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Took it for its first night drive, and it needs a light switch.

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  • Took it for its first night drive, and it needs a light switch.

    Tonight I took my '40 out for its first real night drive. Everything ran smooth and nothing quit. It even has working headlights! The only problem is that the light switch is basically shot. It still works, but it's very "fine tuned" for lack of a better term. It goes between on, off, high beem, normal, and gauge lights in about 1/16" (really bad...) Heck, I didn't know I had high beems until I got home and messed with the switch a little! (Because every other time I moved the switch, I missed it!) What I would like to know, does anybody make a good aftermarket light switch for it? This one controls on/off, gauge lights, normal lights, and brights all in one knob.
    Thanks.
    Chris Dresbach

  • #2
    Chris
    If a 1940 light switch is a pull switch, you might be able to get it to work better by squirting some "contact cleaner" aka "Tun-o-Wash" into it. You can get the stuff at Radio Shack. Its great for staticy radio knobs, too.
    John
    1950 Champion
    W-3 4 Dr. Sedan
    Holdrege NE

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Lothar View Post
      Chris
      If a 1940 light switch is a pull switch, you might be able to get it to work better by squirting some "contact cleaner" aka "Tun-o-Wash" into it. You can get the stuff at Radio Shack. Its great for staticy radio knobs, too.
      It's not a pull switch, it's a left to right knob thing. It's also not really stuck, just super sensitive to its location. If the lights are on, all somebody in the front seat has to do is barely touch it and it will move just enough (either left or right) and they will go out, change, something.
      Chris Dresbach

      Comment


      • #4
        Sounds like you also missed the Parking Lights position! That is just way too many positions, for one switch. Are you sure the High Beams weren't supposed to be on another switch like a floor dimmer?
        StudeRich
        Second Generation Stude Driver,
        Proud '54 Starliner Owner
        SDC Member Since 1967

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by StudeRich View Post
          Sounds like you also missed the Parking Lights position! That is just way too many positions, for one switch. Are you sure the High Beams weren't supposed to be on another switch like a floor dimmer?
          I don't think so. According to the manual, the only floor button was the starter (and mine is on the dash). Everything works out of this one switch. Mine also no longer has parking lights at all. I got rid of them in favor of having turn signals.
          Chris Dresbach

          Comment


          • #6
            Chris,

            If I read the parts book right your 40 takes a part number 196876 light switch, which was also used in some of the M and early R series trucks. The price book shows that the above number was superceded by part number 680908, which was used in the later R and E series trucks, so you should be able to locate an NOS or perhaps a good used original switch if you want to go that route.
            Dan Peterson
            Montpelier, VT
            1960 Lark V-8 Convertible
            1960 Lark V-8 Convertible (parts car)

            Comment


            • #7
              Chris, I have a good used one I removed from my 41 Champion I'd give you. It is a switch that turns like yours. Alternatively I show the part number 680908 mentiones by Dan as being in my inventory.
              Frank van Doorn
              Omaha, Ne.
              1962 GT Hawk 289 4 speed
              1941 Champion streetrod, R-2 Powered, GM 200-4R trans.
              1952 V-8 232 Commander State "Starliner" hardtop OD

              Comment


              • #8
                Chris,
                Now that (thanks to some great forum participants) you can be assured that replacement switches (new and used) are out there....
                I remember having coffee over at Stephen Cade's place a few years ago....
                As we chatted, he was taking apart switches (bending up the tabs to get to the guts...a technical term)...
                Stephen would clean the switch body out, clean the contacts, put in some dielectric grease, and then put them back together...
                He said that about 75% of the switches he took apart just needed a good cleaning.
                Perhaps yours is in that 75%?
                HTIH
                CASO Fidelis
                Jeff

                Originally posted by dpson View Post
                Chris,
                If I read the parts book right your 40 takes a part number 196876 light switch, which was also used in some of the M and early R series trucks. The price book shows that the above number was superceded by part number 680908, which was used in the later R and E series trucks, so you should be able to locate an NOS or perhaps a good used original switch if you want to go that route.
                HTIH (Hope The Info Helps)

                Jeff


                Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please. Mark Twain



                Note: SDC# 070190 (and earlier...)

