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Hello All:
I know this is a very old post but it helped me last night and I wanted to share a few details that might help others going through this too. You will benefit from having an assistant.
1) Mark the two flanges that attach to the steering coupler. You will want to keep them in the same orientation on reassembly.
2) Remove the four bolts and nuts that connect to the coupler.
4) Cut the horn wire about 4" after it exits the front of the steering box. You will splice these ends back together at the end of the operation.
5) Remove the horn ring (two screws on the back).
6) Take a spool of thin but strong line (I used a landscapers line) and lay 3" of the end of the line parallel to the horn wire emerging from the steering box. It should look like this:
horn wire - > =============================
landscapers line - > =========================
With your assistant holding the overlapping areas together in parallel, place electrical tape on a 45-degree angle and wind the overlapping areas tightly but cleanly so there are no bumps or bulges in it. Get a nice bullet-shaped taper on both ends of the overlap - trust me, you will need it. Give a good strong "test pull" to the two lines to ensure they do not pull apart.
7) Now have your assistant get into the car and slowly draw the horn wire from the steering wheel as you guide the overlap area through the very small hole in the steering box. Feed out as much line as you need off the spool but do not cut the line.
8) Gently pull on the old coupler still lodged between the two flanges. Hopefully you can see the horn wire a bit through the gap (if not, you will have to go by "feel") and when the overlap area passes through the coupler into the steering wheel shaft, ask your assistant to stop and gently pull the old coupler away from the flanges. The landscapers line will be passing through the center of the coupler.
9) At this point the steering wheel and its shaft will start to flop around. No worries, this is why you marked the orientation in step 1).
10) Pull the line back away from your assistant until you reveal the overlap area.
11) Undo the overlap tape (throw it away, do not be cheap), remove the old coupler.
12) Put the end of the horn wire through the new coupler center-hole, and re-attach the landscapers line with the overlap exactly as you did in step 6).
13) Have your assistant draw the horn wire back into the steering column until the overlap area disappears. It is a tight fit to get the new coupler into place and you will just want to be working with the landscapers line.
14) Using a large screwdriver or other lever, force the two flanges as far apart from each other as you can and gently work the new coupler between the flanges. Line up the holes of the coupler with the steering-box shaft flange holes. Ensure the landscapers line does not get bound up and keep some tension so the line feeds into the two shafts as the coupler slides into place.
15) Once you are certain the line is passing freely through the two shafts and the coupler's center hole, pass two bolts through both holes in the steering-box shaft flange so they just enter the coupler without passing all the way through the holes. Now have your assistant turn the steering wheel until your orientation marks from step 1) match up.
16) Pass the other two bolts through the steering wheel shaft flange and through the coupler. Now you can push the other two bolts all the way through the coupler as well.
17) Re-attach the metal bits and bolts to your coupler and tighten everything down.
18) Now go back the front of the steering wheel box and pull your line back down while your assistant feeds the horn wire back into the steering wheel. With about four inches to go it will get very difficult to pass your overlap area through the tiny hole at the front of the steering wheel box but soldier on. You should feel (and your assistant will be able to confirm) that the wire is indeed passing through with some difficulty.
19) Once the horn wire has passed through, Remount the horn ring on the steering wheel.
20) Remove the overlap treatment and reconnect the two previously cut horn wires.
21) Test the horn, then wrap your cut wires with electrical tape.
Happy motoring.
Cheers,
Pooch
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