, 2011

I and others before and after me have been able to nip the bastard up by either lifting bike or laying next to it and cutting and scratching knuckes and straining neck, got a open spanner between fender and swing arm to turn one flat at a time. Tire and fender off help some but not so much I bothered. I think sometimes the stud just spins in the horn, so must remove to epoxy or replace horn and cuss and strain it back on again. It might depend on how oil hose routed too. Oh yeah if you nip up too tight guess what happens, if ya don't nip up tighter than comfy guess what happens, ugh. I'd sure try to dabble mild locktite on it but pensive the tin metal will just beat some slack in again and only thing locktite does is make the job tougher yet.

If horn goes too whimpy the tuning nut can make in louder but must have horn firmly held down, like in leather jaw vise on stud/nut or it sounds so sick and lame its one of the more hilarious Norton experiences.

Chris T · May 11, 2011

I found that the brand new Andover horn (which I couldn't fit in the first place; I had to make a new mount to make room for it) had vibrated off completely - but luckily had been held onto the bike by the wires; eventually I gave up trying to refit it and fitted another small chinese $20 horn up by the battery box and put extensions onto the wires so that it would reach; one almost brand new genuine horn at home - if anyone local is interested contact me...

MarshalNorton · May 11, 2011

Chris,
found at by feeling underneath bike during a wipe down my horn is loosening up too.
It looks like you can remove the rear wheel as Dave suggested.
Loosen fender up near horn but leave frame loop in place.
Fender will swing down and away enough to get a wrench in there.
Yes locktite it and you won't have to revisit it for a couple more years.
I'd like to fit a Fiaam horn in the same spot if possible they are like a boat horn.
Police bikes in Europe use em .
Marshal

Tintin · May 12, 2011

britbike220 said:
....to get the horn tight. Mine keeps coming loose.

Hm - based on the common mantra that a Commando restoration project starts with the horn shouldn't that read "My Commando keeps coming loose"?

SCNR :mrgreen:

Tim

britbike220 · May 12, 2011

I was hoping the thing could be done w/o taking the bike apart, but guess it'll be off with the wheel and fender as usual a bottle of loctite and 15 hrs of wasted time fiddling and cussing. Thanks for the comic relief in a time of frustration.

Torontonian · May 12, 2011

Seeing as your life depends on your horn you should be able to figure this out. let it fall out on the ground . or smash it with a rock. Build around your new horn with a relay ,separate fuse. Position the new modern horn up front where the jerk that is about to cut you off and kill- injure you and your loved one can actually get the message in time. O.M.G. the original is frustrating ,I have 3 somewhere stripped of threads. Heavy too, Nuff said...

Hobot · May 12, 2011

Now we got down to whose caveman manhood is bigger, the one enduring-maintaining a real factory Cdo, or those cheating taking the easier path. Of course could also be a measure of intelligence-evolution too : )

Kenny Dreer on some of his specials mounted horns in the back crook of the Z-places and so did Ms Peel.

britbike220 · May 12, 2011

Steve whatever you do just don't post any of your manhood in pictures. :shock: as a side note I do have a horn from my old trident hanging on the wall maybe I'll just use that.

rvich · May 12, 2011

Mine hangs on a nail over the workbench...seems a good place as I can get to it when I want. Which isn't often.

britbike220 · May 12, 2011

rvich said:
Mine hangs on a nail over the workbench...seems a good place as I can get to it when I want. Which isn't often.

LOL, after further assessment and severe laziness, I have opted to let mine hang loose and use a different horn when the time comes.

Unclviny · May 12, 2011

For my Commando project I knew I did not want to run the stock horn so I got a NOS 1976 Cadillac Eldorado horn (it's even British!), I had to design the electric-system around it as the draw is HUGE (5.5A) but folks should be able to hear it! and it will be mounted in an accessible-place.

Vince

xbacksideslider · May 12, 2011

rvich said:
Mine hangs on a nail over the workbench...seems a good place as I can get to it when I want. Which isn't often.

:lol: :lol: :lol: You're killin me! :lol: :lol: :lol:

We all have valuable stuff hung on nails that we didn't pack away because we're gonna need it soon . . . . . and then a decade later . . . . . when we need it, we can't see it because we've been looking at it so long that it dissolves into the background.

xbacksideslider · May 12, 2011

I did do the relay thing with the small snail shaped Fiamms on my old '71 and they were great - under/near the coils, pointing forward, dumb red though, should'a painted em.

steveyacht · May 13, 2011

I have gone with a single Mikuni and mounted a horn to a hole I drilled in the old air box backing plate. I also drilled another for the ignition switch on the left side, the backside of the switch and wiring now inside the battery box. To me makes for a louder horn and cleaner look for ignition. Just my pfenning and a half

Hobot · May 13, 2011

Tim-220, my manhood is trashed to infantile crying = my Commando has come loose - again.
There is a unpublished b/w photo of Norton works showing the posts the horn and battery tray hung on to build rest of a Cdo around. Sludge traps are a non straining tedium w/o loss of blood and emotional control.

Ms Peel gets every short cut and removal of every annoying Norton short comming, but my dear plain Jane Trixie '72 holds my nose to the grind stone like the real men of yesteryear...

Tim_S · May 13, 2011

When the horns on my bikes crap out or get removed, I use a grab rail clip to mount a generic horn to the rear frame rail on either side of the bike. Small narrow type. The horns sometime come with a chrome removeable cover and are usually black anyway. They are 110 decibal type. Depending on which side you mount them you don't always have to extend the wires. Takes five minutes to install or remove without any modifications to the wiring. No relay needed.

Tim_S

loose horn syndrome

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