[Healeys] Start button

[Michael Oritt]

After removing the speedometer as Perry suggested I could lay eyes on the
back of the start switch and all three wires--the two whites and one
white/red--seemed in place under the jam screws, reinforcing my belief that
the switch was defective.


I removed the switch and, despite my assumption, I decided to check it for
continuity.  Lo and behold the circuit closed when the button was pushed.


At this point I had already removed the wires and, thinking that perhaps
one of them was open I turned the key on and touched the white/red to the
two whites--and the engine turned over!  I can only surmise that there was
corrosion under one or both of the jam screws.


By now I had been working in a hunched over position for about 1.5 hours so
I decided to finish up things tomorrow.  However, so that I would be able
to sleep tonight I temporarily reconnected the wires to the switch and
pushed the button.  Voila--we have ignition!


To be continued, hopefully tomorrow or Thursday.


Best--Michael Oritt, BN1

On Tue, Mar 9, 2021 at 11:33 AM <healeyguy at aol.com> wrote:

> Michael
> The switch can be dismantled, cleaned and reassembled. Disconnect wires,
> remove nut with 13/16 wrench. There is a cut out in the dash panel and a
> bump on the switch that keeps the switch from spinning while you are
> turning the nut.
> Carefully pry each metal keeper away from the plastic.  Work off center.
> Don't try to pry up the center.   The metal keeper is a bit brittle and can
> break.  Don't freak out if it does. When the keepers are moved far enough
> you will be able to push on the button and the contact holder will pop out
> of the chrome piece.
> Clean up the contacts and reassemble.
> If part of the keeper has broken push the remainder back against the
> plastic to hold it in place.  Add a couple small drops of epoxy over the
> broken section. Make sure the epoxy does not block the movement of the
> button or other moving bits.
> Hope this makes sense.  There is a reason it takes a good writer to
> explain something in words, which I am not..   I guess that is why someone
> invented YouTube!
> P
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
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