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Old 04-14-2017, 01:59 PM   #1
denniskliesen
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Default Light switch positions

Can anybody tell me how many positions this switch has? I am assuming it is three. Lights off in one position, lights on low beam headlight, lights on high beam. I have no cowl lights and early 28-29 single bulb headlights, and they are the small conduit. The switch movement is smooth with the old harness but the end that mates to the harness is incorrect, assuming. Can or has anybody been successful at moving the terminals on the harness besides in the pattern of a group of 3?

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Old 04-14-2017, 02:04 PM   #2
SeaSlugs
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Default Re: Light switch positions

Im not 100% sure but i think thats a early 28 with off at 6 o clock, 430 is low and 3 is high and the dimples are all off if you try to make a new harness work - might have to send your contact plate out to get new wires attached to it.

later it was park at 730, 6 is off, low at 430, high at 3
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Old 04-14-2017, 02:23 PM   #3
denniskliesen
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Default Re: Light switch positions

Yeah, I think I'll wait for a better switch as they claim to have later in the year. The fit and operation of my old switch was much better than the current reproduction part. Changing the contact plate is not worth it unless it was for points, which my car is not planned for that. Currently I have a repo switch with a new harness, feels like too much effort to move the switch to headlights on as it feels like the rod might twist off trying to get the switch to move.
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Old 04-14-2017, 03:17 PM   #4
Tom Wesenberg
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Default Re: Light switch positions

Keep that switch and get the correct contact plate for it. Those are hard to find, but belong on 1928 through March 1929 Model A's.
Try Bert's for the correct contact plate. 800-321-1931
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Old 04-14-2017, 06:47 PM   #5
Ron in Quincy
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Default Re: Light switch positions

As Tom W. said, you have part of the 1st switch that used a bail. You need the correct terminal block and wiring harness to use this switch; this switch only has 3 positions: 6= off, 7=Park, 5=On, you have no high beam as the headlight blubs are 21-3 candle power. Your headlight reflectors would be single blub, and you would have small headlight conduits and the headlight glass would be fluted, you should also have the tuna can taillight which was used thru March 1929.

Ron

If you have a later switch and wiring harness you can modify the wires to the headlights by using the green and park wire to serve your headlights, cut off the red wire so the two remaining wires will go through you conduits.

The switch will have park at 7, off at 6, high beam at 5, and nothing at 4.
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Old 04-14-2017, 07:18 PM   #6
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Default Re: Light switch positions

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron in Quincy View Post
As Tom W. said, you have part of the 1st switch that used a bail. You need the correct terminal block and wiring harness to use this switch; this switch only has 3 positions: 6= off, 7=Park, 5=On, you have no high beam as the headlight blubs are 21-3 candle power. Your headlight reflectors would be single blub, and you would have small headlight conduits and the headlight glass would be fluted, you should also have the tuna can taillight which was used thru March 1929.

Ron

If you have a later switch and wiring harness you can modify the wires to the headlights by using the green and park wire to serve your headlights, cut off the red wire so the two remaining wires will go through you conduits.

The switch will have park at 7, off at 6, high beam at 5, and nothing at 4.
Tom, Ron

You pretty much answered my question about the terminal block. Too bad they don't sell a terminal block and terminals individually so those of us that have the early switch can make up the harness to match. Maybe somebody does and I just haven't found it yet. Yes it is early 29. The car is pretty much more 28 then it is 29. I have 50/32 cp in the headlights now and they are working fine. They aren't any brighter than modern cars and I run them on the low cp side most of the time. I live in a suburb where there are more than enough street lights. Yes it has fluted lens and tuna can taillight.

I have a new harness that is with the 2 wires for my headlight housing, wired single bulb headlight with a separate cowl light wire that is tied back and insulated. The old harness had many bare wires and I didn't feel it was worth trying to repair it.

All of the old parts that came off of this car have been kept in boxes, even the parts that are no longer usable.

Thanks guys for all your help.

Last edited by denniskliesen; 04-14-2017 at 07:29 PM.
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Old 04-14-2017, 08:16 PM   #7
Tom Wesenberg
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Default Re: Light switch positions

Here's a thread on the 1928 light switch, and I show the plate you need setting on the blue background. The switch parts on the green background are for the March 1929 and later headlamps. Sacramento Vintage Ford wells the correct wiring harness for the 1928, and if you don't see it listed in their catalog, just tell them what you want. I ordered two for my early 29 and my 1928.

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showth...8+light+switch
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Old 04-14-2017, 10:16 PM   #8
denniskliesen
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Default Re: Light switch positions

Tom

Thanks for the link to that post. Hmm bummer... Horn plate for 28 is currently not available.

Telltale signs that somebody had done some restoration work on this car in the early sixties. Too bad they didn't put the correct harness in at the time unless it wasn't available then. The harness that was in there if it had the correct contact plate could have been reused, unsoldered the wires and soldered the new harness wiring to the correct locations.
Now can you tell us where you got the Caswell kit from to do the plating?

Last edited by denniskliesen; 04-14-2017 at 10:52 PM.
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Old 04-14-2017, 10:55 PM   #9
Ron in Quincy
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Default Re: Light switch positions

Dennis,

If you can come up with the terminal block, Vintage Ford in Rancho Cordova (Toll Free# 888-422-6437) make the wiring harness that can be terminated by them for you.
If you call Vintage Ford talk to Ron Palmer, he is the one that makes the harnesses, runs the original looming machine and would do the terminating.

By the way, I have the correct light switch and harness on my February 1929 Roadster which has the 28 Headlights, fluted lens, and tuna can tail light. I used Vintage Ford harness which is the correct color coded wire and looms; actually the harness is two piece, one to the headlight and horn and the other harness to the stop light switch and clear to the taillight plug in connector.

Ron
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Old 04-14-2017, 11:50 PM   #10
Tom Wesenberg
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Default Re: Light switch positions

Here is the link to the Caswell home plating "copy-cad" kit.

http://www.caswellplating.com/electr...ting-kits.html
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