Can anyone here describe in detail the procedure for correctly installing a Flat 4 banjo wheel's horn button? I just wrecked mine. So that's $80 down the tubes and I'd rather not do this again when the new one shows up.
So here's the story:
Today I drove the Spyder around the block under its own power for the first time. Yeah, I was breakin' the law! I wanted especially to run a couple hundred feet straight to make sure I had the steering wheel centered properly before popping on the beautiful "Golden Lady" button that came with the rig. I'd heard they were hard to remove once stuck in place.
So everything went smartly. Started up easy, idled around 900. Oil leaks minor if any. The car got reverse and forward gears 1-3. Clutch and brakes seem to work. I was not pulled over or ticketed. No crashes or other mishaps. Car tracked straight and the steering wheel was dead on.
I parked it back on the lift, loosened the wheel nut, dabbed some thread lock on it and tightened it back up good. Found an allan (3/8?? what?) and tightened the bolts holding the wheel on its hub. Then I got out the button from its bubble wrap.
I got the horn wire end through the hole in the back, tightened the set screw, then put another little screw in the top hole of the inside of the hub, to contact the copper bit that would set at 12 o'clock when the wheel was straight.
Lined up the button just so, and pressed firmly...
No good. Too big.
So I canted it gently and started working the edge on top. It was so close I figured it was just meant to be tight like that. I gave it the heel of my hand, thought better of that, and looked around for something the right size to help get it to settle in. Found a plastic mug my wife had been using to store clay working tools. Perfect diameter to act as the gentlest of drifts!
Cleaned the lip off, got out the rubber mallet and set about tapping it in.
Almost. Horn works. Bottom edge just a little proud now.
Worked the mug a minute more. No good. Needed just a leetle bit more push. So I resorted to the bottom of the wood handle on a small hammer. Tapped that a few times with the mallet and...
Dented the trim ring without sinking it in any more.
Threw the mug across the shop. Cursed the gods. The usual.
Tapped the top of the born button with the heel of my hand. Popped a thin screw driver toward the slot at 12 o'clock. Removed the button and disassembled to see if I could fix.
No joy. Reassembled (you just bend the three tabs over the gaps on the bottom). Attempted to install again—this time with the inside edge of the steering wheel greased!
Complete failure; the horn button came apart during this procedure and jammed the horn ON.
Ordered new button from Sierra Madre.
Friends, I've seen others have fitment issues with these, in which the buttons were too small and the metal had to be pried OUT a bit to get a tight fit in the wheel center. I don't see much room to squeeze the button's edges further in... so my next thought would be to grind on the inside of the steering wheel center a bit to make that hole slightly bigger.
But really wtf? You're like $600 into these parts straight out the box!
Appreciate any expert advice based on experience.
