Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Early V8 (1932-53)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 04-07-2019, 08:06 PM   #1
51woodie
Senior Member
 
51woodie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Chelmsford, ON Canada
Posts: 524
Default '46 Coupe Courtesy Light

How do I open up the courtesy lights, to check the bulbs and service the on/off switch? Pry somewhere with a screwdriver would be my guess, but I prefer to learn from experience, not experimentation. Especially when working on something that is hard to replace if I broke it.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Courtesey Light.jpg (49.4 KB, 21 views)
51woodie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2019, 10:23 PM   #2
34pickup
Senior Member
 
34pickup's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Huntsville Al
Posts: 1,526
Default Re: '46 Coupe Courtesy Light

Yes, they snap on.
__________________
Matt 24:36-41
34pickup is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 04-08-2019, 04:58 AM   #3
FortyNiner
Senior Member
 
FortyNiner's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: u-rah-rah-Wisconsin
Posts: 1,130
Default Re: '46 Coupe Courtesy Light

The connection points are at the 9 and 3 o'clock positions by the glass lens. The bezel comes straight out.
__________________
19 and 49 F1 - jes' like Henry II built
1946 Deluxe - as Henry built it
FortyNiner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-08-2019, 06:02 AM   #4
51woodie
Senior Member
 
51woodie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Chelmsford, ON Canada
Posts: 524
Default Re: '46 Coupe Courtesy Light

Thanks for the replies. It is just above freezing in my garage (not heated), so I’ll warm it up with my wife’s hair dryer before I try to remove it.
51woodie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-08-2019, 07:21 PM   #5
51woodie
Senior Member
 
51woodie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Chelmsford, ON Canada
Posts: 524
Default Re: '46 Coupe Courtesy Light

Thank you for your responses and tips on doing the job. I did get the light assembly off and found a real jackpot. Someone was in there before and did a hack job, as they taped over the wires with masking tape then vinyl tape to insulate them. I also found that insulation was missing up inside the roof area. I'll fix that by cutting off the terminal, sliding a length of woven wire loom over the wire then install a new terminal. The switch unfortunately had self destructed. The fiber piece that holds the two contacts is broken, and the little ball that goes on top of the spring in the switch toggle is missing. I will have to look for a replacement socket/switch assembly, which I hope I can find.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Courtesy Light (1).jpg (29.7 KB, 26 views)
File Type: jpg Courtesy Light (2).jpg (36.8 KB, 25 views)
51woodie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-08-2019, 09:47 PM   #6
fordor41
Senior Member
 
fordor41's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: elmira,ny
Posts: 1,505
Default Re: '46 Coupe Courtesy Light

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Should be the same 41-48
fordor41 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-09-2019, 01:04 AM   #7
FortyNiner
Senior Member
 
FortyNiner's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: u-rah-rah-Wisconsin
Posts: 1,130
Default Re: '46 Coupe Courtesy Light

I ended up rewiring mine by adding a switch under the dash to control the lights.
__________________
19 and 49 F1 - jes' like Henry II built
1946 Deluxe - as Henry built it
FortyNiner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-09-2019, 02:28 AM   #8
Graeme / New Zealand
Senior Member
 
Graeme / New Zealand's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Lower Hutt , New Zealand
Posts: 2,125
Default Re: '46 Coupe Courtesy Light

Those switches get brittle with age. I found one eventually but originally got a pillar mount slide switch for an earliar V8 cut it in half tidied it up with bog (bondo I think you call it) so it could slide in the stock escutcheon and glued it in place. It looked good and worked well. If you go for a switch like forty niner says just find an escutcheon the same as the other side without the switch hole.

Other thing I've seen is someone adapting a small metal "toggle switch in the unit.

Ps : i've just looked at your pictures again you could clean that original switch up and reassemble it and it would probably be OK

GB
__________________
"you can't make honey out of dog sh*t"

"You're a long time looking at the lid"

Last edited by Graeme / New Zealand; 04-09-2019 at 02:37 AM.
Graeme / New Zealand is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-09-2019, 02:29 AM   #9
Blix
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Stockholm Sweden
Posts: 8
Default Re: '46 Coupe Courtesy Light

I had to do exactly as FortyNiner did, could not find any new or good used courtesy light with working switch.
Blix is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-09-2019, 06:20 AM   #10
51woodie
Senior Member
 
51woodie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Chelmsford, ON Canada
Posts: 524
Default Re: '46 Coupe Courtesy Light

If I can find a source for the small metal ball that sits on top of the spring in the switch toggle, I think I can make a new plate out of an insulating material that holds the contacts. I will have a look at the other options that you fellows posted as well.
51woodie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-12-2019, 10:27 PM   #11
fordor41
Senior Member
 
fordor41's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: elmira,ny
Posts: 1,505
Default Re: '46 Coupe Courtesy Light

My switch went bad but on the "on" position. I installed push button switches in the front door jams out of a '70's era Ford pick-up. Then the lights came on every time I opened the front doors.
fordor41 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-2019, 03:00 PM   #12
Cecil/WV
Senior Member
 
Cecil/WV's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Gerrardstown, WV
Posts: 2,265
Default Re: '46 Coupe Courtesy Light

A switch under the dash is much more convenient.
Cecil/WV is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:40 PM.