Need steering column help!!

[WS6]

So I swapped the upper column from an automatic column to the 5 speed column, in effect just getting the detent cable feature and such.

I swapped the upper guts including the turn signal switch, wiper ring etc. And for fun I hooked up the battery to be sure the turn signal and radio controls still work.

Everything works except the horn, as soon as I hook the battery up the horn blows continuously....even without the steering wheel on it. I've narrowed it down to something in the column and I even pulled the cancel cam switch all the way out and I see no break, or short in the black horn wire.
Is it possible I damaged that cancel cam switch with the 4 post wiper posts? or one of the diodes is shorted? Do these go bad?

Any body have exploded diagrams of this particular column or technical bulletins on servicing it?

Maybe I left out a spacer or something.


Thanks

 

[pont1230]

my question why would you go from an automatic column to a 5-speed column I think a 5-peed column uses a neutral safety switch that works when you depress the clutch to make it start anyhow if everything is working properly if only thing that is not working is the horn I would reverse the work very slow maybe you missed something it is usualy something you may over look horn works on a negative ground ,good luck

 

[WS6]

I think you misunderstood, I took the 5 speed column out as I'm swapping the GTA over to an auto. The auto column came from a donor car.

 

[pont1230]

gotcha ,how come you are going from a 5-speed to a automatic they are kind of rare just curious .

 

[robert lee]

I would say that 5sp won't hold up to the 408 stroked supercharged eng.

 

[pont1230]

ok that makes a lot of sense

 

[robert lee]

Rich i had this happen to me about 20yrs ago, but i can't remember if it was a contact or spring, FWIW i do remember i don't like going into a steering column's...

 

[WS6]

unfortunately over the last 12 hours I've learned more about steering columns than I care to.

Fortunately I found the problem, and I don't know if it's a difference between the 5 speed column and auto or the steering wheel control column vs. the regular steering column.

what was happening was when I tightened down the cancel cam switch, which contains a small board w/ diodes and 4-5 spring loaded pins to glide on the horn ring slip rings it was ever so slightly grounding out the board on the main steering column support shaft collar.
The old ,original column was machined out for this board to clear and there was some clear "punch" tooling marks like someone had this problem when it was new, or built and they took a punch and hammered the shoulder down in this spot.

I solved it with a dremel tool and a round deburring bit.