What is everyone using as a replacement for the overhead dome light switch?
I have the Bezel, lens, buld holder and wiring but con not for the life of me find a replacement for the stock slider switch that screws to the bezel.
Anybody????
They show up on ebay from time to time. I found an nos replacement switch about this time last year. Pretty basic item that probably fits many years. Other option is a used one of the used parts sellers listed here on the forum
There is a used one on ebay right now auction #350590952540 or just do a search for 1957 Mercury Dome Light (same light as in your Ford)
Pete
VW...while looking for some parts for Pete, I found my old dome light, pitted badly and broken, but I checked the switch with a continuity tester, and it works. If you haven't already found one, PM me your address and I'll mail it to you.
Rich
Thanks Rich! i went to hook everything up yesturday with a 12 volt toggle switch and some foil around the fuse. blub lit up and then nothing but smoke! i have a major short some where i think its up by the opening on the back of the cab. The door switches are shot and i am pretty sure most of the wiring is.
Sounds like a good time for a complete harness. Doesn't get any better than Ron Francis.
Yes a complete harness would be the ticket! But without a place to do the work in and access to a lift its not something I can physically do myself. Its hell working out of a single car garage and your driveway.
I hope you got my PM!
I did get your pm..sorry I should have let you know. I got Pete's also. I'll get them both in the mail tommorrow.
I got it mailed today, you should have it by thursday.
Rich, Got it in the mail this morning, looks great! THANKYOU VERY MUCH! Now all i have to do is wait for the new door switches and do the rewiring and it will be back in action!
BTW i noticed in the thread about the body plugs, you have CHROME door switches. do you mind sharing where you got those and if they are 2 wire like the stock ones?
I got them from Ron Francis. I had bought new ones a few years ago from Classic auto parts in OK city, but those literally fell apart due to poor crimping on the backside of that chrome ring. The Ron Francis ones are much better quality for not too much more money.
Here's a link: http://www.ronfrancis.com/prodinfo.asp?number=DJ%2D23
The button on mine is black plastic..hard to tell in the pic. I also noticed the Ron Francis Wiring pic shows a brassy color on the ring, so not sure what you'll actually get. I got mine 2 years ago. I thought I had paid less than 10 each..maybe not.
i am not really sure what happened here??? :iamwithstupid:
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Ha..looks like we found another supplier component difference. My housing had two small (4-40?)taped holes on the side of two squarish bosses, not round like yours that are drilled and tapped on the ends. Actually looking at yours and mine, they are totally different. My domelight attaches to the car with spring clips, not screws like yours, and mine has a non-replaceable lens as it's all riveted together with the lens sandwiched between the housing and the mounting bracket.
HMMM.
My lens and bezel are plastic repop parts. I think this is the problem. I have seen original bezels on ebay that are as you described. My repop lens even came with instructions for grinding down the factory rivets and drilling holes for the new screws.
I guess i am just going to bust out the JB WELD and make it work! I have put to much time and energy into this damn dome light! I am about to say screw it and bolt in one form a Bronco!
Quote from: RICH MUISE on 2014-03-20 09:37
Ha..looks like we found another supplier component difference. My housing had two small (4-40?)taped holes on the side of two squarish bosses, not round like yours that are drilled and tapped on the ends. Actually looking at yours and mine, they are totally different. My domelight attaches to the car with spring clips, not screws like yours, and mine has a non-replaceable lens as it's all riveted together with the lens sandwiched between the housing and the mounting bracket.
HMMM.
Just a heads-up...I had to get Bill(Ford Blue Blood) to figure out how to wire up my domelight because, if I remember, newer cars switch ground, not the power, so when you use a newer domelight it cannot be grounded to the roof like the '57's are. Really confuses things when you have the door switches and, at least in my case, the headlight switch. Seems like I had all kinds of wires running everywhere for a simple light change. LOL...hope I got it right, probably didn't! I had used a domelight out of a 90's Crown vic.
continued...How about if you used a heavy wire and made a tight, almost closed, "U" shape...one leg in the taped hole, the other outside the switch flange. or clip off some of your wife's bobby pins, or a clevis pin (I've seen them really small)
Rich
What's this wife stuff, I thought my Ranchero was my wife, its costing me enough money and giveing me to much crap but man do i love her! I work something out i was thinking about making some little "L" brackets and bonding them to the switch so maybe i can screw them into the existing plastic post. I will work it out just havent had time to sit at my workbench and think it thru.
Not sure women use them anymore anyways.
Looks like you can pop rivet the "L" bracket to the switch. Use a 1/8" counter sunk rivet head for more room.
When I replaced the lens on mine I was amazed at how much engineering went into something as simple as a dome light. Do you really need that many screws to hold the lens in :003: Mine has the spring clip set up to mount to the body. Too bad the switch is Ranchero only as far as I know.
So I managed to get some time this last weekend to sit down at my work bench and cobel together a "L" bracket to hold the Dome Light switch in place. Its not pretty but it works like a champ! Holds the switch securly inplace with no movement and is clear of the electrical connections.
I also got time to run new door switchs and Dome light wiring thru the head liner. It was a major pain as the previous owner taped the old wiring to the underside of the roof. I had to pull the headliner down and insulation just to run the new wiring. But it is in and all hooked up and works great. I will post some finish pics up when i get the headliner all back together.
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Nice job!
Simple and effective