<VV> Turn Signal Switches

[vairjer at comcast.net]

Just for background, the original late model switch was one that was designed by Guide Lamp (Anderson, IN), and the production (after some modifications) was moved to a company in Boyne City MI, (Boyne City Products)....There were substantial issues with quality and design, and Delco Remy was tasked with designing a new switch to fit into the new steering columns being made by Saginaw. As I remember, actual serious production began in late 1966 for 1967, and soon Plant 7 was shipping the car turn signal switches to Saginaw and Boyne City was dropped as a supplier. Two similar designs, one for cars and another for trucks were manufactured...the car switches were made from white plastic and shipped without a knob in the integral hazard warning switch, so that each car division could put their own take on the color and style of knob, while the truck switches were made from a black plastic but had a red hazard warning knob integrated into the design. As I best remember, the truck switches had the original style curved connectors, while the car switch had the new flat connector for the new collapsible and "anti-theft" column produced by Saginaw. 



The problems most of our Corvair world has had with the switches related to the original designs, and not the Delco Remy units, due to the timing of the production start and the slowing of Corvair production. 


This doesn't help those of us with those late switches, but GM did fix the problem, it just didn't help the Corvair world as the production began to die. The early switches were a simple slide switch moved by the wire attached to the die castings in the upper column. No hazard warning requirement was in effect during the earlies era, and the switch actually worked well, but after 20-30 years, the white "Lubriplate" grease used in switches turns to "soap" and effectively insulates the contacts from one another....simply opening the switch up, cleaning out the old grease and replacing with fresh white lithium grease solves most of the problems with early switches. Of course, if the castings that provide the "self cancelling" break or otherwise fail, one needs to deal with that portion that moves the wire that operates the slide switch. 





Jerry McKenzie 
(former Delco Remy supervisor/test engineer) 
PCCA