'46 Coupe Courtesy Light

51woodie

51woodie

Well-known member
How do I open up the courtesy lights, to check the bulbs and service the on/off switch? Pry somewhere with a screwdriver would be my guess, but I prefer to learn from experience, not experimentation. Especially when working on something that is hard to replace if I broke it.
 

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The connection points are at the 9 and 3 o'clock positions by the glass lens. The bezel comes straight out.
 
Thanks for the replies. It is just above freezing in my garage (not heated), so I’ll warm it up with my wife’s hair dryer before I try to remove it.
 
Thank you for your responses and tips on doing the job. I did get the light assembly off and found a real jackpot. Someone was in there before and did a hack job, as they taped over the wires with masking tape then vinyl tape to insulate them. I also found that insulation was missing up inside the roof area. I'll fix that by cutting off the terminal, sliding a length of woven wire loom over the wire then install a new terminal. The switch unfortunately had self destructed. The fiber piece that holds the two contacts is broken, and the little ball that goes on top of the spring in the switch toggle is missing. I will have to look for a replacement socket/switch assembly, which I hope I can find.
 

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Those switches get brittle with age. I found one eventually but originally got a pillar mount slide switch for an earliar V8 cut it in half tidied it up with bog (bondo I think you call it) so it could slide in the stock escutcheon and glued it in place. It looked good and worked well. If you go for a switch like forty niner says just find an escutcheon the same as the other side without the switch hole.

Other thing I've seen is someone adapting a small metal "toggle switch in the unit.

Ps : i've just looked at your pictures again you could clean that original switch up and reassemble it and it would probably be OK

GB
 
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I had to do exactly as FortyNiner did, could not find any new or good used courtesy light with working switch.
 
If I can find a source for the small metal ball that sits on top of the spring in the switch toggle, I think I can make a new plate out of an insulating material that holds the contacts. I will have a look at the other options that you fellows posted as well.
 
My switch went bad but on the "on" position. I installed push button switches in the front door jams out of a '70's era Ford pick-up. Then the lights came on every time I opened the front doors.
 
51woodie said:
How do I open up the courtesy lights, to check the bulbs and service the on/off switch? Pry somewhere with a screwdriver would be my guess, but I prefer to learn from experience, not experimentation. Especially when working on something that is hard to replace if I broke it.
Click to expand...
Hello all,
When I bought my '46 coupe the two curtesy were in a bag. I have no idea how to fasten them to the B pillar. Does anyone have a pic of the lights without the glass and bevel? There seems to be two holes in the light housing but they don't line up with the holes on the B pillar.
Thanks, Mike
 
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