Light switch connector questions...

Zephyr4

Zephyr4

Member
I'm in the UK and I'm about to place an order with Snyders and I only want to pay one lot of shipping, so I need to get everything on the order. I'm trying to decide if my light switch connector needs to be replaced. I know that a replacement is only $58, but my order is pretty big already. I think I can save this, but then it's the first one I've ever looked at, so I thought I'd ask you guys.

Here's the side that gets the wear:
20180502_112438.jpg

And here's the bit that rotates on the connector:
20180502_112453.jpg

I was a little surprised to find the wires soldered on the other other side. Is that easy enough to undo?
20180502_112420.jpg

I was also surprised that the contact side (in the second photo above) was packed full of grease, but could understand why. The side where the wires are soldered on was also packed full of grease. This bit, after I'd scooped the grease out:
20180502_112504.jpg
Is that correct too, because I don't see why you'd put grease in there?

So new one or rescue this one?
 
Don’t mess with the old one. You will order a replacement as soon as your order arrives. Good luck.
 
I would clean out the grease, buy a new wire harness from Sacramento Vintage Ford, and solder the new wires to the parts you have. Put a light coat of lube on the switch plate when you reassemble it.


Use thick oil in the steering box, not grease.
 
I was also surprised that the contact side (in the second photo above) was packed full of grease, but could understand why.
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I would suspect that a PO put it in there to protect it from water incursion. Although it looks more like chassis grease rather than a dielectric grease.
 
All that grease in your switch came down from your steering box. Someone used chassis lube instead of the W600 in the steering box and must have just kept pumping it in there,
 
Tom Wesenberg said:
I would clean out the grease, buy a new wire harness from Sacramento Vintage Ford, and solder the new wires to the parts you have. Put a light coat of lube on the switch plate when you reassemble it.


Use thick oil in the steering box, not grease.
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Do as Tom says. Looks like axle grease was packed in for water protection. Bad idea - it's flammable. Repro harnesses include the contact plate with spade connectors, but may not fit well. Clean and reuse original parts whenever possible, they're always better.
 
You say that you want to know if the end contact connector needs to be replaced. Most often, the reason the harness is replaced is that the wires are loosing their insulation and/or have been cut and modified. The end connector usually does not fail and newest reproduction ends are in need of fixing rite out of the box. as has been said, in the end, you may find yourself needing the round contact plate to solve issues with the new harness. There have been several threads on getting the contact plate that is on the newest harnesses to work as well as the old ones.
 
Thanks for all of the replies, guys, it's all very much appreciated and noted. So I think I'll buy the new harness and take it from there. I'll barely notice the extra $58 on the bill!

Big hammer, you say "Get the stand pipe that goes into the steering gear box" - is that the what Snyder's calls "oil seal retainer with pipe" (part# A-3527-T) that goes up inside the steering column? Or am I misunderstanding?

Cheers, Gary
 
Zephyr4 said:
Thanks for all of the replies, guys, it's all very much appreciated and noted. So I think I'll buy the new harness and take it from there. I'll barely notice the extra $58 on the bill!

Big hammer, you say "Get the stand pipe that goes into the steering gear box" - is that the what Snyder's calls "oil seal retainer with pipe" (part# A-3527-T) that goes up inside the steering column? Or am I misunderstanding?

Cheers, Gary
Click to expand...

Yes, that's the part.
 
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Benson, my avatar is a '31 - well spotted that I'd got the wrong part! Luckily I saw your reply before placing the order this morning. Thanks you.

And thanks for all of the replies and advice, guys.
 
Some think OIL/GREASE gettin' in the switch is a "NO-NO"--Others say, "It just keeps them working good & smooth"---WHO do you BELIEVE???
Bill Confusedasusual
 
BILL WILLIAMSON said:
Some think OIL/GREASE gettin' in the switch is a "NO-NO"--Others say, "It just keeps them working good & smooth"---WHO do you BELIEVE???
Bill Confusedasusual
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Flammables and electrics don't mix well. Low voltage and fat contacts don't make a big spark, so it's safe enough in the lighting switch. Just keep your blowtorch away from it.

Best stuff for electrical contacts is Sanchem NO-OX-ID "A Special" (look it up), been around near 100 years. Won't wash off anything, fingers and clothes included. Great anti-seize too, you'll never have a rusted thread.
 
Fitted the new switch/harness straight from the box and it was locked solid, so I left it off for a while. Trailered the car to a show the other weekend and drove it for the first time around the show fields and campsite. Huge fun!

Finally got half an hour on it yesterday and made the modifications in ryanheacox's reply above and the switch operates nicely now. Thanks for that post! I understand that the repop stuff has its disadvantages, but it wasn't much effort to make it work and the new switch disk has the regular 1/4" spade terminals on the back so any future electrical modifications won't require much work.

Guess I'm safe to use some dielectric grease on the switch?

Thanks for all of the replies.
 
Zephyr4 said:
Guess I'm safe to use some dielectric grease on the switch?

Thanks for all of the replies.
Click to expand...

I would recommend it. The brass contacts don't corrode much, and the wiping action tends to remove any when the switch is operated, but a light coat of no-ox is always a good thing.

Glad to hear you're on the road and having fun.
 
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