headlight switch

duffer

duffer

Senior Member
I have an after market light switch in the engine compartment at the end of my steering shaft and it works light crap. Is there any place to get a good used one or nos one? I have a 1930 coupe. thanks
 
We used an aftermarket switch on my son in laws 28 sedan, and had issues with it being grounded. We had to take the switch apart and clear a ground on one of the contacts. We used a dremel motor tool and ground away part of the contact to get it to work. It would arc every time we tried to install it on the steering box. Try to find an original, as they seem to work best.
 
My light switch has no bump feel to it when you move it . It just slides freely from side to side. When i turn the corner the light switch turns too. I already had 2 dead batteries from lights being left on.
 
What if you increase the size of the "button" on each wire on the harness?? Is the sw "seated to the column?? What if you increase tension on the bail??
Paul in CT
 
This thread just gave me an idea for a handy tool.

Use a repro switch spider and weld or secure it to a T handle with about a 3 or 4" shaft. This way you can try out the switch before it's installed in the car. It'll be much easier to check and correct on the bench, than in the car. I wonder if my lathe chuck T handle will slip into the spider? Otherwise a piece of square steel bar stock or key stock will work.
 
every time I have run into switches with sloppy detents, or detents that stick so the switch cannot be moved, it has been a repro. And the solution that has always worked was to install an original.
 
1931 flamingo said:
What if you increase the size of the "button" on each wire on the harness?? Is the sw "seated to the column?? What if you increase tension on the bail??
Paul in CT
Click to expand...

I have deepened the depression on the rivets on the repo wiring harness plate by carefully "drilling" the brass rivet with a center-drill. Most modern plates seem too shallow a depression.

Mine is an original switch so I haven't noticed too much issue with the contact/shorting EXCEPT for a tendency for the light switch to move when the steering wheel is turned.

It helped but you don't want too much otherwise the fingers on the contact ring tend to not fully contact the rivet.

Once bail tension "seats" the switch housing against the bottom of the steering column, no further compression of a weak spring (either fingers or center horn) can occur.

Joe K
 
1931 flamingo said:
What if you increase the size of the "button" on each wire on the harness?? Is the sw "seated to the column?? What if you increase tension on the bail??
Paul in CT
Click to expand...

How do you increase the BUTTON size? It is seated to the column and the bail is tight.
 
Tom Wesenberg said:
This thread just gave me an idea for a handy tool.

Use a repro switch spider and weld or secure it to a T handle with about a 3 or 4" shaft. This way you can try out the switch before it's installed in the car. It'll be much easier to check and correct on the bench, than in the car. I wonder if my lathe chuck T handle will slip into the spider? Otherwise a piece of square steel bar stock or key stock will work.
Click to expand...

I used an old light switch rod, cut it about 6" long and bent it 90 degrees so i could use it as a handle and put the spider on the bottom.
 
I used a repro light switch which worked ,but I had to bend the bail a bit to make it fit tight against the steering box.
 
columbiA said:
I used a repro light switch which worked ,but I had to bend the bail a bit to make it fit tight against the steering box.
Click to expand...

I bent the bail like you said and seems to hold better and i can now feel the separate bumps when i turn the lights on...i guess mine was just loose...thank you for the advice.
 
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