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MG MGB Technical - Fitting a Mountney Steering Wheel

I've also posted the below to the store I acquired the Boss Kit from and to Mountney...

I recently received a Mountney 14" wheel for my 1972 MGB, I also recently ordered and received a Mountney SW-MB015 boss kit for the wheel.

I'm wondering if there is some way of utilizing my original horn system with a Mountney boss/hub and steering wheel?

The 1972 MGB's horn is through the center of the steering wheel, with a center style steering wheel horn button. The Mountney boss/hub also has a center style steering wheel horn button. However there is no way that I can determine to utilize the original horn system.

Are Mountney boss and wheels, not compatible with 1972 MGB horn systems?

For reference the bottom of my original boss/hub has a circular brass plate that makes contact with a brass tap coming up from the steering wheel column assembly. The horn button then connects through the boss/hub by a spring loaded brass cylinder that goes through the boss hub from the horn button to the circular brass plate beneath the steering wheel.

Since the original hub is only 2-3" high and the Mountney hub is 5" high the steering wheel is now 2" closer to the driver, which wasn't something I planned for, as I'd like the wheel closer to the dash, not closer to the driver.

Is this the correct boss/hub for my car? The supplier has confirmed it is.
R.W Anderson

I fitted a Mountny wheel to my 74.5 MGB. You are correct that it is closer to the driver but mine was only about an inch or less closer. I don't know if there was a huge difference between the 72 and 74.5 hubs. I don't remember the boss part number. There was more space between the boss and the plastic steering column shroud but it wasn't noticable. As for the horn I was able to rig it to work with the existing brass plate. If I remember correctly there was a metal spring loaded plunger that made the electrical connection from the ring to the boss and button. I am not at home now so unable to check it but will post again later.
J Mancone

J. Mancove,

Yes, there is about 1/2" to an 1" between the bottom of the boss and the plastic steering column shroud, which I cannot see unless I am looking over the steering wheel. I figure this is what I get for a lower price wheel and boss/hub.

But to the horn... I would have to drill holes in the base of the boss for screws to attach the original brass plate from my original wheel. Not sure if the plate would even make contact with the brass connector in the shroud.

But more difficult would be in figuring how to make a connection from the horn button through the boss/hub to the plate below. Maybe a wire soldered from the horn button through the boss/hub to the brass plate. But then that is assuming the brass plate even makes contact with the brass connector in the shroud.

Let me know what you learn about yours.
R.W Anderson

This is what mine looks like - the centre horn push works fine :-


G Britnell

Forgot to say mines a 72 as well.
G Britnell

G. Britnell,

I'm assuming your horn button in the steering wheel is actually connected to your horns through the steering column shroud?

How did you connect the horn button contact on your steering wheel (little brass looking tab) through the boss/hub to the brass tab in the steering shroud?

Did you manage to attach the brass plate from your orginal wheel to the replacement boss/hub and does the brass plate actually make contact with the brass tab in the steering wheel shroud?

Thanks for the assistance, and yes my wheel looks just like your photo.
R.W Anderson

Ok, I will try to detail what I see with my Moutney installation. This was done several years ago and my memory is fuzzy, also I couldn't remove the steering wheel from the column so I can only see so much. The wheel is attached to the boss with the big center nut. There is also 3 smaller holes in the boss. The holes right and left are attached with a small screw to an original plastic piece which has the plunger which contacts the brass ring. The plastic piece was original, it did not come with the wheel. The center hole is where I ran the wire from the cheap horn button through the boss and connects to the plastic piece. This plastic piece turns with the wheel. When you disassembled the orginal this round plastic piece is there. (I think). I was able to connect the horn wire to the plunger which contacts the brass ring without solder but I am sure that would have been better. I don't know if this helped and can't upload a photo.

Something to keep in mind, the nice mirror finish chrome of the wheel is not very robust. After a few cleanings it will look like brushed stainless. Also the steering effort will be harder due to the reduced radius of the wheel. I hope this helps, good luck.
J Mancone

My wheel connects to the boss with 6 screws as shown in Britnell's photo. Then the wheel and boss connect to the steering shaft via the 1-1/16th nut.

