MTFCA Forum

I would like to buy a 1916 horn switch assembly. Please e-mail me at oldcars@comcast.net and include photos, description of condition and price. Thank you, Keith

Keith, is this the switch which screws onto the top of the steering column tube?

Allan from down under.

Yes, it is.

This one was on here a couple months ago. Might still be available.
https://www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic. ... on#p302637

Thank you for the information. I checked with Dan but it had already been sold.

I still want to buy one of these.

I still want one.

Keith: I think the Canadian horn switch is the same just the mount tabs are not bent flat. Dan

Dan is partially correct. The Canadian switch was used to the end of production, mounted on a flat sided round nut which held the steering wheel in place, so the mounting tabs went straight down the sides of the nut. However, that is not the only difference.
The metal housing on most has an indent opposite the notch for the wires. That indent serves to stop the switch gizzards rotating within the housing.
If you look at the photo in the link Chris posted, you will see a brass tab on the original 1915 switch which served to ground the switch. That is lacking in the later Canadian switches, which used a separate wire back down the steering column to ground.
A Canadian switch can be adapted to do the job, but complete ones are scarce. Last time I needed one, the round button piece in the centre was available from the vendors. I have the housings with the indent if that will help.

Allan from down under.

Keith,
… Get one of the housings from Allan. I did. The holes line up perfectly.

Keith, I checked my jar of horn parts today and can supply:

Switch housing with the small cut-out in the side for just one wire as was used in the early cars. This housing does not have the dimple in the back which the later switches had. You will need to bend the tabs flat to mount it on the steering column tube.

Original hard rubber gizzards with all contacts in place. Adding the earth strap with some shim brass would be quite easy if you want to go all original.

The only thing missing is the round button in the top. Langs list these in their catalog.

My price is $30, but because of its shape/bulk, it would come in a small box, and the postage would be $21.60

Allan from down under.