Okie doke,
The Diagnosis: Contact between all components in the rheostat lost due to internal corrosion of the hollow copper rivets used to assemble the unit. No continuity between any metal components, that is, rivet to rivet, or rivet to lead, or rivet to resistance wire. The resistance wire is still intact, no breaks or signs of ware, the three contacts on the wiper are corroded and tarnished but not burned.
Treatment: Soak rheostat assembly for 1/2 hour in Tarn-X solution, rinse well with water and blow dry. Re-attach rheostat ceramic insulator assembly to frame with new hollow rivet using hollow rivet set and re-stake frame to light switch and it’s ready to go back in.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2126536260098611668neiSaB http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2933805960098611668qucIyQ http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2662479530098611668ScgBGI http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2190351730098611668cFmtBO All wired up again:
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2619000940098611668LNXdAW Total time for the whole shot took a little over an hour with a break for supper while soaking the rheostat in Tarn-X. A goodly shot of tuner cleaner for the head light/parking light contacts and now we still have the original light switch in A1 condition.
If anyone has an old light switch that has failed and been replaced, I’d like to have it to do some experimenting on. I’d like to see if the resistance wire could be rewound. I’d also like to see if the head light section could be opened up to service the contacts if needed. It would be an autopsy so the switch would in all likely hood not be serviceable afterwards.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL
