Parking Brake Switch
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 34
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Parking Brake Switch
I have a 1960 stock vette. The parking brake switch (it turns off the blinking light on the instrument cluster when the parking brake is pushed down to disengage the parking brake) finally wore through the little piece of metal and so it will no longer shut off the flashing parking brake light indicator. Very annoying!!
I have checked every vette parts dealer on this planet!! and I have not been able to find anyone who has either a new one or a rebuilt one.
At this point I am thinking of somehow making my own switch.
Has anyone ever made their own switch or converted their broken parking brake switch set up...or perhaps know where to get a replacement switch?
Thank you!! Jaye
I have checked every vette parts dealer on this planet!! and I have not been able to find anyone who has either a new one or a rebuilt one.
At this point I am thinking of somehow making my own switch.
Has anyone ever made their own switch or converted their broken parking brake switch set up...or perhaps know where to get a replacement switch?
Thank you!! Jaye
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 4,504
Likes: 813
From: East Central Florida
Only used switches are available, and no repro replacement parts. Used switches are very expensive so it'll be worthwhile to repair yours.
That flat spring plate is brass. It's a common problem for it to wear through like that. I repaired mine by using a thin piece of brass stock and silver soldered it over the hole. Sanding it flush so you don't change the contact distance too much.
That flat spring plate is brass. It's a common problem for it to wear through like that. I repaired mine by using a thin piece of brass stock and silver soldered it over the hole. Sanding it flush so you don't change the contact distance too much.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,215
Likes: 447
From: NJ Hockey beer league
Only used switches are available, and no repro replacement parts. Used switches are very expensive so it'll be worthwhile to repair yours.
That flat spring plate is brass. It's a common problem for it to wear through like that. I repaired mine by using a thin piece of brass stock and silver soldered it over the hole. Sanding it flush so you don't change the contact distance too much.
That flat spring plate is brass. It's a common problem for it to wear through like that. I repaired mine by using a thin piece of brass stock and silver soldered it over the hole. Sanding it flush so you don't change the contact distance too much.
That's along the lines of how I did mine. One other thing to add, dress the plunger with a small points file so it is smooth and square. They get a rough or angled edge on them and can wear away the repaired area if left unattended.
Pilot Dan
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 2,097
Likes: 99
From: Boston MA
Mine looked like that too - brass strip had a hole worn in it. I cut a thin piece of sheet metal, a tin can would do, into a strip the same width as the brass strip. I then folded it over and glued it to the brass strip. The sheet metal sandwiched the brass strip. I figured the glue would hold better that way. Silver solder would probably be better. But that technique is beyond my technical capabilities.
File the plunger tip smooth and lubricate it so it operates smoothly.
It's a little fussy reinstalling it and adjusting it to make it work right. But it's do-able and certainly worth the 20 points you'll get.
File the plunger tip smooth and lubricate it so it operates smoothly.
It's a little fussy reinstalling it and adjusting it to make it work right. But it's do-able and certainly worth the 20 points you'll get.
Pro
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 514
Likes: 13
From: Rowlett Texas
I have had an parking brake installation problem on my 1960 since I purchased the switch at the first of 2013. As soon as the switch is installed on the brake rod "housing", the switch is already in the open position; result, switch is off before I ever release the handle. The flat brass piece has almost no wear on it and the switch pin is in pristine condition. When the rod housing come into contact with the brass strip, the brass strip pushes up on the pin about 1/32", the switch is open. If I loosen up the switch bracket, the switch will work a couple of times until the bracket becomes so loose that it won't stay in place. I have tried dozens of times to mount the switch on the rod housing and get the same result, the housing opens the switch. Any suggestions?
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 58,061
Likes: 7,146
Army
Where on the rod housing are you installing the switch ?
Mine is ALL the way down as far as it can go...(see picture for another forum member's working installation).
If it IS positioned properly then, if it were me, I'd try to CAREfully tweak the brass piece so that the switch works properly.
It's the only thing remotely adjustable on the switch. Alternatively (and a more daring approach) is
to CAREfully file the head of the switch button some. I don't know how much 'meat' in there to play with so
you are warned. The switch activation is incredibly touchy and it only takes a little bit to get it to work.
The height of the parking brake switch "nub" can be tweaked to deal with the inverse condition (e.g. the switch doesn't activate with the E-brake released).
These buggers are hard to find and I have two working examples....got the second one for $50 on a table of old parts at an NCRS regional meet....seller didn't know how hard they are to come by. I've seen them for $275 and up recently.
Mine is ALL the way down as far as it can go...(see picture for another forum member's working installation).
