The Ford Barn

BillCNC · 04-06-2022, 10:30 AM

Hey All,

I had an interesting night last night in the A. I was coming home from the store and I lost low and high beams and had to drive the last mile or so with just the cowl lights. It was residential streets, so I wasn't too worried. I got home and opened up the light switch and found the low and high beam wires had wiggled off the tabs. I had this issue before with it cooking the connector to the high beams and I cut the wire back and crimped on a new end and all was fine until last night.

My question is, should I just cut the blade connectors off and solder them to the tabs in the switch, or stick with the crimped current blade connections? I DO like the fact that they can be installed and uninstalled without a soldering iron. If soldered, Im kind of limited as to what can be done on the side of the road.

How do you have yours connected?

Regards
Bill

MAG · 04-06-2022, 12:56 PM

The original switch connections were soldered on. Some REPOP harnesses are built like yours. Your best bet for reliability sake would be to solder them on the switch.

nkaminar · 04-06-2022, 01:20 PM

Re crimp the connectors with the ratcheting type crimpers. Use an electrical grease.

Ruth · 04-06-2022, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nkaminar

Re crimp the connectors with the ratcheting type crimpers. Use split ring type lock washers at the screw heads or use Locktite. Use an electrical grease.

you have screws in your light switch?

Badpuppy · 04-07-2022, 08:51 AM

PO soldered the tab connectors on my car. Of course, hi/lo beams are swapped. Had to swap them back at the buckets.

1/4" tab connectors should not wiggle loose; They're difficult to disconnect by design.

rotorwrench · 04-07-2022, 12:15 PM

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The spade & socket type connection can suffer from loose fit of the socket onto the spade. If a person carefully adjusts the curled area on each side of the socket then they can be tightened up a good bit. I tried pulling some of the sockets off my own light switch recently and they were very tight. This reproduction set up was made back in the 70s or so and they were made pretty well back then. I don't know about current stuff though,

katy · 04-08-2022, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillCNC

Hey All, found the low and high beam wires had wiggled off the tabs. Bill

Did the wires come off the wire connectors? If so, solder the wires onto the connectors. Or did the wire connectors come off the tabs? If the connectors came off the tabs, rework the connectors as rotorwrench said.

If the connectors came off the tabs I would suspect that some PO had found them very tight to put on the tabs and reworked them to make them go together easier.

burner31 · 04-09-2022, 10:25 AM

I solder ALL wire connection...it's the only way to be sure

04-06-2022, 10:30 AM	#1
BillCNC Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: SoCal Desert Posts: 842	Light Switch Connections Hey All, I had an interesting night last night in the A. I was coming home from the store and I lost low and high beams and had to drive the last mile or so with just the cowl lights. It was residential streets, so I wasn't too worried. I got home and opened up the light switch and found the low and high beam wires had wiggled off the tabs. I had this issue before with it cooking the connector to the high beams and I cut the wire back and crimped on a new end and all was fine until last night. My question is, should I just cut the blade connectors off and solder them to the tabs in the switch, or stick with the crimped current blade connections? I DO like the fact that they can be installed and uninstalled without a soldering iron. If soldered, Im kind of limited as to what can be done on the side of the road. How do you have yours connected? Regards Bill

04-06-2022, 12:56 PM	#2
MAG Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 926	Re: Light Switch Connections The original switch connections were soldered on. Some REPOP harnesses are built like yours. Your best bet for reliability sake would be to solder them on the switch. __________________ I noticed the harder I work the luckier I get!

04-06-2022, 01:20 PM	#3
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 5,863	Re: Light Switch Connections Re crimp the connectors with the ratcheting type crimpers. Use an electrical grease. __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past. Last edited by nkaminar; 04-07-2022 at 01:36 PM. Reason: Opps

04-07-2022, 08:51 AM	#5
Badpuppy Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Guthrie, OK Posts: 1,247	Re: Light Switch Connections PO soldered the tab connectors on my car. Of course, hi/lo beams are swapped. Had to swap them back at the buckets. 1/4" tab connectors should not wiggle loose; They're difficult to disconnect by design.

04-07-2022, 12:15 PM	#6
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 17,410	Re: Light Switch Connections Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) The spade & socket type connection can suffer from loose fit of the socket onto the spade. If a person carefully adjusts the curled area on each side of the socket then they can be tightened up a good bit. I tried pulling some of the sockets off my own light switch recently and they were very tight. This reproduction set up was made back in the 70s or so and they were made pretty well back then. I don't know about current stuff though,

04-09-2022, 10:25 AM	#8
burner31 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Shawnee, Ok Posts: 3,479	Re: Light Switch Connections I solder ALL wire connection...it's the only way to be sure __________________ Keith Shawnee OK '31 SW 160-B