Mounting exterior deck hardware (horn)

[KnotConnected]

Well hey crew!

I'm replacing the trumpet horn on the foredeck of my '94 Cabrio 280. My plan is to modify the new horn so i can re-use the existing mounting brackets and won't have to fill the old holes and drill new ones, however I haven't had the new horn apart, so I'm not sure if that'll work out.

Questions:

1) What kind of sealant should I use for the screw holes to ensure they won't leak?

2) If I have to drill new holes, what should I seal the old ones with?

3) for the outside electrical connections that'll be somewhat exposed to the elements, is this sufficent, and if not what should i do?
a - Splice and solder the connections for the new horn to the existing wiring that I cut the old horn off of.
b - Seal with heat-shrink tubing.
c - Wrap neatly and tightly with electrical tape


Thanks all!

(Before and after pics to come!)

 

[GA_Boater]

I would use 3M 4200 to seal the screws if you have to remove the horn in the future. 5200 is permanent as in almost impossible to remove.

Seal the old holes with 4200 also. If the old holes aren't covered by the mount, make up some thin aluminum plates large enough to cover the old holes and held in place with the mounting screws. Smooth the edges and corners of the plates for safety.

For the wiring;

Cut the old horn wire as long as possible. Do a solder splice and use heat shrink tubing long enough to cover the wires from the horn body to under the fiberglass. Feed the shrunken tubing through the hole and seal with 4200. Don't use electrical tape. The stickum gives up the ghost after the sun works on the tape and becomes a gooey mess. There is a brand of shrink tubing with heat activated sealant inside and it does a nice job of waterproofing. Can't recall the brand name.

Any hoo, that's how I would do the job.

 

[Redfred1]

Have you tried to take the horn apart? Most of the time the diaphragm is stuck; usually has a adjustment screw internally
For the holes I would use a 5 minute epoxy and a drop or 2 of paint for color match. Apply with a credit card. Electrical: A and B. My thoughts.

 

[KnotConnected]

Thanks guys!

The horn works, but the bells are plastic and chipped / broken so I'm trying to replace with something new and shiney.

Next question!

I *did* decide to retrofit the new horns to use the existing mounting hardware, lest I have a large white spot under where the old brackets were. The existing mounting hardware also conceals the wiring really nicely.

However..

I'd like to replace the hard rubber gaskets around the brackets. Does anyone know where I can find these rubber gaskets or even the whole bracket kit? Based on my googling I've seen people with Cabrios and Sundancers who've been looking for them too, but I haven't been able to find anything for sale that looks comparable. I'd SUPER appreciate anyone who can help track these down. Plan B is to rub some conditioner into the rubber gaskets and continue as-is, but I'd really like to do this the right way and replace them.


The brackets say "A-23"
The cross plate that connects both horns says: MODEL-SPTD A-23

Pics:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Lz...nTwSdk2Qps0EhB

https://drive.google.com/open?id=18C...Oov1RIv1544SBO

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1dE...I8qAgoHexeT7WU

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1k-...9voxBoeeh9OIwZ



***EDIT**

Also interested in any input regarding how you might go about recreating something new from scratch?