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7/07/2019 4:50 PM  #1


Turn signal switch replacements

Where’s the best place to get a new turn signal switch for my 66?


"anyone that stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty"Henry Ford
 

7/07/2019 6:01 PM  #2


Re: Turn signal switch replacements

Is there a Mustang parts supply place around Norfolk?  I always get my stuff from one close to me, so I can talk face to face and more easily return things.  I get most of mine at Mustangs Plus and American Mustang, both close to home.  I have also used the Paddock successfully.


Original owner - 351w,T-5, 4whl disks, power R&P
 

7/08/2019 4:35 AM  #3


Re: Turn signal switch replacements

There was a bit of discussion about this a year or so back as I recall.  The general advise was try to track down an NOS Ford one on eBay.  Might have been a part number in that thread too; you'll need that.

 

7/08/2019 7:58 AM  #4


Re: Turn signal switch replacements

lowercasesteve wrote:

Is there a Mustang parts supply place around Norfolk?  I always get my stuff from one close to me, so I can talk face to face and more easily return things.  I get most of mine at Mustangs Plus and American Mustang, both close to home.  I have also used the Paddock successfully.

 
Nope, nothin around here but seafood and barbecue. Of course if you own a boat yer good to go. Virginia Classic is about 5 hours away. The problem I have is they won't cancel so I ordered a cam from CJ Pony.


"anyone that stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty"Henry Ford
     Thread Starter
 

7/08/2019 4:05 PM  #5


Re: Turn signal switch replacements

Definitely, you want NOS Ford.  You will pay $150 to $200 for one, but you won't be replacing it in six months, or in ten minutes, as many have experienced.  The quality of the spring steel parts is the difference.  Plastic and wiring is about the same, but the spring steel in the Scott Drake variants and other reproductions is substandard.
I saw ALL GIRLS GARAGE this weekend and they replaced only the broken cancelling part of the switch on a 66 Mustang.  You can buy the part to do that at OReilly's.  However, they never did show it actually working, and I have attempted that repair a couple of times in the past with zero success, so I do not recommend it.  It is an exercise in futility, albeit a much less expensive exercise in futility than installing a Scott Drake switch.

Seems like the switch I bought last year came from Mac's Auto Parts on ebay.  Happy hunting!

If you do decide to go with an aftermarket switch, please do report on your results and post a follow-up a year later.


Money you enjoy wasting is NOT wasted money... unless your wife finds out.
 

7/08/2019 5:49 PM  #6


Re: Turn signal switch replacements

I had experience with this about a year ago. Foolishly trusted the Scott Drake brand. It came with an electrical short and was a total disaster. End result was that I threw it in the trash can.
Next attempt was a Dennis Carpenter brand. No issues yet... Only annoying thing about this one is that it will cancel out on you going through a turn and the switch has this loud click.
I never knew about the NOS switches being available. I think I will keep an eye out for one of these and put it aside to replace the Dennis Carpenter switch.
I know this is a little off topic... but Scott Drake stuff is really going down in my opinion. Have you ever tried dealing with Scott Drake directly? Arrogance comes to my mind. Even a Mustang parts supplier told me they dread dealing with Scott Drake on warranty issues. He copied me in on some Scott Drake correspondence too. Very poor indeed...


1964-1/2 D Code Coupe - 289 V8, 4 Speed Toploader, 3.00 ratio rear, Autolite 4100 Carb, 15" tires, Pertronix ignition
 

7/09/2019 8:55 AM  #7


Re: Turn signal switch replacements

MS wrote:

Definitely, you want NOS Ford.  You will pay $150 to $200 for one, but you won't be replacing it in six months, or in ten minutes, as many have experienced.  The quality of the spring steel parts is the difference.  Plastic and wiring is about the same, but the spring steel in the Scott Drake variants and other reproductions is substandard.
I saw ALL GIRLS GARAGE this weekend and they replaced only the broken cancelling part of the switch on a 66 Mustang.  You can buy the part to do that at OReilly's.  However, they never did show it actually working, and I have attempted that repair a couple of times in the past with zero success, so I do not recommend it.  It is an exercise in futility, albeit a much less expensive exercise in futility than installing a Scott Drake switch.