My original wheel & boss/hub fit down the steering shaft enough so that the nut was below the top of the shaft by at least the thickness of the nut. Meaning that there was a good 3/8" shaft exposed above nut.

My new wheel results in the nut being flush with the top of the shaft.

There is only 1 very small hole drilled through the boss/hub. I would have to drill 2 holes into the bottom of the boss/hub to hold the original round brass & plastic assembly to the hub, hoping that the brass & plastic assembly makes contact with the brass tab sticking up from the steering shroud.

I would then use the 1 hole in the boss, to squeeze a wire connecting the brass & plasatic assembly with the brass ring up to the wire clip on the horn button.

There is no way I could use the original plastic plunger (1/4" plastic tube with spring loaded connectors in it) in the Mountney boss/hub. There is nothing there to hold it in place, as the boss/hub is empty though the center.

HOWEVER, since you got yours to work, it must be possible to get the brass & plastic circular piece attached to the bottom of the boss and it must be making contact with the brass tab in the steering column.

We'll see.

thanks for all the feedback.
R.W Anderson

When i get a minute I will strip mine down and take some pictures for you. Its over 10years since i installed it so i cant remember much except i may have shortened the plastic plunger.

Standby,

Glenn.
G Britnell

Please do not start disassembling things that are operating perfectly well, just to satisfy my inquiries. I'm still waiting to hear from Mountney but haven't so far - to see how they explain the horn can be hooked back up. Thanks for the offer though, but please put the wrenches back down.

Thanks.
R.W Anderson

Thats quite ok i dont mind one bit to help out a fellow enthusiast :-

Below (I hope) will be three pictures. The first shows the new plastic horn push assembly removed from the wheel & held to the side. The switch is contained within this & the brown wire is connected to the sprung plunger. I think it is the clear plastic outer casing that I had to shorten. I have put tape on the steering wheel shaft & the back of the new switch so I must have had problems with them contacting each other & setting off the horns. The sprung plunger assembly goes through the hole at 11 oclock on the wheel boss.

The second picture shows the tape removed & saw marks on the shaft. I must have had to shorten it a little (Sorry but I restored this car in 1999 so my memories are not clear).

Picture 3 is the top of the steering column with the shroud removed. In the right of the image you can see the brass end of the sprung plunger protruding through the boss & making contact with the brass ring.

I do hope these help you. Also the car is back together & all working fine.

Cheers,
Glenn



G Britnell

Ok only one picture at a time - here's the second

G Britnell

And the last :-

G Britnell

Thanks for the photos, I've printed each out for reference when I remove wheel again. I think my main complication is that I may have acquired a more "universal" boss, instead of a MGB specific one.

I think this because, I have none of the holes through the boss for the plunger to go through or to attach the circular plastic & brass assembly to the bottom of the boss.

It is suppose to rain all weekend anyway, so I may as well pull the shroud, and see what space I have for the assembly and start drilling holes if it might work.

Still no response from Mountney.

Thanks again....
R.W Anderson

There are two types of wheel horn-push arrangement, plus the simpler column stalk arrangements. Of the former up to 69 there is an insulated sprung wire poking out of the end of the column connected to a slip ring round the shaft a bit lower down. The spring wire touches a contact in the centre of the horn push, which closes a contact between that and one or more spring clips that contact the body of the hub, which is bolted to the body of the column. From 70 to 76 there is a spring contact attached to the column switches which bears on a slip-ring on the back of the hub. On OE wheels there is a spring 'pencil' that connects the other side of the slip-ring to an offset contact inside the horn push, on after-market wheels e.g. Moto-Lita there is simply a wire connecting the two which does exactly the same job. The horn push contact and its connection to the body of the hub and the column is as before http://www.mgb-stuff.org.uk/electricstext1.htm#horns

The Moto-Lita wire has to be detached from the horn-push to fully remove the horn-push e.g. to change the logo, but why anyone would need such a 'quick-release' on the OE wheel is beyond me ... except on holiday last week the occupants of a hire car would probably have welcomed it as their horn was constantly blaring.
PaulH Solihull

This thread was discussed between 18/05/2011 and 26/05/2011

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