I believe my driver’s side horn has gone kaput... so now my car sounds like a sick goat.... it was going in and out before finally going out... Do I need to order horns from one of the jag shops or will horns from say Pepboys due (assuming I get the correct notes)? Thanks!

 

Well, if anyone is interested, I visited my Jag mechanic today who confirmed it’s a horn issue. I elected to order the metal horns from Moss instead of the plastic pair, the price difference was fairly significant, but not outrageous..... I order the metal not so much from an original part standpoint, rather more from a sound perspective in reading about the acoustics of metal vs plastic.

 

Hi Smonop,
Let us know how you like the horns. I am in the middle of restoring a 68FHC and will have to buy a horns for it. I am interested in hearing your opinion.
Stay safe.
Bill.

 

So I received and installed the driver’s side horn (low tone, Lucas Type Metal) and nothing happened. I wondered if the connection was bad so I removed the passenger’s side horn (high tone and still working) and installed the new horn - again, nothing. I went through a variety of exercises trying to get the new replacement horns to work but nothing. Out of frustration, I went to Pepboys and purchased a generic low tone horn, installed it and it worked no problem. I’m miffed and frustrated. The replacement horns are very sturdy and nice looking and MOSS’s website indicates, correct replacement for the SII E-Type. Sigh...

 

Follow up - before returning to MOSS, I brought the pair of horns to my local guys to test directly with 12V, neither horn works, click click. So much for the Metal Lucas reproduction horns... sigh...

 

Try making very small adjustments on the phillips head screw at the top of the horns. The adjustment has to be just right otherwise you get a clicking sound or nothing at all. Lord knows how they got out of adjustment but if everything else in the horns is working correctly the adjustment should fix it.

 

Well that’s interesting, that little tidbit of critical information would've been nice to know from customer service or included in some type of written instructions... 😳

To the uninitiated, the challenge is that the lock-nut that sits around that screw has to be removed for installation, resulting in the screw turning when loosening the nut. Once the horn is seated in its bracket, the lock nut is reinstalled and tightened (see pic), the screw turning in the reverse direction. This means the screw needs to be adjusted after the horn is installed but before firmly tightening of the lock-nut. I’ll give it a go tomorrow.... what a PIA.... buy an XKE they said, it’ll be fun they said... 😉

 

It will be way easier to try to adjust this on the bench. Perhaps use your car battery to test them. I managed to resurrect a couple of old Lucas horns this way so hopefully this will work for you too.

 

Absolutely agree, my concern is when installing them and tightening that lock nut and the screw also turning. I’ll give an update later today!

 

Huge shout out to IrGridley!! Sure enough the issue was that dang screw. I brought the car in to my shop guys to put it up on the lift for better access and to have an extra pair of hands. We adjusted the screw with ‘bench testing’ to confirm ‘hornage’... then installed. One trick we used in installing, I held a screw driver on that adjustment screw to keep it from moving while a second pair of hands tightened the lock nut.

Thanks to all for your help!

 

Glad you got them to work! Only Lucas could manage to ship horns that aren't properly adjusted. Now besides the Prince of Darkness perhaps we should add the name Prince of Deafness too. All part of the charm I suppose.

 

Well, can you even call them Lucas even though they’re advertised as such because they’re stamped in large letters, Made in China.... The Jag guy who did the majority of the work on my car to bring it into the 20th century won’t install any parts made in China, said he’s been burned way too many times. Told me for example that E type alternators made in China fail at an enormous rate.