Lucas Type Switches Refurb

Horn Push Unit

DSCN0219-1This horn push was well weather beaten having been out in the open for a while, though the button is bakerlite and the switch is brass and dismantled easily, the button was cleaned and painted mat black, the steel outer was power wire brushed to bright metal and powder coated in textured mat black (wrinkle type finish)

DSCN0946DSCN0945

Cost of refurbishing a similar type button unit would be around £30 assuming all parts are reusable.



Starter Push Switch

The switch has lost its spring return and was sticking, the case is a sealed tin can with a crimped over soldered seam, a spare unit seems to be £40 plus, so decided to look at a repair, put the whole switch body in our old lathe, skimmed off the fold between the two halves and switch came apart, the spring was in 3 bits, we managed to find a replacement in our old stock, all the internal bits were cleaned, the terminal nuts were removed with a little gentle heat etc, the nuts and washers were replaced and all the internal bits cleaned, after cleaning the two body halves came together nice and tight allowing me to run a good ring of solder round with a large iron to hold it together, once assembled the resistance and insulation were tested.

DSCN0936DSCN0935

The cost of refurbishing a similar type of unit to this would be about £15 providing all the major parts are reusable.

Cover for alternative foot dip switch

DSCN0990 DSCN0991This old Lucas foot operated dip switch is u/s, even the case is so rusty you can see through it in places but the ebay listed replacement unit is not quite the same, though the mounting holes are the same spacing,

DSCN0995 DSCN0996     To make the new one blend in a bit better and give it some protection we made a steel cover for it, this involved cutting out a circle of 1.5mm plate and strip of the same wrapped round it then gas welded together. We made a spare as well while I was at it just in case.

DSCN0993DSCN0994  The welds were ground off and a hole cut in the centre for the switch, then threaded studs were drilled through the plate and welded in place to carry the switch as well as mount the assembly in the foot well.

DSCN0992Not identical but it will look ok in the foot well and bolt in using the original holes, it now just needs painting or powder coating.

Lucas pedomatic starter switch

DSCN1777

It had lost its switch contact, these seem to be quite rare and the new contact along with an insulator roller and a connection had to be made in house.

It operates by a rod from the accelerator peddle closing the contacts and energizing the starter, when the engine starts, vacuum from the inlet releases the starter contact.