Re: '49 turn signal issue

Posted by Ernie Vitucci On 2016/7/10 16:23:12

Good afternoon...Pulling the wheel is not too hard. First, turn the plastic Packard piece in the middle of the wheel 1/4 turn to the left and it will come off.

Then you can carefully remove the parts, carefully noting how things were assembled. Then you can remove the horn ring by removing a few screws.

Remove the wheel with a wheel puller. Ours came off really easily. Mark the location of the wheel carefully so that you can put it back on the shaft in the same location. Then take the stalk out of the switch and finally unscrew the four screws that hold the switch into the wheel base.

You may or may not have much slack in the horn button that comes up through the 'Jusus Nut' that holds the wheel on the shaft at the top of the steering column. I cut the wire and spliced it back when I re-assembled.

Look carefully at the switch. Ours was broken due to a failure of the plastic/particle board that the contacts are soddered/mounted to.

Study the switch. If you see that the switch has failed, you need to unplug it at the bottom of the steering column and pull the wire up the steering wheel. I had to disconnect the wiper switch in order to get the plug to clear and come all the way out/up.

You can drill out the little revets that hold the switch together and possibly repair the board with several layers of JB Weld. Put the switch back together with tiny nuts and bolts from ACE Hardware or an Eye Glass kit.

Ours was pretty rough and Max Merritt did come up with a nice clean replacement switch. I'm sure Kanter, Packard Seattle, and others will be able to find you one, if needed.

Also, check the wires to the back of the car carefully. We had one wire that was just severed! Also check the condition of the bulb receptacles as they can fall apart as well.

I would start by checking the switch, because if it is bad it can make all of the rest of the indications really confusing.

At the beginning of the project, bless everything with a light sprinkling of cold beer!

Ernie