Hydralic brake light switch

[GPster]

Do yourself a big favor and put a relay between the brake switch and the lights (or the turn signal switch which is where the wire should run anyway)I haven't had alot of luck with brake switches in the last 10 years or so.  Qality seems to have gone downhill.  A relay will protect the contacts from arcing and the pedal effort to activate the lights will remain constant.W/o the relay, the pedal effort will gradually increase to the point where the lights will become intermittent.

Again, thank you for your input. The switch is mounted, The lines are run and soon, thanks to McMaster Car the lines will be fastened down professionally looking. Maybe I'll convince my spare right foot and get the final bleeding done. Listening to your theory about the use of the added relay straightens out some of my thought. The plan for the Jeepster was for extra lights for directionals and the old-time switch on the side of the column but this project will use the '53 column switch which will run the directionals through the brake light circuit. Also there is a possibility that this vehicle my have a trailer hitch on it. Maybe this added complication is justified. At the moment I'm 200 miles away from home to be available for a 3 year old's birthday and it's hard to decide wether bleeding brakes or planning for Indy is more important. Thanks all again, GPster

[abonecoupe31]

For simplicity, I'd like to use a hydralic brake light switch on the truck project. I'd rather not have to go to Ron Francis for a super sensitive one, I'd rather go to NAPA and get one that people have had fairly good luck with. This will go on a drum brake system with a single cylinder master cylinder and no power booster.  A switch with 1/4" IPTM would work on my system easiest. Now, any one that would like to write a tech article for May you can examine this system for faults. The master cylinder has a fitting block on it for a 3/16"  line for the left front brake and a 1/4" line that feeds a junction block on the right frame rail for the rear brakes (a single 3/16"line) and a 3/16 line for the right front brake. The best thing trying to analyze pressure/flow would seem to pipe the brake light switch into the 1/4" line but that is a line I've already changed. The 3/16" line to the left front brake needs replaced and the standard 53" long replacement line with fittings is too short so I'll use a coupler and a short line near the master cylinder to make it work. That's the reason I want a switch with a 1/4"IPTM thread. I've got a tee that is 3/16 x 3/16 x 1/4"IPTF that I could use instaed of a coupler and it would put the brake light switch in a handy place. The line from the master cylinder to the tee with the switch on it would probably be less than 6" long. Am I adding too much of a problem in this system using one of these questionable switches with this kind of plumbing? The '53 Chevy car that all of this is a part of had a mechanical brake light switch that fastened to the floor and all of this would be easier for me to figure out before I cover it with floor. GPster

GPster:  Now it's my turn to help you out...get one for a 1964 Ford Falcon...I ask for this one when I have the same need, as it's 1/4" pipe threaded.   This was also my first car.   Glad to help.

Mark aka Abonecoupe31

[abonecoupe31]

For simplicity, I'd like to use a hydralic brake light switch on the truck project. I'd rather not have to go to Ron Francis for a super sensitive one, I'd rather go to NAPA and get one that people have had fairly good luck with. This will go on a drum brake system with a single cylinder master cylinder and no power booster.  A switch with 1/4" IPTM would work on my system easiest. Now, any one that would like to write a tech article for May you can examine this system for faults. The master cylinder has a fitting block on it for a 3/16"  line for the left front brake and a 1/4" line that feeds a junction block on the right frame rail for the rear brakes (a single 3/16"line) and a 3/16 line for the right front brake. The best thing trying to analyze pressure/flow would seem to pipe the brake light switch into the 1/4" line but that is a line I've already changed. The 3/16" line to the left front brake needs replaced and the standard 53" long replacement line with fittings is too short so I'll use a coupler and a short line near the master cylinder to make it work. That's the reason I want a switch with a 1/4"IPTM thread. I've got a tee that is 3/16 x 3/16 x 1/4"IPTF that I could use instaed of a coupler and it would put the brake light switch in a handy place. The line from the master cylinder to the tee with the switch on it would probably be less than 6" long. Am I adding too much of a problem in this system using one of these questionable switches with this kind of plumbing? The '53 Chevy car that all of this is a part of had a mechanical brake light switch that fastened to the floor and all of this would be easier for me to figure out before I cover it with floor. GPster

GPster:  Now it's my turn to help you out...get one for a 1964 Ford Falcon...I ask for this one when I have the same need, as it's 1/4" pipe threaded.   This was also my first car.   Glad to help.

Mark aka Abonecoupe31

MISTAKE...I wrote 1/4" npt instead of 1/8" npt...