Bob,
The Corvette switch was my suggestion.
You've got two ways to do this. I recommend the second one, as I have
tried both.
1) Drill out the threaded hole. You pretty much have to remove or at
least detach the pedal box and raise it up to drill the hole. The trick
is to find a way to keep the brake pedal out of the way while drilling.
I also had to shorten the switch by disassembling it and shortening both
the housing and the plunger. A little tricky to do and you can ruin the
switch in the process if you are not careful.
2) Get an overlong clevis pin that will stick out of the brake pedal
some distance towards the passenger side. Most hardware stores sell a
clevis pin with several holes in them so you can cut them to length. Now
you need to put some sort of thick spacer on the part of the clevis pin
that sits off to the side of the brake pedal. I used a couple of collars
with set screws on them that the hardware store had. They look similar
to a drill stop, if you know what that is. Just some aluminum bar stock
drilled for the clevis pin would work, if you have such a thing lying
around.
The point is to create a surface that will activate the switch plunger.
You then drill a new hole so that when the switch is mounted the spacer
(or collars, etc.) rests on the switch and plunger, rather than the end
of the brake pedal bar resting on them. I think you can probably drill
the hole without removing the brake pedal box, but I don't remember for
sure. You don't have to shorten the switch for this method.
You can either leave the Lucas switch in the threaded hole to adjust the
brake pedal, or just use a bolt with a locknut.
I had several switch problems with the first method as the brake pedal
would hit the plunger at an angle and the contacts didn't line up right.
The second method has resulted in trouble-free brake lights. I have to
give Grover Maurer credit for the second method, though he uses a switch
from a 1930's era Ford or some such nonsense.
Let me know if this isn't clear and I can arrange to send you a picture.
Best,
David Littlefield
On Sun, 05 Nov 2006 22:48:57 -0500 Bob Spruck <mgmaven@bellsouth.net>
writes:
> I took listers' advice and got a 1972 Corvette brake light switch to
> replace the stock Lucas unit on my 1967 Midget vintage race car.
> Seems it
> often doesn't work because of long periods of not being used between
> races.
> What have any of you done about the installation? It looks like the
> 'Vette
> switch is both longer and larger in diameter than the Lucas one. Can
> it be
> installed without removing the pedal box or do I have to remove it
> and
> drill out the threaded hole? What about the considerably longer
> overall
> length? Does it interfere with the inner fender outside the pedal
> box or
> the pedal itself inside the box?
>
> I would be interested in hearing about the best way to install the
> switch.
>
>
> Bob Spruck
> MGMaven
> Sharpsburg, GA
> 67 Midget Vintage Racer
> 72 Midget Street and Show
> 6 parts/project cars
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