Very rare early 28 head light lever modified to fit early steering column

[mrtexas]

How do I get the head light lever off? It is on the wrong length of rod.

[Slowplane]

I don't think you want to remove the switch handle from the rod. I've found that they are next to impossible to reattach. If it were me, I'd look for the correct length rod w/handle. repops are available from the vendors.

[Jim Mason]

Nice ve switch...one of the grails of ve parts...

[dlshady]

Originally Posted by Jim Mason

Nice ve switch...one of the grails of ve parts...

Indeed. I was going to say that he should just send it to me and I'd replace it...

[mrtexas]

Originally Posted by Slowplane

I don't think you want to remove the switch handle from the rod. I've found that they are next to impossible to reattach. If it were me, I'd look for the correct length rod w/handle. repops are available from the vendors.

No repop of this early 28 one. Someone has already re-attached it to the wrong length rod.

[Tom Wesenberg]

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I agree, that early switch will be worth more to someone than just buying the correct one. I also agree that they are next to impossible to take apart, and you could ruin a nice early part.

[mrtexas]

Originally Posted by 1930 coupe

It might be easier to cut and weld the tubing near the center to make it the correct length.

Then it is likely that the previous owner shortened the rod. It came with the early 28 switch lever on a gemmer 29 steering column

[Jim Mason]

If you want to sell let me know

[Ed Pitts]

I would unsolder the center wire at the bottom of the rod and see what is under the horn button in your top pic. It will show what the prior owner did in attaching the rod.
Ed

[mrtexas]

Looks like whoever put the early 28 lever on a 45 inch 29 gemmer rod did a nice job. Added 3/4 of an inch to the horn rod to make it fit my 28 steering column again. I agree that it looks unlikely that the switch lever could be removed and replaced easily. I bought some 5/16 round rod and drilled a hole thru it on my lathe and a little welding solved it. This bit of unobtanium is going back on my early 28 open cab pickup. Got the dash back from the platers today. Looks like new with no pits. Nice but cost me $108 for nickel plating! It was $25 to get the button and bracket plated. I didn't get the platers to polish the aluminum as I was afraid they would polish out the high off dim.

Anyone have an early light switch for sale?

[Gary Karr]

My E-28 light switch is stamped steel with the "ON" "OFF", "DIM" engraved on it. It was very easy to weld a new rod onto it.

[mrtexas]

Originally Posted by Gary Karr

My E-28 light switch is stamped steel with the "ON" "OFF", "DIM" engraved on it. It was very easy to weld a new rod onto it.

Interesting. Here is what mine says on the bottom:



Old reproduction?

[Gary Karr]

The only pot metal or aluminum light switches that I have seen that were engraved with the ON-OFF-DIM are most likely reproduced or lettering added to the later style switches.

[Ron in Quincy]

The horn rod on my A1276 is stamped steel like Gary Karr's; I was fortunate that it was in good shape so all I had to do was have it re-nickeled; the A also had the very early Light Switch, the fitting on the switch that holds the light rod to the switch even had a Diamond with a "F" in the center and also a "Ford" script.

I myself have never seen a aluminum pot metal light switch head that was engraved like the stamped steel head.

Ron

[dean from bozeman]

All of the original "On-Off-Dim" switches that I have seen are stamped steel. The metal is a bit depressed where the words and arrows were stamped. Under the handle is a seam where the metal is bent around a "masonite" plug.

A few years back, Don Bivens (owner of A616 and A633) said that he had a pot metal On-Off-Dim. It sure would be neat to see it and compare it to this one. I wonder if it was an aftermarket or just a different vendor used by Ford.

Mr. Texas, thanks for sharing this one with us.

[Ron in Quincy]

mrtexas,

I have learned and now believe your light switch handle is original; according to records the polished aluminum handle was released for service in March of 1928.

Ron

[Gary Karr]

A question I have is that I also have a stamped steel switch, identical in every way but without the stamped wording. If I remember right, the '97 JS & RG referred to this as used for a couple of months in early '28, maybe February or March after the ON-OFF-DIM type. Then shortly after, the cast type came out. My question is why would they bring out a plain steel switch handle and then a cast aluminum handle with the ON-OFF-DIM back on it?

[Mark W.]

Here is a link to a much earlier post of mine - I repaired a cracked rod - took some doing, but still working great...

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showth...217#post624217

[Ron in Quincy]

Gary,

Good question, the release of the polished aluminum head also indicates the "off" engraving was dropped ? possible some were made before the release was issued?

It is like the center cross member, I have a hole and a mounting hole on each side on the front of the cross member that was never used on A1276. One time when Fred Gooding was visiting me I asked him about the unused holes? Fred said the same center cross member was used in the early AA chassis for mounting the pedal that changes the rear end ratio, in view your chassis is a passenger car it would never be used. I do not believe this information exists in the Standards that I know of?

Ron

[d.j. moordigian]

Ron and Gary,

I don't have the 97 Standards but i do have the 94(nothing in it) and the 2011,
which does show an Aluminum version with no "OFF".

The part that bothers me is the lettering on Mr. Texas's part looks different. I don't
have a light s/w rod here at work too compare...but I thought the way the rod was
attached to the handle was different ? It could be just age on my part..

