M series 3 lever light switch cannon plug

[SETOYOTA]

I have a this deuce I originally bought for the winch to put on another truck. Anyhow it runs so well I’m thinking of keeping it for a while at least. About the only problem I have found with it is the lights do not work.

I disconnected the cannon plug from the switch and used a jumper wire from the hot connector on the plug to the lights , blackouts , etc and all seemed fine. Everything worked bypasssing the switch.

Well i I screwed a brand new switch to the cannon plug and nothing works. I suppose the prongs on the switch are not making contact in the cannon plug . Short of cutting the plug off and replacing any ideas on a fix? Maybe corrosion in the plug? If so how to clean? The jumper wire works fine though .

thanks

 

[hndrsonj]

Is the connector pin pushed in all the way? Erik's sells the cannon plugs if you do decide to replace it.

 

[SETOYOTA]

Not sure what you mean by connector pin. The cannon plug is solidly connected to the switch . Maybe the wire to the cannon plug is slightly pulled out causing the problem

 

[hndrsonj]

The individual wire should have a connector pin soldered to it then it is pushed into the rear of the cannon plug. Is that pin (the wire) pushed in all the way so that it contacts the pin on the light switch?

 

[SETOYOTA]

I’ll check that

 

[SETOYOTA]

Well I installed one of those electronic switches I swore I would never use and low and behold everything works. I guess my ”new” 3 lever switch was bad too. Now to find a another good 3 lever switch. Still don’t want to use the electronic unit.

 

[SETOYOTA]

I found a 1953 dated 3 lever switch that’s was in my old m108 cab that’s been in the weather for 2 years. It works just fine. They don’t makem like they use too. The one that came out of the truck was a 1992.

 

[NDT]

I specifically look for the old stuff. The 1960's 60 amp alternator is way better than the newer ones.

 

[SETOYOTA]

I think I will start to do the same. Anybody ever fix one of these switches. I’m going to take it apart and see what I can see

 

[cranetruck]

I believe the contacts inside the 3-lever switch are silver plated and they do oxidize. They can be cleaned if you find a good way to take it all apart and put it back together again. I have taken several apart, but never back together again...

 

[cranetruck]

The contacts:



I would highly recommend that the switches (levers) are not moved after disassembly, it could be a bit of a puzzle to get it all back correctly if you do.

 

[cranetruck]

This is the schematic:

 

[joel]

I read somewhere where the contacts can become dirty/bad electro-connection from setting a good while, so to fix it, you move the lever back and forth several times to clean the contacts(I had the problem of no lites, so I did as described, so then my switch worked)

 

[SETOYOTA]

Thanks for the info.

 

[Jericho]

I have fixed engines in SR -71 s. But I don’t bother with fixing the three lever light switches. I have had one or two apart. I must say they are complex. Not worth my time or frustration to do it. Just change the unit. Saves a lot of time.

 

[SETOYOTA]

May be more trouble than its worth but I’m curious and it won’t cost a thing to look.
I was just amazed that a switch from 1953 that had been exposed to the weather for 2 years worked just fine

 

[cjcottrill]

I have had pretty good luck repairing a few of them. I usually remove the levers and place the switch in a vice between small blocks of wood with slight pressure. Remove the snapping from the back and separate the halves. Clean everything up inside real good. I usually coat everything with dielectric grease and return to the vice to reassemble the halves. Make sure the snap ring goes back into the grove all the way around, if you don’t the switch will pop apart at the most in opportune time. Good luck.


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