Door courtesy lamp switch and wedge

[Yadkin]

I installed my switches and new wedges. The new set matches up closely to the originals so I figured I was good to go and tossed the old ones out. A tab on the wedge ensures that it can only go in one way.

Now I see that my courtesy lights stay on, and here's why (see the picture). The wedge is about an inch or so above the switch. What gives?

[jopizz]

Maybe it's just the picture but it looks much thinner than the ones on the cars I've had. It definitely has to line up with the switch.

John

[Yadkin]

That's just the angle of the photo. The wedge is correct, but the square hole it sits in is high. And the doors are lined up near perfect.

[jopizz]

Are both doors the same way or just the driver's door.

John

[Yadkin]

Both the same. Here's what the new wedge looks like.

[jopizz]

That's so far off it doesn't make sense. I just sold my '66 so I can't check it. Hopefully someone else can check their car.

John

[stubbie]

Steve just looked at my 64 the wedge is exactly opposite the courtesy light switch. The top of the wedge is 25mm or 1" below the bottom of the top door hinge plate.

[scumdog]

And there's only one style? - i.e. not a Left and a Right wedge?

And if there IS a L. and R. wedge have you got them the correct way around?

[jopizz]

Is it possible that the doors were replaced. Going by the picture in the parts manual it looks like the switch and bumper is higher on '65/'66 doors than on '64 doors. The doors have different part numbers so they must've changed them in '65.

John

[Yadkin]

Wedges are the same L and R. It's not the shape but the location on the door.

John looks like you figured it out. Apparently both doors were replaced. I replaced other panels but not those.

I'll get some hard rubber or solid plastic and make blocks that I can countersink and screw on.

[Yadkin]

I came up with an easier solution than carving plastic or rubber blocks. There is a #8 hole in the 65-66 door just below the square hole that the wedge pops into. It is centered about 5/16" below the bottom side of the square and lined up with the outboard side. If you drill a hole in the wedge at the right location you can use it to hold the wedge in the correct spot to activate the switch.

The correct location for the hole is as close as possible to the fatter part of the wedge (vertical outboard side). You want the screw to touch, or nearly touch, the inside wall of the hollow wedge. So the hole is centered at 5/32" off the vertical outboard side, and dead center about the horizontal axis.

This puts the hole on the top of the radius, making it impossible to start a high speed drill in the slippery plastic. So I turn the wedge upside down and start the hole that way. In the first photo I have already cut the legs off the wedge and built a jig on a short 2x4 to hold it upside down so I could drill a 5/32" hole (OD of a #8 screw) in my drill press. Simply have the edge of the drill against the inside wall, center it in the 90 degree axis and you've got the correct location.

In photo 2 I flipped the wedge right side up and drilled a 5/16" hole for a countersink. I set the stop on my press fairly shallow, checked the fit then went a bit deeper. Three tries and I got a nice countersink, with the top of the #8 x 1.25" oval head screw just below the radius of the wedge.

Photo 3 is one of my favorite tools a tiny ratcheting wrench. Kobolt (Lowes store brand) for $20. It's the best tool to drive a screw in a tight space, which this ends up being. It comes with attachments to drive small hex screws and bolts as well.

[jopizz]

Glad to see that you found a simple solution. I guess only Ford knows why they felt it was necessary to change the dimmer location. Probably some engineer had nothing better to do and needed to justify his job.

John

[Yadkin]

Uugghh! A shot at engineers!