[Charles Reese]

From what I can determine the (A3616) LIGHT SWITCH HANDLE/HORN SWITCH ASSEMBLY went through several changes.

* {Style #1} until ~ Feb/mid May‘28: 46-3/4” overall length; bright nickel-plated stamped steel (25ga) with ON-OFF-DIM stamped into metal above the finger grip, thus a slight downward “bend’ around words; arrows below ON & DIM; letters and arrows filled with black enamel; 4” wire (blue/yellow tracer) lead at the bottom for the horn ground. As Dean mentioned, handle has a seam on bottom side & has a “plug” of masonite in it (assume for strength). {Pix 1&2}

* {Style #2} March’28: polished die cast aluminum; marked with ON and DIM (no OFF) with an arrow under each word … letters and arrows filled with black enamel before polishing. {Pix 3&4, on my Jan28 truck}

* {Style #3} (Apr-Jun’28): polished (unplated) aluminum; unmarked.

* {Style #4} Jun’28-): nickel plated die cast aluminum.


The MAFFI Parts Index Database shows:
* A3616 … drawing date 2-22-1928
* A3616AR … drawing date 2-27-1928, EI 7446
* A3616B … drawing date 2-27-1928, EI 7446
* A3616B … drawing date 6-1-1928, EI 8949
* A3616C … drawing date 1-4-19298, EI 11558 (with Gemmer design steering gear)

I am not familiar enough with these to speculate anything from the dates. Of course would love to have copies of the EIs indicated … not so subtle hint to any of our Detroit area brethren!

[Charles Reese]

Now. Let’s stir up a little dust … here are a few other pix I have collected over time … seems the words/arrows may have been hand stamped, thus slight variations in placement and clarity. One seems to have been ‘etched’ with an electric pencil …

[dean from bozeman]

Gary, I had an unstamped "on-off-dim" type light switch and rod. It was identical to the steel stamped one that is in A495. I wonder whether it was a newer design or if it just missed a process. It may have been a one-stamp process. How did they get the masonite material in the handle part?

Charles, you are amazing in regards to the research that you do. I really appreciate it. Yes, it would be interesting to get the original blue prints and see what changes, if any, Ford made with the switch. I seriously doubt whether these were hand stamped in the factory. Machines would save time and money. You can tell the originals because you can see how the metal indented when the words and arrows were stamped in.

I have no doubt that restorers through the years tried various ways to get the desired "on-off-dim" look. I have visited a museum where the guard let me slip under the ropes to examine an early Tudor. Its light switch was from a recast. This was a known fact that the older early guys would talk about. Even today, I know of a restorer who is attempting to make his own.

Until I see a blueprint that shows that some were made with die cast aluminum, I will consider these to be a replacement part or ones that were made by a non-Ford supplier. Now I may be totally wrong but I will reserve judgement until those blueprints are seen.

For those of you just casually interested in this discussion, let it be known that these early light switches had the words "On-Off-Dim" and had arrows below the left and right words. Their rods were longer and paired with an open bail light switch at the end of the steering column. The open bail was a poor design because the contacts were on a masonite-type material and water could get into these bails. When water was able to soak the masonite material became swelled and distorted. Then the contacts did not line up and work properly. A recall, so to speak, suggested that cars/trucks with this problem get their bails and horn rod replaced. Those replaced parts were probably thrown away in the thousands. That is why, to this day, it is so hard to find the original parts.

When you look at the ve28 parts on an early car like A495 you can see that many of them were poorly designed. Thus many of those parts were replaced, thrown away and are hard to find today.

[msmaron]

From A7191, Original

[FL&WVMIKE]

I wold be very leery of any "eletric pencil" engraved ones. Ole Henry would not have spent the money to have done that !
MIKE (mikeburch)

[Gary Karr]

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I find this a very interesting post and worthy of the attention it is generating. I do have some questions/comments.
mrtexas, what you have is indeed a nice piece. The lettering is straight and well done. The question I have is that if it is thought to be original, why would it have an incorrect length tube? As Dean mentions above, the ON-OFF-DIM switch was to be used only with the open bail switch and would therefore have the longer tube. If your tube has (had) the square end and indent to accept the spider "C" clip, I would then conclude it is a recreation. If the data above posted by Charles is in fact accurate and can be backed up by factory drawings and releases, the aluminum cast switch should not have the "OFF" stamped in the center as it does.
As Dean also mentions above, there were many "recreations" done in the 70's, back when there was little data and a brief, if any Judging Standards.
I'm still questioning the stamped steel switch with no lettering as both Dean and I have examples of. I can't think that the lettering was an oversight on the them. They must have been a transition piece before they went to the bail switch.

[Charles Reese]

Anyone have copies of the drawings or EIs? Those would shed light on this … plz PM if you dont want to post ... Thanks

* A3616 .....… drawing date 2-22-1928
* A3616AR … drawing date 2-27-1928 ... EI 7446
* A3616B …... drawing date 2-27-1928 ... EI 7446
* A3616B ...… drawing date 6-1-1928 ..... EI 8949