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I've been putting in a new wiring harness on my '49 23 series 8. I removed the instrument cluster and found on the back of the "Clutch" and "Blower" switches a fiberboard (Not sure of the correct name)with a pulley type of assembly. Is this part of the windshield wiper cable assembly?

Any ideas or recommendations on how to replace these? What kind of material can be used? As you can see some of the fiberboard is frayed on the ends. It appears there was some electrical arcing, hence a reason for the new harness, that caused the fiberboard to separate thus stopping the pulley from turning. The pulley has been damaged also but maybe repairable.

Thanks for your help!

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Should have added these pics also of the pulley assembly broken down.

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I will be very interested to see what BDeB says those are. Do the switch plungers actually do something with the assy? Don't recall ever seeing that arrangement and this photo BDeB posted in another thread of a 22 or 23 switch bank assy doesn't have anything like that showing.

Nothing I can think of down there would be part of a windshield wiper assy. The cable tensioner and idler pulleys are steel or diecast metal and up on the firewall under each blade pivot assy.

As to new fiber, 12" square sheets of different grades of Garolite or plain phenolic are available in various thicknesses from McMaster-Carr which would most likely take care of the sides. The wheels might be another story and I can't see enough detail on the photos to make any solid suggestions. Possibly a thicker sheet with a circle cut and then grooved on a lathe could make new.

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It may be a different style of switch for the heater blower motor with the round disc being a resistor.

I did see an eBay listing back in April 2015 that showed a similar switch but it has expired and the photo is no longer available.

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That is an idea. The way the end of the sides is messed up perhaps there is some heat involved. A resistor switch wouldn't have been used for the clutch but maybe there was a second switch for an underseat heater installed in the clutch position. Was there anything connected to the terminals on the switch and if so how.

To be a resistor the wheel would have to be carbon and very securely mounted so some kind of terminal could make a solid connection -- probably one on each side. Is the wheel carbon or fiber? Battery would go to BAT and resistor terminals would connect between the one going to motor and a third terminal on the switch probably just a rivet without a place to plug in a wire. Another possibility is the wheel is a heat resistant support and there was a coil of resistance wire wrapped around it. The way the taped up wiring looks perhaps that resistance element burned or otherwise bit the dust and was removed so just the support remained.

Sorry for not responding sooner, busy weekend.

The switch plunger, as asked, does not do anything with the pulley wheels. The wheels are of a light metal, possibly magnesium could be carbon as I am not sure what it looks and feels like.

Upon further inspection of the switches there are letters stamped into Bakelite on the side of the switch. "B" on the lower receptacle and "M" or "W" on the upper one. Both of the switches are similarly marked.

These maybe a resistor as there appears to be an electrical connection to both ends of the "Pulley" which I should now call a disc. Now I wonder if the once disc is still useful.
How do I test them to make sure they will work correctly?

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As far as testing, the easiest would be to hook up a blower motor and battery and see how the motor responds. You might be able to check with an ohmmeter but 6v resistance is very low -- on the order of less than 5 ohms -- most likely around 2 so it could be difficult to read the difference between good resistance and a plain short with a typical volt ohm meter.

Unless you have a spare motor, with the heater still in the car it is a bit more difficult but with a couple of lengths of wire it can be done. Make sure the wire is same gauge Packard used --16ga I think -- and connect the battery hot wire to the B terminal, motor to M. The other lead on the motor should be grounded to one of the screws on the case or firewall.

The switch should have 3 positions -- off, low, and high. I think it is in that order but it could be off, high, low. Each time the button is pressed it will change and will repeat the cycle if pressed more than 3 times. If the resistor is good there will be a low speed. If there is no speed difference, a likely short. If motor doesn't work at all in one of the pressings the resistor is bad or somehow disconnected. When on low speed the resistor will most likely get quite warm so be aware of that.

If one position does not work, I can't see enough detail in the photos to make a suggestion. I think those discs are resistors but need to see a bit more detail on how the connections are made. If it gets to that point could you post photos 5, 6 and 10 again in a large enough file size they can be enlarged?

THANK YOU! I appreciate all the information you have given me.

The wheels are of a light metal, possibly magnesium...

Very highly unlikely that it's magnesium, unless alloyed with zinc or something similar magnesium is a highly combustible metal, makes an absolutely brilliant bluish-white flame, most impressive! If you're curious, google "Thermite Bomb".

Here are some photos of the more common heater blower switch that I am familiar with. As can be seen on the switch that is fried, the unmarked center terminal is attached to the resistor coil that allows the blower to run at slow speed.

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