Re: IML: 67' No Brake Light Issue...

[Ken Miller <kdmiller44@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

As usual, Dick Benjamin is right in his description of the difficulty in 
changing the turn-signal switch. 

However, there is one fix that hasn't been mentioned in this thread. 

My car was demonstrating the same old problem - no brake lights on the 
left side unless I wiggled the switch a little bit.  When I was faced 
with changing the switch for the second time (I've had my 67 for 20+ 
years), I decided to see if I could figure out what was failing on the 
switch.   It turned out that the problem was that wires that connect to 
the switch terminals are riveted in place with tiny rivets.  The rivets 
work loose after a while and this was causing the problem.  I took a 
small-wattage soldering iron and carefully applied a little dot of 
solder that secured the wire lug to the rivet.  Voila, it worked!  I 
haven't had a problem since.

You can't really heat the connection like we have been instructed to do 
when soldering because the rivet goes through plastic and it will melt.  
Just try getting a little dab of solder to stick between the rivet and 
lug and you may save yourself the headache that Dick so aptly describes.

Ken Miller
Portland, Oregon
61 Convert and a 67 Convert - with all six stoplights working

Dick Benjamin wrote:

> I've been gone for the last 4 days, but I see this discussion continues.   I
> want to make sure that people realize that the turn signal switches are
> quite different depending on whether your car has tilt-o-scope or not.  The
> ones that most of us have are the tilt-o-scope (I happened to have one of
> the non-tilt cars also).  Be sure to specify which you have if you are
> ordering either the repair kit or the whole switch.
>
> Also, changing this switch requires that you have three special tools.  Two
> of them are rather easy to make if you have a well equipped shop (the one to
> depress the retainer collar so you can remove the "C" clip, and the one to
> unlatch the retainers for the individual wires in the electrical plug) but
> the third one is a real bear to make (the one to remove the sheet metal trim
> sleeve that hides all the mechanism from prying eyes.)  Attempting to remove
> this sleeve without the proper tool is likely to result in some unsightly
> damage to your steering column - this job is best left to someone with the
> right tool.  
>
> It is POSSIBLE, if you are very careful, patient, have 20/10 eyesight, can
> see in the dark, and have tiny hands with built in hemostats to pull the
> wires, to replace the switch in a Tilt wheel column without the third tool
> (I've done it three times, but I had to run my fingers through a pencil
> sharpener to make them small enough!), but this job is not for the faint of
> heart.
>
> One further caution:  These are collapsible steering columns; they cannot
> take ANY KIND of abrupt blow or heavy push either to the side or down. Once
> the collapse mechanism is tripped, it cannot be repaired; the whole column
> must be replaced.  So be careful out there, kids - this is not a fun thing
> to work on!
>
> Dick Benjamin
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: mailing-list-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:mailing-list-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tim Klein
> Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 7:25 AM
> To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: RE: IML: 67' No Brake Light Issue...
>
>
>  
>
> > These switches are a sore spot on these cars, most of us have had to
> >    
> replace
>  
>
> > them to get the turn signals to cancel after a turn, or to stay on before a
> > turn, or to operate the cornering lights correctly, etc. etc.  It is not a
> > happy prospect, but you can do it yourself, if you can find a new switch.
> >    
>
> New '67 turn signal switches are available from these folks:
> http://www.shee-mar.com
> I've had one of theirs on my '67 for about 4 years now, and it has 
> always worked fine.
>
> Tim Klein
> '67 Crown 4DHT
>
>
>
>
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