Banjo Horn Repair

[mfitton]

Anyone have a source for repairing these horns, this is my High Tone (short) horn that is not working. This is the one that takes most of the abuse because of how it is installed. Repairable or is it toast?

[BrentF]

I've had good results in repairing these horns, There's a good chance yours is repairable. The key aspect is to determine whether the electromagnet is working. That can be established by putting 12v to the two terminals and checking for magnetism at the coil. If that works, then everything else is simply a matter of cleaning up and replacing the 2 paper gaskets on the diaphragm.

[mfitton]

I've had good results in repairing these horns, There's a good chance yours is repairable. The key aspect is to determine whether the electromagnet is working. That can be established by putting 12v to the two terminals and checking for magnetism at the coil. If that works, then everything else is simply a matter of cleaning up and replacing the 2 paper gaskets on the diaphragm.

Thanks I will give it a try and report back.

[stretch]

Brent, i have just restored my snail horns. Do you think bedding them with a sealant rather than the paper gasket would be a better solution.? Mine looked just like Mike's due to water ingress.

Dave

[BrentF]

Part of the function served by the paper gasket is to provide the proper spacing of the diaphragm relative to the electro magnet. By replacing the paper gaskets with paper (as opposed to a sealant) means that the eletromagnet adjusting screw can be left in its factory setting. This takes one less variable out of the equation, when trying to get the horns to work.

[mfitton]

Hooked up the 12v no magnetizing! Just to be sure which spade is the ground they are not marked, I did try both ways.

[mfitton]

My guess is that the side with the bar and Philips head screw freezes up and no longer can be moved by the magnet to connect and the coil burns out. Anyone?

[BrentF]

Not sure what prevents the coil from magnetizing when current is given to both terminals. Must be a break somewhere in the coil?

BTW You can determine which terminal is the ground, by looking at the route each terminal takes on the inside. The ground wire grounds to the metal case of the horn.

[blucille]

The coils do fail. There are other hella horns including the snail horns from the same period that use the same components. So it’s easy to swap parts between many of the 12v hella horns. I’ve picked up horns at swap meets for very little money and scavenged parts.

[Jrsully]

Mike, try Bob Moglia "robmog", he knows these horns 9 ways to Sunday and worked on mine infinitum. 1 was totally gone and could not be resuscitated, but he got the other rusty mess working great