Harley Davidson low pressure brake light witch

Lawson Cox

Lawson Cox

Well-known member
Trying to take pix of brake lights with new LED bulbs, but before putting in the new bulbs I find that my brake lights aren't working. Does anyone have the part no. for the HD low pressure brake light switch? Or any info on a good low pressure switch that will work with DOT5 fluid, and last for a while? I have a new switch, somewhere but can't lay my hands on it. Bad case of CRAFT.
 
Odd; I have never had a problem with a Ford brake light switch, and I've had a few. I have never used DOT-5 brake fluid in an early Ford either, although I did have it in a Corvette. When I went through the brakes on my current car in 1987, I rebuilt the master cylinder and re-installed the brake light switch (which certainly looked original on a 66K mile car). It is still working fine.

I would surmise that this is a "current replacement vs original Ford part" problem.
 
Ditch the pressure switch and use a mechanically operated one. No more worrying about the switch leaking or needing to bleed the brakes when you replace it. There's a reason why OEMs stopped using the former.
 
I went to the local HD dealer last year and got one. Haven’t installed it yet to see how well it works though. Part numbers on the package are 91500011 and 72023-51E
 
Thanks a lot guys and gals. I found a new switch in my stash but I'm not certain from whence it came. I'm gonna go with it and hope it outlasts me. (Oh, Itslo, no need to bleed brakes when only replacing switch. {If you have replacement switch in hand.} Precious little fluid loss and switch is lower than fluid level so no air enters system.)

UPDATE:Computer crashed and my dissertation on brake light switch etc went with it. Short version. I've ordered new mechanical switch. What I will do is take a pix showing brake lights as is, i.e., incandescent bulbs with insides painted white, albeit a little yellow with age. A pix with incandescent bulbs with Mike's aluminum foil cup cake baking thingies inside. Then a pix with LEDs only, then one with LEDs and the aluminum cup cake thingies. If I have figured out how to post pictures by then, I will do so but if not I'll send them to v8coopman and ask him to post them on my behalf. Like McArthur, I shall return.
 
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Even HD electrical parts are made outside the US now days. It would be hard to say if it was any better than some others that have the same pipe thread and type of electrical terminals.

The last HD one I purchased was Hecho en Mexico.
 
rotorwrench said:
Even HD electrical parts are made outside the US now days. It would be hard to say if it was any better than some others that have the same pipe thread and type of electrical terminals.

The last HD one I purchased was Hecho en Mexico.
Click to expand...

I recently replaced a stop light switch on a Harley Dyna, low miles.
It failed closed and that's with only one tail light to power.
I don't have a high opinion of them.

Karl
 
Karl Wolf said:
I recently replaced a stop light switch on a Harley Dyna, low miles.
It failed closed and that's with only one tail light to power.
I don't have a high opinion of them.

Karl
Click to expand...


True, for the last several years, the reports on the Harley switches has been disappointing.

Lawson....it would take but a few minutes mounting and slightly lengthening the two pieces of wire to hook-up a well-proven mechanical switch...example below! They come in LEFT-hand & RIGHT-hand.


s-l500.jpg


Just two screws to mount the switch to your wooden floor board, activated when brake pedal moves the lever arm. DD


475003




.
 
I used an original hydraulic brake light switch that was on my '37 Chevy coupe when I got it. It worked fine on my brakes with DOT-5 for 27 years without a problem. I see the same NOS switches at nearly every good size swap meet.
 
I'm using a HD switch. No problems over 10 yrs. Maybe because I bought it 10 yrs ago. Has not been an issue and I didn't have to change any mechanical points.


Mechanical will always be better in the long term. Well at least this is what I tell a family member with a 2015 f150 electric tail gate that never works with no mechanical way to open it. He runs a cord down through connected to the coil lines under the bumper so he can get into his bed with the tonneau cover on. Ya they have replace the solenoids once already.
 
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V8COOPMAN said:
True, for the last several years, the reports on the Harley switches has been disappointing.

Lawson....it would take but a few minutes mounting and slightly lengthening the two pieces of wire to hook-up a well-proven mechanical switch...example below! They come in LEFT-hand & RIGHT-hand.


s-l500.jpg


Just two screws to mount the switch to your wooden floor board, activated when brake pedal moves the lever arm. DD


475003




.
Click to expand...

Coops, is that switch attributed to a certain make or model, or does it have a part number? If Rockauto carry them that is an easy route for me to get one.

Mart.
 
After the last HD switch went bad I went back to the mechanical switch with the 2 piece adjustable arm. The arm wouldn't stay adjusted so I ended up tack welding it. I at least would suggest that you use something like red Loctite on the adjusting bolt.
 
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