Train Horn

[spalkin]

Have you ever tried a set of those triple air horns with the little compressor and thought you were going to get something that sounded like a train only softer, and all you got was some little squeaky circus horn? Me too. I found the key and here's what I did. First of all I took the circus horns out of my truck and eBayed them, then I went to Pick-n-Pull and located a few late model Cadillacs. On some models, or maybe all, you can order a three tone horn. Most cars and trucks have two horns but on these Caddys you can get three. The third one is a very low tone. That's the one you want! All you need to do is add it to your existing two horns by parallel splicing the new connector into the wires going to the horn you mount this additional one near (don't forget, while you're at the junk yard, to clip the connector and get as much wire as you can with it!) Very simple to do and the horns at Pick-n-Pull are $3 each! You might wonder why not use all three from the Cadillac? It sounds better with that low tone Caddy horn and two regular horns. The two other horns on the Cadillac are spread out too much in frequency and the high note is too high. Stick with the two that came on your truck and just add this low tone horn. Your horn will now finally have that nice locomotive bark you've been looking for! Good Luck!

[nebraskaz71]

get a sound clip please :)

[spalkin]

There's a problem! And I have been all over the web and the phone book to figure it out. I e-mailed a guy who restores GM horns, no reply yet. There's one other reference to it online with a guy who describes the problem pretty well. The problem? You CAN'T mount the horns directly to metal. The reason? For some unknown purpose, even to GOD apparently, both the A and B terminals show continuity with the metal case and mounting strip! So, when you mount it to the crossmember it's shorted, which is perfectly fine until you hit the horn, then the fuse blows. I got five horns from the yard and they all showed the same condition. I can't believe that five horns from three cars all have the same thing wrong with them. Then again all of them were mounted to metal in the cars I got them from and all the schematics for the cars are the same as mine for the horn system. The solution? Work out your mounting all the way, then de-mount them, drill the holes out bigger, spread 5-minute epoxy on the bottom making sure to get it all in the bolt hole, now drill out the hole again at just the size for your bolt (now the bolt won't touch the sides of the hole), next, spread some black silicone to the bottom (use wax paper and a flat surface to make it perfectly flat, then when it dries just peel off the wax paper and it's a flat rubberized surface. Use a nylon washer backed up with a metal washer and they'll be isolated. This is a project for a complete fanatic or a complete idiot but the sound is amazing. I'm still on the case as to why the positve contact on the horn is connected to the outer metal like the negative one is. Would a diode on the positive wire eliminate the problem? I'll work on the sound clip after I work out this bull@#%*.

[NovaMan]

I don't know how to subscribe to a thread without posting in it, so here's my subscription post.

Can't wait for the sound clip!

[NovaMan]

Any progress on this?

[matt trakker]

Pretty sure Buick Roadmasters have the same horn. I've always wanted to add one to my truck.

[marvin willis]

what is pick-n-pull? a junk yard? sounds like a great idea

[same_me]

come up with anything new on this?

[jabtdrx]

has anyone checked out hornblasters.com I think that is what you are looking for

[OKLAGMCRUISER]

Originally Posted by jabtdrx

has anyone checked out hornblasters.com I think that is what you are looking for

i have a set from hornblasters...my truck is even featured there. Hornblasters packages are MUCH louder than any factory horn...MUCH LOUDER...did i say that they were louder?

[silverado_nolan]

mine dominates... I got it from "train horns of texas or something" for christmas I love it and it's amazingly loud

[nebraskaz71]

seigeengineering looks to have decent ones on ebay but i can't afford one ha

[NovaMan]

I think the idea in this thread is how to get a nice sounding horn package on the cheap. For loudness and authenticity, there's just no way to beat a real train horn. but $3<<<<<<<$1700, and installing an additional electric horn is slightly easier.

I need to get off my arse and make a sound clip...

[Atomic]

hehe...nothing quite like scaring the **** out of someone on the interstate at 85mph

vids: http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a1.../Videos/Horns/

[spalkin]

The real live train horns are definately extreme. I saw a guys clip. He had a hummer and the camera man was watching as it came over a little hill and when he hit the horn the camera shook violently from around 50 yards! I wanted the sound but not quite the volume. I've got a sound clip all recorded but I don't know where to post it. I'll have to get a video clip with sound and post it on YouTube. You've got to hear it, it sounds lush! Recommend to all.

[DroppedAsAChild]

Originally Posted by Atomic

hehe...nothing quite like scaring the **** out of someone on the interstate at 85mph

vids: http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a1.../Videos/Horns/

Damn how many sets of horns do you have ???

[Atomic]

Originally Posted by spalkin

The real live train horns are definately extreme. I saw a guys clip. He had a hummer and the camera man was watching as it came over a little hill and when he hit the horn the camera shook violently from around 50 yards! I wanted the sound but not quite the volume. I've got a sound clip all recorded but I don't know where to post it. I'll have to get a video clip with sound and post it on YouTube. You've got to hear it, it sounds lush! Recommend to all.

thats a siege engineering video, it didnt shake the camera, the camera man just stumbled.


4

[PewterpizorZ71]

If u wanna see some funny videos go to Hornblaster.com and look at there vids. When I was first looking at buying one i was gonna order from them but decided to get it from a shop in town.

[Wildturkee]

I have a set of train horns on my Semi truck, they are fun at rrx crossings, scare the sh...poopie outa people when they start to cross

[spalkin]

That's funny. I can just imagine someone going right over the tracks and hearing a train right on top of them. They would definately **** their pants. It would be funny to video tape their faces as they actually **** their pants.