VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 NORS headlight switch trouble for '41 Chevy car

Since I didn't find an original '41 headlight switch, I bought an NORS headlight switch advertised as '40-'54 Chevy car from "truckman4787".

While attempting to install it on the '41 I find the "knob/stem will not latch into the switch. It appears the stem is a bit too short to latch into the switch.

The box is marked " '47-'54 Chevrolet full size pass car (among other trucks & thru '55 Corvettes).

The '41 switch "stem" length is 3-7/8" from the back of the knob to the tip and 2-5/8" from the back of the knob to the retaining groove.

Is the "stem" length shorter on the '41 than '47-'54? or is the new switch latch defective? I'd like to know this before I go back to seller.

Thanks for any help.
Gaither

Please, could someone with a '47 or '48 car slip the knob/shaft out of the headlight switch (just push the little release button on the switch)? Please take measurements from the knob base to the lock "ring" and also to the end of the shaft and post 'em here.

I would appreciate your help.

Gaither

Hi Gaither,

I checked my stash of light switches and found I have only the two styles. The one on the left comes out of my 41. I assume it is the correct switch for 41 since I have 2 more identical ones. I have no idea what the other switch goes too. The measurements on my stem/knob are the same as yours. The only difference is that I came across another stem/knob with two grooves in it, which is installed in the left switch.

Would you mind posting a picture of your switch, or emailing me a picture which I will post. Email me at fraub48@yahoo.com.

Good luck, Mike

Mike, Thanks for your response.

My '41 switch is exactly like yours on the left. The problem with my orig sw is that it will turn the headlghts on about 10% of the time (afraid to get out after dark).

Looking around on the net, evidently the "stem" for the later style switch has the locking groove very near the end of the stem. The orig stem will not lock into the sw.

Do you have a good sw that you will sell me?

Yours is the only response. I really appreciate your help.

Gaither

Hi Gaither,

Ebay has a nice looking 41 style light switch for sale 1941-47 Chevrolet Passenger Head Light Switch. It is at a Buy Now price of $35.00. I posted some questions to see it's condition, and got good response. The extra ones I have are very corroded, I would need to clean them up and see if they still work. I won't have my car back together this year so wouldn't be able to check things out (also do not have any electronic experience to run tests off of the car).

Chevs of the 40's has shafts and knobs for sale if you wanted to use the new switch you just bought???

Good luck, Mike

P.S. I just asked the ebay seller what he meant by "a little loose knob?" I am a teeny bit interested in buying one that may not be as corroded as bad as my extra ones. The one I am using now has the dimmer wired so the dash lights are on all the time the headlights are on. My dimmer spring broke so I removed it.

Mike, many thanks for all of your efforts in my behalf.

I saw that switch and was tempted. Assuming you didn't want it, I just bought it. (I'll bet the reostat doesn't work on it!) If it'll turn my headlights on dependably, I'll be happy!

I may have an NORS '42-54 Headlight Switch for sale. I still haven't had any response from Ebay Seller "Truckman4787" as to his advertising this switch for a '41 Chevy. I paid $68.94 delivered for it. I'd gladly take $60 delivered for it and forget wrestling with Truckman!

It is a very well made, quality switch. It just wont work with my '41 shaft/knob. My knob is still nice so I didn't want to attempt to change my knob to a shaft that will work with this switch (locking groove at the end of the shaft). I ain't very good at that stuff.

I about had the new switch wired in when I decided to try the shaft in it (glad I did!). The '41 shaft simply wont lock into the switch. I wish it would. It's brand new!

If you have a shaft/knob with the locking groove near the end, I'll let you have this new switch @$55 delivered.

Mike, I really appreciate your effort and kind assistance. I owe you one!

Gaither

Hi Gaither,

You may want to hold onto all your switches until you have a switch installed and are satisfied. You may find your latest ebay switch may not be okay!!! Also remember that you may be able to modify a shaft to fit the Truckman switch. Your $35.00 ebay switch was described as having the "typical loose knob," which could mean you will need to reglue the knob to the shaft or the finger that rides on the dimmer spring has been bent.

Keep the faith, Mike

P.S. What is the condition of the wiring for your dash and lights? Any possibility that there is nothing wrong with your original switch? Have you peaked inside of the brain (under the black ceramic cover of your original switch) to see if there is a problem? In my picture you can see by the marks on the tabs, holding the black ceramic disk in place, that I already opened this one to clean it up and lubricate it. Pry the ceramic piece off slowly I don't remember if there is a flying spring or just a miniature flying brass saucer inside that keeps everything lined up!!!

Let me know if you want me to take mine apart for the sake of Ancient Light Switch Chevy Science!!!!

Sorry about my lame attempt at humor this morning (flying springs, flying brass saucers, Chevy Science)!!! I think I am over my cold and back problems, and it is raining instead of snowing out.

Hi Mike,

With your kind assistance, I may have bought a wornout switch. I'll findout when it gets here. There were 2 other switches available on the Bay that claimed to be NOS. I would have bought one of them but they didn't appear to be NOS in the pics.

The wiring is good. Most of it has been replaced. The dimmer switch is new, too. It is just this ol' switch and my luck. It would turn the headlights on about 10% of the time.

I haven't had the guts to take the switch apart. I will after I get the other switch.

I heard from Truckman (seller) yesterday and just emailed him. We'll see how that goes.

I regret my shaft doesn't work with Truckman's switch. It is of a different design and much better made than a '41 switch. However, I ain't gonna mess with my nice knob in an attempt to change the shaft.

Thank you for your continued assistance. As they used to say, "you wear a white hat".

Gaither

FYI

Seller came back restating the headlight switch was correct for a '41 Chevy and claiming they had experienced no problems. I explained how/why the '41 shaft wouldn't work in their switch.

Today, <truckman4787> gave their permission to return the headlight switch. I guess that is fair enough.

Frankly, I wish it was compatible with the '41 shaft. It is a different design from the '41 but is a very well made switch. I'm not gonna mess with a nice, original knob/shaft to attempt to attempt to make it work.

'Thought anyone interested should know how this came out particularly since I had mentioned the seller's name.

If I remember correctly in the later years if you bought a new swith from Chevrolet it was more or less a universal and it came with a different style knob/rod.

Gene, The new switch had no knob/rod. My knob is too nice to mess with and my rod "locking groove" fell far short of the "latch" in the switch. A later rod with the wrong knob would have allowed me to use the switch. I wanted to use my '41 rod/knob and from the ad, assumed that I could do so. I suppose the seller could have argued about it. I'm glad he didn't. Good Seller (even though the ad was a bit misleading).

I ordered a used '41 headlight switch from ebay seller <nearlynos7627> @ $35 deliveed. Shipped the 19th Came in today's mail. It is on the car with my orig rod/knob and functioning properly. Good Seller!

Now, I can get out after dark confident of my headlights!

Thanks again for all the help! Mike Buller went all out to help!

Gaither