A week or two ago I bragged how I had fixed the Tiger's stop light
switch by taking it out, banging it on the ground a few times, and
re-installing it. It did, in fact, work properly for a few days. A
couple of days ago, though, I realised the switch is again working
intermittently. (I have figured out a way to get it to temporarily work
while still installed: Bang on it a bit with a wrench while it's still
installed! Be careful not to damage any brake lines, though).
I spoke to a Sunbeam expert who's first question was if I'm using
silicone fluid and, in fact, I'm using Valvolene Syntech (I don't know
if it's silicone, but it is synthetic). My friend said this is almost
for sure the problem and that he's heard from numerous Sunbeamers that
synthetic brake fluid does not allow the switch to function properly.
Something about it coating the internal contacts so a circuit can't be
made. I've since found reference to this on a couple of hot rod web
sites, and that there are switches that will function using synthetic
fluid (and those that will not). A suggestion was also made that you can
fit a mechanical switch under the brake pedal. I visited a couple of
parts stores and looked at a few mechanical, under the pedal switches,
but none seemed like they had the right geometry to work in a Tiger or
Alpine.
Short of switching back to Girling fluid, has anyone else out there had
this problem? Is there another switch that will work that will fit the
thread down there, or has someone found a mechanical stop light switch
that will go under the pedal without major surgery, or another solution?
Steve Sage
1967 Tiger MK1A
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