If it IS positioned properly then, if it were me, I'd try to CAREfully tweak the brass piece so that the switch works properly.
It's the only thing remotely adjustable on the switch. Alternatively (and a more daring approach) is
to CAREfully file the head of the switch button some. I don't know how much 'meat' in there to play with so
you are warned. The switch activation is incredibly touchy and it only takes a little bit to get it to work.
The height of the parking brake switch "nub" can be tweaked to deal with the inverse condition (e.g. the switch doesn't activate with the E-brake released).
These buggers are hard to find and I have two working examples....got the second one for $50 on a table of old parts at an NCRS regional meet....seller didn't know how hard they are to come by. I've seen them for $275 and up recently.
Last edited by Frankie the Fink; Jun 3, 2013 at 04:53 PM.
Pro
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 514
Likes: 13
From: Rowlett Texas
i installed the switch bracket at the back of the rod housing where the vertical brass "ear" stops it from going back any further. I think that is what the "ear" is designed to do.
There really is no adjustment to the switch assembly that I am aware of except to file down the end of the switch pin and I don't want to do that. If the pin moves up 1/32", it opens the switch. Too sensitive for my application.
I have been trying, on and off, for 5 months to make it work consistently and have failed to do so.
One thing I have discovered about the switch assembly after looking at photos of a half dozen and the two I purchased; they were painted with a cheap black paint.
There really is no adjustment to the switch assembly that I am aware of except to file down the end of the switch pin and I don't want to do that. If the pin moves up 1/32", it opens the switch. Too sensitive for my application.
I have been trying, on and off, for 5 months to make it work consistently and have failed to do so.
One thing I have discovered about the switch assembly after looking at photos of a half dozen and the two I purchased; they were painted with a cheap black paint.
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Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2007
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From: East Central Florida
but it's been working for about 10 years that way!
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2009
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From: Georgetown TX
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This is a picture of a spare that was rebuilt by Eastern Corvettes for me.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2012
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Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
I wanted to 'complete the circle' on this thread with the results of my parking brake switch problem. Thanks to 3310vette I was able to get the switch fixed by Mike Hack at Eastern Corvettes. He was really, really nice; fixed the switch so that it looked almost new, talked with me and my husband on install issues, and charged us a reasonable price. When the switch was returned to us it looked just like the one in this thread being held in the post from Redbird.
Thank you to everyone who helped me resolve this issue, and a special thanks to 3310vette who told us about Eastern Corvettes in Ohio.
Thank you to everyone who helped me resolve this issue, and a special thanks to 3310vette who told us about Eastern Corvettes in Ohio.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 58,061
Likes: 7,146
Army
As a result of this thread I looked at my '61 switch and the thin metal band is indeed wearing significantly....switch still operates but I will surely have to do something at some point. I will either attempt a repair myself or send it off to Eastern Corvettes. I think the wear is unavoidable to some extent just by the nature of the mechanism. I also found the little 'nub' in the parking brake rod had come loose so I had to 'knurl' that a bit and refit it.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,874
Likes: 68
From: Rochester Hills Michigan
One other easy repair you might need. I purchased one at a swap meet that had the rivet that holds the switch can to the mount bracket broken loose for $15. Pretty easy repair was to JB weld the can to the bracket instead of using the rivet attachment. Worked great..
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2012
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Easy repair
It must have been your lucky day to find an old one as I looked until I was almost crazy.....and $15 ???? That was a great bargain!! I spent more in gas driving around looking than we paid Mike Hack to fix ours!! I think Auto parts in Tucson Az are not as available. Glad you had good luck to find one.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 34
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Parking brake switch
As a result of this thread I looked at my '61 switch and the thin metal band is indeed wearing significantly....switch still operates but I will surely have to do something at some point. I will either attempt a repair myself or send it off to Eastern Corvettes. I think the wear is unavoidable to some extent just by the nature of the mechanism. I also found the little 'nub' in the parking brake rod had come loose so I had to 'knurl' that a bit and refit it.
Mike Hack called the metal band a "tang". The tang on our switch had been rubbed from the nub so much that it had a hole in the tang. It made the repair harder. Mike was able to reinforce the tang and fill in the hole. If you reinforce the worn spot in the tang before it actually wears a hole in the tang, you will have a much better and easier fix. I am also wondering ...now that you fixed the nub it might rub more, and with more force, on the tang. It might be wearing harder on the tang now. That is going to create a hole faster. Once the tang has a hole the plunger sticks in it and that in turn jams the plunger and ruins it.
Thank you for your reply. I have read a ton of your help tips on the internet. Frankie the Fink is a legend in our house!!!!
Jaye
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Thanks for your help.
Jaye