Re: Stewart's 1955 Packard 400

Posted by HH56 On 2023/11/10 16:14:43

No real trick on the window switches. Use a slim diameter pin punch in the housing holes to release the end of clips holding the switch to the chrome housing. Be gentle with the clips because they seem to get brittle and some break. Others have searched for new and AFAIK, they are not repro'd so hard to come by.

Once switches are out of the housing use the punch again to push out the small round pin holding the button in the switch and once that is clear, switch will come apart. Would suggest making sure to keep the parts of a switch together. Craig found on the 4 gang drivers door assy they must have used two vendors and parts would not interchange between switches. The same issue might be with the single gang switches.

Once you have it apart look closely at the rivets on the sliding contact pieces and particularly the smaller raised side of the rivet. That small side still carries all the current the large side does and is frequently melted or burned down to the point it becomes flat -- almost part of the plastic. When that happens it cannot make a good connection with the leaf side of the contact mounted in the switch so switch fails.