How to remove light switch from dash '41 Ford?

[SoCalCoupe]

Can anyone tell me how to remove the headlight switch from the dash of my 1941 Ford Passenger car?


Diagnosing light issues I found that the previous owner had connected the wires to the wrong terminals on the light switch. Though it would be easy enough to pull them off and put them on correctly. Turns out they're soldered on. Then I though I could just swap the wires where they connect into harness but found I'd be running power through a smaller gauge wire. Didn't want to do that.



Have to take the switch out to fix this; no other way.


Looked for buttons on top of the switch to press down and release the pull but I don't think there are any.

[JayChicago]

Assuming the pull releases as it does on my '40:
There is an internal copper tab that catches a knob on the end of the pull rod to keep it from pulling out in normal usage. There is a small hole in the side of the switch. Insert a drill bit or straitened paper clip. Push against the internal copper tab while pulling out the pull rod.

[fordor41]

on a '41 you have to reach up to the top of the light switch and feel for a metal tab. depress toward the switch body to release the knob/ shaft. then remove the switch body
from the dash. I've found the loosening the bezel you can rotate the switch to access the tab. I believe the knob must be pushed in the off position. google '41 ford headlight switch and check out a pic

[koates]

Please explain exactly what is happening with your lights before you remove that switch. It seems strange that the HL switch would be connected wrong. My guess is that the problem is somewhere else. Regards, Kevin.

[SoCalCoupe]

Originally Posted by koates

Please explain exactly what is happening with your lights before you remove that switch. It seems strange that the HL switch would be connected wrong. My guess is that the problem is somewhere else. Regards, Kevin.

The diagrams I'm using are posted below. One is a detail of the light switch. Since I haven't pulled the switch out, I can't see much of anything on the switch itself except that there are two terminals on one side and three terminals on the other side. I'm assuming that the positions of the terminals in diagram are the same as the positions of the terminals on the actual switch. It seems logical to me, consistent with the diagram, that one side would be power in (two terminals: headlight power and tail light power) and the other side power out (three terminals: headlights, parking lights, and tail lights.) The tail lights and parking lights use the same red with yellow tracer power supply.



These diagrams are consistent with all the other 1941 Ford wiring diagrams but have the clearest detail of the light switch.


This is what I can observe on the car itself:

1. The headlights work correctly, high beam and low beam.
2. The tail lights and parking lights do not work but all the bulbs are good. There is near-zero resistance across all the filaments.

3. There are two power input terminals on the passenger side of the switch, one for tail lights and one for headlights.

4. The yellow with red tracer headlight power lead from the circuit breaker connector to the light switch harness is disconnected, at the harness, the lead is dangling.

5. The red with yellow tracer taillight power lead is connected to the correct terminal on the light switch.
6. There are three output terminals on the drivers side of the switch.
7. The output lead to the high beam switch, yellow with black tracer, is connected to the parking light output terminal on the light switch. This is consistent with headlights operational through the taillight power supply.
8. The yellow with red tracer headlight power lead is connected to the tail light output terminal of the switch and as stated earlier, the other end of the lead is dangling. It is not connected to the yellow with red tracer lead to the main wiring harness.
9. The black tail light output lead is connected to the headlight power-in terminal on the switch.
10. The tail lights do not function.
11. At the harness, the tail light out lead splits to tail lights and dash lights.
12 The dash lights do not function either.

13. The black and yellow parking light output lead is connected to the headlight power out terminal on the switch
14. The parking lights do not function. Since there is no power lead connected to the headlight power terminal on the switch, that is consistent.

15. The brake lights do not go through the light switch, power comes directly from the circuit breaker and goes to the brake light switch.
16. The brake lights function correctly.



Not trying to be a smart Alec, I learn something new every day. Just saying I believe I've analyzed this correctly and certainly appreciate you taking the time to ask the question and look at my answers. I could be wrong.



I believe that if I connect the headlight power lead, which is not now connected to anything, to what I believe is the headlight power in terminal on the switch, and connect all the output leads to what I believe are the correct output terminals on the switch, the lights should all function correctly.




https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/pictu...ictureid=44191



https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/pictu...ictureid=44192

[SoCalCoupe]

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Originally Posted by koates

Please explain exactly what is happening with your lights before you remove that switch. It seems strange that the HL switch would be connected wrong. My guess is that the problem is somewhere else. Regards, Kevin.

Kevin, your instinct that it's strange for the HL switch to be connected wrong is a good one. Long story short, the HL and tail light power supplies were reversed but everything else was OK. The problem was that the HL power supply (which was powering the tail lights) was disconnected at the harness. Given one of my other 'finds' on the car, I was reluctant to just connect two wires together.


The 'find' was an alligator clip jumpered across a fuse holder. Really didn't like that. Turns out the leads to the fuse block were actually reversed and this was a trick to run the HL and taillight power in series through the same fuse. Not surprisingly, the fuse was burnt out.



What really threw me off was that the terminals on the switch weren't in the same geometric order as the schematic. Very frustrating. An ohm meter removed all doubt on the function of each terminal once the switch was removed. Just to make everything correct, I desoldered the two power supply leads and swapped them so that the color of wires matches the functions in the schematic.


Even with the recommendations, getting the switch out was a devil. It's hard to describe in words, especially when there are different varieties of switches out there. There was a small slot in the top of the switch and I was able to use a small tweaker screwdriver in the slot to push back the tab while turning the shaft a quarter turn with a needle nose pliers and pull the shaft out. Wasn't entirely clear either that the trim cover on the dash is also the retaining nut. Using a very large screwdriver to engage two of the four slots on the cover, it unscrewed.


Put it back together and all the lights work and all the wires are matched to their schematic function.


My new project is making turn signals out of the front parking lights. There are two ways to go, replace the sockets and bulbs with a 2-filament variety or use a set of relays to make a single filament bulb do double duty. The 41 Ford parking lights are a single year part. The hole for the socket is 1-1/16". There are both 1 and 1-1/8 push-in universal sockets available. Tried two different 1-1/8" sockets, neither worked; although the prongs could be manipulated to fit in the hole, the outside diameter of the socket itself was too big fit in the housing.


It's a six-volt positive ground system and I'll stick with six-volt for now. It's a Ford Special stripped down model with only a single taillight. Ordered some small trailer lights and a rear window brake light that I plan to use and replace the bulbs for 6V. Haven't decided on incandescent or LED yet.

[drolston]

A 1941 Ford with only one tail light? I thought that 1939 was the last year for that.

[SoCalCoupe]

Originally Posted by drols ton

A 1941 Ford with only one tail light? I thought that 1939 was the last year for that.

The 1941 Ford Deluxe and Super Deluxe had two tail lights. This is a stripped down Ford Special model with only one tail light. Very few were made so nearly all of the surviving '41's have two tail lights.