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Chris_Dresbach View Post
                  I don't think so. According to the manual, the only floor button was the starter (and mine is on the dash). Everything works out of this one switch. Mine also no longer has parking lights at all. I got rid of them in favor of having turn signals.
                  But Chris, you missed my point, the car was designed with Parking Lights by Law and does have them, so regardless of what you wired them to, THE SWITCH SHOULD BE MADE TO CONTROL THEM. So if you have OFF, HEADLIGHTS, HIGH BEAM, and INSTRUMENTS where is Parking?

                  I remember the old three position, twist '47-'49 Champion I had a long time ago, had a small knob in the center of the larger one to do the Instruments, but NO High Beam.
                  StudeRich
                  Second Generation Stude Driver,
                  Proud '54 Starliner Owner
                  SDC Member Since 1967

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by 41 Frank View Post
                    Chris, I have a good used one I removed from my 41 Champion I'd give you. It is a switch that turns like yours. Alternatively I show the part number 680908 mentiones by Dan as being in my inventory.
                    That will work. I'm interested in it, that should work.
                    Chris Dresbach

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Chris, if your switch is about three inches long ,has 4 wires and has 2 positions besides the off position the used switch I have should work for you. I do not have a new one any more. You are welcome to it for free. Just send me your addres through my profile and I'll mail it to you.

                      Originally posted by 41 Frank View Post
                      Chri,s, I have a good used one I removed from my 41 Champion I'd give you. It is a switch that turns like yours. Alternatively I show the part number 680908 mentiones by Dan as being in my inventory.
                      Frank van Doorn
                      Omaha, Ne.
                      1962 GT Hawk 289 4 speed
                      1941 Champion streetrod, R-2 Powered, GM 200-4R trans.
                      1952 V-8 232 Commander State "Starliner" hardtop OD

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Chris; The light swith on the '40 Champion has only two turns to the right (clockwise).First notch parking ligts, second headlights. The dash lights are turned of/on by a toggle switch under the instrument panel and the dimmer switch is on the floor to the left of the clutch pedal. At least that is the way Studebaker built it in 1940. If yours works different than that it has been modified in the past 70 years.
                        Richard Quinn
                        Editor emeritus: Antique Studebaker Review

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by 41 Frank View Post
                          Chris, if your switch is about three inches long ,has 4 wires and has 2 positions besides the off position the used switch I have should work for you. I do not have a new one any more. You are welcome to it for free. Just send me your addres through my profile and I'll mail it to you.
                          I got the switch today, thanks!
                          Chris Dresbach

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Studebaker Wheel View Post
                            Chris; The light swith on the '40 Champion has only two turns to the right (clockwise).First notch parking ligts, second headlights. The dash lights are turned of/on by a toggle switch under the instrument panel and the dimmer switch is on the floor to the left of the clutch pedal. At least that is the way Studebaker built it in 1940. If yours works different than that it has been modified in the past 70 years.
                            Yup, then it's been modified because I think it has to be doing 5 different things all from the same switch! The one I got today from Frank has three different spots on it, so it should work better. I can run a toggle or two if I need to. I may change the dimmer to a button or something under the dash just because I don't like buttons on the floor...
                            Chris Dresbach

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              R Series Truck Headlight Switch

                              Originally posted by Chris_Dresbach View Post
                              /Cut/The one I got today from Frank has three different spots on it, so it should work better./Cut/
                              That's right, Left to Right: OFF, PARKING AND HEADLIGHTS.

                              The Instrument Lights Terminal, should be hot in both Parking and Head Lights position.

                              You will need a quite high Amp, Two Position (Lo-Hi, Double ON) Toggle Switch, at least 20-30 Amp. to run the heavy gauge wire from the Hd. Lt. Term. through, for High/Low beam.
                              StudeRich
                              Second Generation Stude Driver,
                              Proud '54 Starliner Owner
                              SDC Member Since 1967

                              Comment

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