[Healeys] FW: Master Switch

Thu Mar 26 06:48:23 MDT 2020

A Good analysis why the original Healey switch and replacements do not work well.  May choose to keep the original in a box and buy a Hella, or continue to do with out a switch and use a direct ground to the frame.

Bob Begani

From: Healeys <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> On Behalf Of Michael Oritt
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2020 5:25 PM
To: Michael Salter <michaelsalter at gmail.com>
Cc: Austin Healey <healeys at autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Master Switch

For my money (and car) I opted for a high quality marine-grade shutoff switch such as that made by Hella and others, sold on the Pegasus site.

On Wed, Mar 25, 2020 at 4:31 PM Michael Salter <michaelsalter at gmail.com <mailto:michaelsalter at gmail.com> > wrote:

My experience with the original Lucas Master switches has been a little different. 

Many years ago, after having a newly installed NOS switch fail on my own car, I  discovered that it had failed because the ground cable running from the switch to the frame was not properly installed. 

The full starter current must pass through the switch then through the cable to ground. When there is resistance in that cable current passes through THE SPRING to then ground through the body of the switch and the switch mounting bracket.

This high current rapidly overheats the spring and it looses tension ruining the switch.

I have disassembled several of these switches to stretch the spring as suggested but often found that the brass of the spring had been totally annealed as a result of being overheated because of the current that had passed through them.

For my own car (and several others since)  I made a new spring from copper coated steel welding wire wich lasted until I sold the car many years later. 

M

On Thu, Mar 26, 2020, 9:00 AM John Spaur, <jmsdarch at sbcglobal.net <mailto:jmsdarch at sbcglobal.net> > wrote:

In my experience with the switches they overheat and the spring collapses.

Good to know you have the rivets.

John

From: David Nock [mailto:healeydoc at gmail.com <mailto:healeydoc at gmail.com> ] 
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2020 7:57 AM
To: John Spaur <jmsdarch at sbcglobal.net <mailto:jmsdarch at sbcglobal.net> >; 'Healeys' <healeys at autox.team.net <mailto:healeys at autox.team.net> >
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Master Switch

The number one fault with both the original and the new switch is the spring inside looses its tension and you then loose the ground connection. We have sourced the correct rivets to restore your original battery switch.

I have also had to take apart the new switches to make them work correctly. Simply drill out the rivets. Stretch out the new spring and install new rivets.

David Nock
healeydoc at sbcglobal.net <mailto:healeydoc at sbcglobal.net> 
209 948 8767
www.britishcarspecialists.com <http://www.britishcarspecialists.com> 

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From: John Spaur 

Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2020 9:53 PM

To: 'Healeys' 

Subject: Re: [Healeys] Master Switch

I have tried to post this to the list several times but it keeps bouncing.

The internal part in the reproduction switches is plastic, not Bakelite. If your engine is hard to start and you crank it too long the plastic part melts and the switch is toast. I rebuilt one recently with the proper Bakelite part. However, they are not always interchangeable with the newer metal case because the metal case is slightly smaller.

John

’62 BT7

San Jose, CA

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