Electrical: Question on headlight switch 58 Hawk

[1953champcoupe]

I did not note the position of the wires on the head light switch (they weren't in very good shape) when I took the dash apart to clean/paint/etc.

First question--Is it safe to assume that when you flip the toggle switch "up" that is for the head lights and "down" is for park lights?

Second question-- can someone educate me on which wire goes where? I can figure out where the power comes in, just not sure which terminal is for park/head/instrument as well as the "odd" round plug. I guess if "push" comes to "shove" I'll just ohm it out and hook the wires up but I'd guess there is more than one person that can insure that I don't reinvent the wheel


Thanks

Marv

[StudeRich]

The Insulator is stamped with abbreviations to indicate which wire goes where, after this many years they may be a bit hard to read but usually they can be. There is something to indicate: H, T, P and I.

The Wire with the Bullet Male terminal should go to the Round Female Sw. Terminal, I believe it goes in the Column to the Trans. Dial Light. If not, it is the jumper to the Instr. Lt. Sw.

The Terminal(s) that is ON in Both Hd. and Pk. position is for Inst. and Tail Lights there is usually a Dual 2 to One connector on the wires or the Old Switch to do that.

The Instrument Lights Wire goes to the Instrument Light Switch.

Yes, UP is Hd. Lts.

[1953champcoupe]

Thanks Stude Rich, the new switch had no markings so I looked at an old one and found a T (tail light I hope) near one lug, I think I got it figured out.

I may be Studebaker Rich but I'd almost call it Stude Poor You are poor by the time you buy all the metal to fix the rust.

[1953champcoupe]

I could find no markings on the switch, either the new one or the two old org style switches. I decided to just "ohm" the different positions. What I found was that when the head lights are on (switch up) that connectors 3 & 4 are hot. When I switch to Park connectors 1,2 & 3 are hot. I (unfortunatley) didn't keep a good record of the wires when I pulled them off of the dash. The one dash I clipped the loom but..........for what ever dumb reason I pulled three of the wires off. The connector three (pin style) appeared to be only for a light on the cig lighter?

I ended up wiring the tail lights and the dash gauge lights to the pin, number three and the park lights to connector number one. I am using an after market wire loom so there is no way to match it the org wires anyway. Pin four is used for the head lights.

Can anyone confirm what each of these connectors are supposed to do?

[Dwain G.]

Going by the numbers you added to the photo try this:
P blk 12v power. Comes from + side of fuse block
1 red/blk headlights goes to dimmer switch
2 fog lights, not used
3 blk/oak to tail lights & inst light switch
4 grn to park lights
If the aftermarket wire harness doesn't follow the original color codes you'll have to power each wire individually and see what lights up.

[1953champcoupe]

Here it is, a couple of months later, and I find that the switch is defective I disassembled an org switch, if nothing else to see which terminals should do what which made it very clear that the switch was defective. I cleaned the terminals on the old switch and reassembled but (as I was afraid of) the "paper" insulator between the slider and the terminals was warped enough to hold the slider up. I am going to attempt to make a new insulator, wish me luck.

[RadioRoy]

Can you get the insulator wet/damp and iron it like you were ironing a shirt?

[1953champcoupe]

@Radio Roy, I thought about that but my wife laughed at me I am going to take a shot at making a new one out of plastic, it is one of my projects for the day The joys of working on an old car I didn't think of ironing it though, I like your idea.

[RadioRoy]

If you go to an electrical supply house, you can buy "fish paper" which is a very tough paper product impregnated with some hydrocarbon and is used for insulating the insides of transformers. That's probably what the original was made from. It withstands voltage and heat and abrasion. Plastic might melt when it gets warm.

[1953champcoupe]

If you go to an electrical supply house, you can buy "fish paper" which is a very tough paper product impregnated with some hydrocarbon and is used for insulating the insides of transformers. That's probably what the original was made from. It withstands voltage and heat and abrasion. Plastic might melt when it gets warm.

Thanks for that insight. I made a new replacement piece out of plastic...now you have me wondering. I have been soaking the org all day and it's still hard, I may try the iron trick tomorrow. Thanks for the name of the product, the electrical supply house will probably want to sell me a ream of fish paper I found it (would have never been able to identify it without your expertise. $4.32 for more than I would use in a lifetime. You are evidently familiar with it, is it easy to punch holes without it shattering? I am adding a picture to show the switch disassembled, having it apart makes it much easier to see how it works.

[RadioRoy]

The original was most likely made from fish paper, punched in a specially designed fixture.