12v horn relay

[Deleted User]

I am converting my 49 hudson to 12v. I am looking for a 12v horn relay. Does anyone have a current part number for a 12v horn relay?

[Deleted User]

Use the 6 volt one that is on your car. Doesn't know the difference between 6 or 12. Walt.

Marconi

At least untill it burns out! Take your 6 volt one to a good parts store, NAPA etc, tell them you need one like it but in 12 volts usually only difference is the terminal for the wire out of the column is another screw terminal.

[Deleted User]

Then answer me, how come mine has not burned out after 134,000 miles of use??? Going across country 11 times so far and use the horn to answer people that give the thumbs up sign. Walt.

dave s

I also used stock relay for over 16 years on our 1951 Hornet that we drove at least 3500 miles a year with no problems.

walts garage-53 wrote:

Then answer me, how come mine has not burned out after 134,000 miles of use??? Going across country 11 times so far and use the horn to answer people that give the thumbs up sign. Walt.

[Deleted User]

Six volt systems are made to carry twice the current as twelve volt systems. This is why such a seemingly illogical thing occors. Light bulbs are an exception but the wires ,relays ,and motors (though faster) usualy handle 12 -volts. Often the 6 volt starter is left in place when a car is switched to 12 -Volts,
Roger

Marconi

I'd say you fellows were very lucky, because when the insulation on the coil ever gets hot enough to burn, you're going to have a dead short across the battery and possibly a fire! At least a foot or two of melted wiring loom. The horn relay is connected diectly across the battery, A # 10 or so wire comes from the battery cable side of the starter solenoid to the voltage regulator and horn relay, there's no circuit breaker or fuse in the line till the wire goes thru the firewall inside the car and then it hooks to the main circuit breaker so there's no protection till after the relay & regulator! Myself, I think it's too big a risk for a $10.00 relay! Good luck.

Unknown

Marconi wrote:

I'd say you fellows were very lucky, because when the insulation on the coil ever gets hot enough to burn, you're going to have a dead short across the battery and possibly a fire! At least a foot or two of melted wiring loom. The horn relay is connected diectly across the battery, A # 10 or so wire comes from the battery cable side of the starter solenoid to the voltage regulator and horn relay, there's no circuit breaker or fuse in the line till the wire goes thru the firewall inside the car and then it hooks to the main circuit breaker so there's no protection till after the relay & regulator! Myself, I think it's too big a risk for a $10.00 relay! Good luck.

Precisely why the input power to my wiring harness no longer travels from the battery via the horn relay. When I converted to 12 volts I added a fuse panel. This panel contains fused feeds for each electrical connection. The horn relay was changed to 12 volts and has its own fuse. My heaviest loads, are protected with 12 volt auto resting circuit breakers.

Unknown

msaffr wrote:

I am converting my 49 hudson to 12v. I am looking for a 12v horn relay. Does anyone have a current part number for a 12v horn relay?

12v. replacement NAPA/Echlin HR-101 or equivalent (Thanks to Park Waldrop for this information)

Marconi

Good thinking Wild Wasp, now IF you have a problem (don't think you will tho) a 25 cent fuse blows instead of taking part of the harness out.

[Deleted User]

anyone with suggestions on helping me with my 49 hudson 6 to 12 volt conversion?
thanks

IvarSweden

Sorry for bringing this old topic back to life. Will the 6V horns work on 12V or burn out? Can they be wired in series to cut the voltage in half?

Glowplug

Ivar

My 53 Wasp was converted to 12 volts many years ago and the horns are original and seem to operate very well on 12 volts. I am using a standard GM 12 volt horn relay to operate the horns.

Park_W

Ivar, the 6v horns will work fine on 12v, but you may have to adjust the mechanism to get the proper sound.

 (The horns and the relay will last a long time since they are only on for a brief time.)

IvarSweden

Thank you for the replies, I will try my horns on 6V and adjust the sound
%-(

airbrushguy

I converted to 12 volt, attached horn wire to horns and it blows out the 15 amp fuse. What specific relay should I use and how should I wire it? Thanks

JasonNC

Look on Park's 12 volt conversion chart.  I don't have mine readily available but it's HR-101 or something close to that I think from NAPA.  

Park_W

Jason's got a good memory  . . . it's (Echlin) HR-101.  But what fuse are you blowing?  One on the relay?

airbrushguy

No, I installed a complete wiring harness and fuse box from RonFrancis Wiring and I wired them directly to the horn fuse in the fusebox.

Frankvintagefullflowcom

The Horn circuit in the harness is intended to carry only the current necessary to operate the relay, not the full load of the horns. Horns draw quite a bit of current......that's why they go through a relay.

As for using a 6V relay in a 12V system, it's not a matter of what the contacts will handle, it's a question of whether or not the pull coil will burn out when 12 V is applied. I suspect some will handle it for a long time but I'd avoid holding the horn button down for very long. It won't likely damage/burn anything else, just the relay coil.

F

airbrushguy

So the (Echlin) HR-101 will work?

Any tips as far as wiring it?

JasonNC

Wire it up the same way it was wired using the original wiring diagram.  The HR 101 has three terminals and looks just like the old 6 volt horn relay.  

Frankvintagefullflowcom

Sorry the pic is so small but........

ESSX28-1

Frankvintagefullflowcom said:

Sorry the pic is so small but........

Hold down "Ctrl" & spin mouse button to enlarge.

Frankvintagefullflowcom

Dave,

Thanks for the tip. I'm an admitted techno-dork. That works but I'm not likely to remember it.

What I'd like to do is figure out how to get my printer to fill the page.....but I'd forget that, too.

Frank