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54 e-brake light...grrr

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Old Oct 5, 2010 | 10:56 AM
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Default 54 e-brake light...grrr

Probably one of the most frustrating things of my resto. The light works and blinks.....if you pull the e-brake handle nice and easy. If you pull it like normal the little button on the e-brake shaft bends the stanlness spring up and slides under it. Any suggestions would be helpful, thanks.
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Old Oct 5, 2010 | 12:44 PM
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Originally Posted by MasterDave
Probably one of the most frustrating things of my resto. The light works and blinks.....if you pull the e-brake handle nice and easy. If you pull it like normal the little button on the e-brake shaft bends the stanlness spring up and slides under it. Any suggestions would be helpful, thanks.
Dave:

If you have an original style switch I'm sure you know the stainless "spring" tip always stays behind the little button and should never be in front of it (never toward the pull handle) or in a position to catch the stainless spring. When you release the brake the back of the button pushes back against and slightly lifts the face of the spring, disengaging the contacts on the switch. When you pull the handle to set the brake the spring tip drops free and allows the contact tips to touch, grounding the ebrake light. The amount of movement on the stainless spring is not much, so a little adjusting and possible tweaking of the spring might be necessary to sort it out.

I just installed mine a couple weeks ago and it works great, but it did take a few tries to get it right.

Randy

Last edited by Randy G.; Oct 5, 2010 at 12:47 PM.
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Old Oct 5, 2010 | 01:29 PM
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Originally Posted by Randy G.
Dave:

If you have an original style switch I'm sure you know the stainless "spring" tip always stays behind the little button and should never be in front of it (never toward the pull handle) or in a position to catch the stainless spring. When you release the brake the back of the button pushes back against and slightly lifts the face of the spring, disengaging the contacts on the switch. When you pull the handle to set the brake the spring tip drops free and allows the contact tips to touch, grounding the ebrake light. The amount of movement on the stainless spring is not much, so a little adjusting and possible tweaking of the spring might be necessary to sort it out.

I just installed mine a couple weeks ago and it works great, but it did take a few tries to get it right.

Randy
Thanks for the quick reply. I can't wrap my mind around your instructions. The switch is mounted up towards the pull handle so the stainless spring will always be towards the front of the button on the e-brake shaft. The stainless spring will also face the button. All the pics I've seen show it mounted this way. I gotta be doing something wrong. You got a pic bro? Thanks again
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Old Oct 5, 2010 | 02:13 PM
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Originally Posted by MasterDave
Thanks for the quick reply. I can't wrap my mind around your instructions. The switch is mounted up towards the pull handle so the stainless spring will always be towards the front of the button on the e-brake shaft. The stainless spring will also face the button. All the pics I've seen show it mounted this way. I gotta be doing something wrong. You got a pic bro? Thanks again
Dave.....

Sounds like you have it mounted wrong. The pin on the switch that the plastic flasher pushes in to faces you. You would push the flasher in towards the firewall on the pin. And the stainless spring lever points toward the firewall. When the brake is released, the stainless tip rests on the firewall side of the button as the button approaches the switch. When the button pushes the stainless tip it pushes it away from the switch, which breaks the ground and shuts the flasher off. When adjusting it don't let the stainless tip slip over the top of the button when the brake is released. And try to have it so the tip is just clear of the shaft when the brake is on.

Here's a pic of original unmolested #3300 under dash and it's exactly how I mounted mine. A little hard to see, but it shows the orientation.

Randy


Last edited by Randy G.; Oct 5, 2010 at 02:28 PM.
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Old Oct 5, 2010 | 02:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Randy G.

Here's a pic of original unmolested #3300 under dash and it's exactly how I mounted mine. A little hard to see, but it shows the orientation.

Randy


Before anyone goes apoplectic over the carpet appearance in an otherwise unmolested '54, let the record show that the owner is well aware that the carpet is not correct.

The original carpet was in tatters. That is J. C. Whitney carpet, circa 1971.

The remainder of the interior, wiring, paint, etc.... is exactly as installed at St. Louis.

Jim
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Old Oct 5, 2010 | 04:34 PM
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Originally Posted by jim lockwood
Before anyone goes apoplectic over the carpet appearance in an otherwise unmolested '54, let the record show that the owner is well aware that the carpet is not correct.

The original carpet was in tatters. That is J. C. Whitney carpet, circa 1971.

The remainder of the interior, wiring, paint, etc.... is exactly as installed at St. Louis.

Jim
Jim:

Thanks for clarifying that. I have been searching for 5 years just to find a floor mat like the one in the picture. Closest I could come up with was in the lawn and patio department at Home Depot near the astroturf front porch mats.

Randy

Last edited by Randy G.; Oct 5, 2010 at 09:40 PM.
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Old Oct 5, 2010 | 05:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Randy G.
Jim:

Thanks for clarifying that. I have been searching for 5 years just to find a floor mat like the one in the picture. Closest I could come with was in the lawn and patio department at Home Depot near the astroturf front porch mats.

Randy
Don't tell the NCRS guys.
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Old Oct 5, 2010 | 08:49 PM
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Yup, installed it wrong. I thought I was so smart too. My stainless tab is flat with a 90 degree bend at the end, it looks like it needs to have a narrowed end to fit into the smaller slot/groove because the e-brake slot narrows?
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Old Oct 5, 2010 | 09:21 PM
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Originally Posted by MasterDave
Yup, installed it wrong. I thought I was so smart too. My stainless tab is flat with a 90 degree bend at the end, it looks like it needs to have a narrowed end to fit into the smaller slot/groove because the e-brake slot narrows?
Correct. Here's a pic of an original that sold on ebay. I can climb under the dash of mine, shoot a picture and email it to you if you need it..

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Old Oct 5, 2010 | 10:38 PM
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Originally Posted by Randy G.
Correct. Here's a pic of an original that sold on ebay. I can climb under the dash of mine, shoot a picture and email it to you if you need it..

Not needed bro, my unit looks like the one pictured except for the beveled down area on the 90 degree turn down. Probably broke off sometime in the past and someone just put a bend in it. I believe I can redo the end to make it fit. Thank you for the timely info. Also I looked on ebay but could not find this unit, is there another on there? Thanks again...
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Old Oct 6, 2010 | 04:08 PM
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That one just sold for $225 on October 3.

Corvette brake warning light switch on eBay

They are very hard to find. Grossmueller's has repro's for over $300. If you have an original I would do what I could to save it (make it work) while keeping an eye out for another one in the future. I hate to admit it, but I bought mine off ebay a few months ago for $49. It was listed with a poor description so it must have slid under the radar. I was shocked that no one outbid me and I was willing to go pretty high but didn't need to.

Randy
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Old Oct 6, 2010 | 06:24 PM
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Originally Posted by Randy G.
That one just sold for $225 on October 3.

Corvette brake warning light switch on eBay

They are very hard to find. Grossmueller's has repro's for over $300. If you have an original I would do what I could to save it (make it work) while keeping an eye out for another one in the future. I hate to admit it, but I bought mine off ebay a few months ago for $49. It was listed with a poor description so it must have slid under the radar. I was shocked that no one outbid me and I was willing to go pretty high but didn't need to.

Randy
Thanks, with your help I got this one to work. All it took was to install it properly... I will keep my eye out for a $49 one though. Later...
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Old Oct 6, 2010 | 07:51 PM
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Now if only I could get someone to answer my head bolt question thread.
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