Light Switch

[Synchro909]

I have just spent what must be the most frustrating few hours ever. I've been trying to put the $%^&* light switch together and I have not found anything with a search here nor in Les Andrews' red book.
Any hints or directions to reference material would be much appreciated.
I have the spider on the bottom of the horn rod, it's getting the contacts all lined up and closing the housing that is causing all sorts of language.
BTW, it is a three contact switch.

[nkaminar]

Not easy for sure. The light switch at the bottom of the steering column is the most difficult part of the Model A. The only thing I can tell you is that everything has to be lined up perfectly and then push real hard while wiggling the switch.

Snyders has some instructions which may help, see https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/p...6263&cat=41801 Read both of them.

[Bruce of MN]

Similar from Bratton's:

https://www.brattons.com/PDFs/20390%...%20FITMENT.pdf

[BillCNC]

I just did mine last night. I burned the Yellow/Red wire AGAIN. The last time I fixed it I soldered the wire on so it would come undone before burning the wire. Yeah, i was driving at night and lost the headlights and the cowls were iffy at best. Most of the drive was without lights on the backstreets.

Anyhow, I finally figured out the issue. The brass buttons on the switch were worn flat leaving me with very little contact. I think it was arching on the contacts creating enough heat to burn or unsolder the wires. I fixed the problem by soldering with silversolder and brought the 3 buttons back to their original shape.The switch is very smooth now and works like it's new. The plastic puck on the wire side, has a crack starting, so I think it's time for a front wiring harness.

Iv'e never had an issue assembling the switch, it all goes together easily. Do the parts fit correctly, or are they tight?

Regards
Bill

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by BillCNC

Iv'e never had an issue assembling the switch, it all goes together easily. Do the parts fit correctly, or are they tight?

Regards
Bill

All of the components go into their place easily. The problem is keeping everything lined up while I push it together.

[burner31]

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The switch and the spider at 6 O'clock, make sure the switch assembly is also set to that position

Forgot to add this hint: When buying the spider for the light switch always buy two, they break easily...you can thank me later

[baba]

After reading this I decided to install mine. New wiring harness, parts did not want to go together, fiddled and fiddled, bale would not hold it in place, took bake iffy beat ut. ti tighten,, put it together, lights would not come on, horn would blow, ......... mowed lawn.

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by baba

After reading this I decided to install mine. New wiring harness, parts did not want to go together, fiddled and fiddled, bale would not hold it in place, took bake iffy beat ut. ti tighten,, put it together, lights would not come on, horn would blow, ......... mowed lawn.

Baba, that made me laugh. I was just about at that stage when I decided to hold things in place with some heavy thread while I put the two pieces together. It's in the car but I'm still putting the front of the car together so I haven't tested it yet. If it doesn't work, I think you'll hear me scream from there. (check my location!)

[baba]

Ill be listening....

[nkaminar]

I used to see a lot of these on old cars, including Model A's, until people starting returning them to original. Or should I say trying to return them to original.

[36/40 Ford]

I have been working on the light switch for my 1929 doodlebug and ran into a number of issues. I studied this forum and others. The aftermarket switch is really junky. The switch wouldn’t operate freely so I carefully filed the contacts and used fine emery to finish them, then I applied dielectric grease. It seemed to work more freely but then it would bind up again and the wires would actually rotate as I turned the switch. I figured what was happening is the stamped key on the canister was not raised enough to hold the wire harness in place and keep it from turning. I raised the key by building up several layers of JB Weld and shaping it with a small file so it would fit snuggly into the key way on the harness. It seemed to have worked, the switch moves easily now and the lights operate the way they should. Sure is a difficult experience but I wanted to share this, perhaps it will help someone.

[rotorwrench]

Some of the contact disc's are made with too deep a recess on the stationary contacts. Some of the housings are not well formed. If it's not one thing it's another with reproduction stuff. I'm using a 45 year old reproduction but it still works for now. Usable originals are hard to find now. I'm afraid to purchase new reproductions.

[Rob Doe]

A year ago, I researched every issue stated above. Our coupe had the repro canisters and bale. The contact plate was overly thick. the wires were loose and spliced. The horn contact at the center of the plate was sticky and did not respond to the spring tension as it should. The spider is frail.

I looked at each moving part until I understood its functioning. (Took a while to get it all, embarrassing to say the least) and this included in what positions the brass contacts on the upper part were in when the switch was in each of the 4 positions ... cowl lights, off, dim, bright. I also had the attach positions of the wires memorized before it was all over.

I paid the 50 bucks for the U.S. made to Ford's drawing setup from the vendors. I had to order the bale for the quality setup. The repro bale could not be adjusted to work after much effort.

I ordered a new contact plate from Tyree Harris. It was .312 thick as it should be. .310 - .315. What a pleasure to do business with Tyree was.

As to the male tab / key on the bottom of the upper switch housing / canister that slides into the female slot, ... the opening of the slot was filed slightly to assure there was a good enough fit to hold things together. See Snyders instructions parts 1 and 2 for the switch.

I was frustrated too. Hang in there Synchro. I also used all the pool hall adjectives learned during a misspent youth. LOL

[Rob Doe]

P.S. I also ditched the halogen headlights. They were drawing too much power and heating things up. I now have low current LEDs with the self focus feature. The halogens had melted their connectors but still functioned. They had stained the internals of my new light switch also by the time I discovered their issues. All the connections on the load and the ground side of the headlight circuit must be clean, bright, and tight, especially so for the halogens.

[Bruce of MN]

High current through the switch can be reduced by using relays for the headlights.