Seems like the switch I bought last year came from Mac's Auto Parts on ebay.  Happy hunting!

If you do decide to go with an aftermarket switch, please do report on your results and post a follow-up a year later.

 
I ordered the cam part from CJ Pony because it was only $7.50+shipping and I figure if I mess it up it isn't any good the way it is soooo...nothing ventured nothing gained. I figure if that doesn't work I'll engineer some kind of push button deal or just be like everyone else around where I live and not use my turn signals.lol


"anyone that stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty"Henry Ford
     Thread Starter
 

7/09/2019 2:17 PM  #8


Re: Turn signal switch replacements

Stevo wrote:

I had experience with this about a year ago. Foolishly trusted the Scott Drake brand. It came with an electrical short and was a total disaster. End result was that I threw it in the trash can.
Next attempt was a Dennis Carpenter brand. No issues yet... Only annoying thing about this one is that it will cancel out on you going through a turn and the switch has this loud click.
I never knew about the NOS switches being available. I think I will keep an eye out for one of these and put it aside to replace the Dennis Carpenter switch.
I know this is a little off topic... but Scott Drake stuff is really going down in my opinion. Have you ever tried dealing with Scott Drake directly? Arrogance comes to my mind. Even a Mustang parts supplier told me they dread dealing with Scott Drake on warranty issues. He copied me in on some Scott Drake correspondence too. Very poor indeed...

 
In January 2016 the Drake Group (includes all of Scott Drake’s automotive specialty companies) was purchased by Huron Capital. Huron Capital is a venture capital style investment company that invests in companies of about $200 million that they believe can be managed in a profitable manner. The Companies Huron Capital purchases are run as individual businesses. The Drake Group website lists Scott Drake at the top of the page with two long paragraphs listing his accomplishments as the founder, but does not give him a job title with the current organization. The next two personnel listed are the CEO and the VP of marketing, both being MBA types that have recently come from Shelby American. There are no legacy auto enthusiasts listed as management with the current Drake Group. With the top two positions listed, CEO and VP of Marketing, being MBA types, it makes me wonder if they aren’t trying to sell the sizzle instead of the steak. Without a core of enthusiasts running the company, it is likely that current management does not care about the actual quality of the products they sell. Quality is likely the responsibility of someone further down the ladder, perhaps without the authority to do what is necessary to produce the quality of product their customers desire. As long as the CEO and VP of Marketing can keep sales and profitability at a level that vests their maximum bonuses, there is no driving reason to deliver top level quality. After all top quality costs more than “good enough to sell”.

On another note, I saw an interview with Scott Drake conducted by a member of the automotive press that predates the sale of the company. Mr. Drake came across as an angry old man in that interview. He essentially told the interviewer that he build his business over the years and he didn’t care what anyone thought about the way he ran it. It was shortly after I saw this interview that I started hearing and seeing complaints about Drake products that had been the industry benchmark now not being good enough to do the job.

The new management of The Drake Group may, just may, be interested in producing quality products. To help them out, every time you have a problem with a Scott Drake product, take the time to send an email to The Drake Group detailing the problem with their product. User feedback will help them identify the products that need improvement.

 

7/09/2019 6:52 PM  #9


Re: Turn signal switch replacements

Well said, Hornman


Money you enjoy wasting is NOT wasted money... unless your wife finds out.
 

7/09/2019 7:34 PM  #10


Re: Turn signal switch replacements

I can tell you this, don’t buy the Scott Drake Convertible top switch. I installed one in my dash as I was assembling the dash and, about 2 weeks later, I was under the dash looking at something else and saw these strange wires hanging loose. I was wondering WTH the wires were and then I realized the brand new- never used, not even once- power top switch just self destructed and fell apart. I replaced it with a Daniel Carpenter switch. Not sure if it will be any better, but 3 weeks later it appears to be maintaining its structural integrity and hasn’t fallen apart yet, of course I haven’t tried to use it yet either, so we’ll see.

 

7/10/2019 5:16 AM  #11


Re: Turn signal switch replacements

I'm happy to send Scott Drake Group an email, but please note that I have done this in the past. The last time was with the alloy styled wheels and the caps having an issue. Their response was disgusting, but maybe they were having a bad day...
Getting back to the turn indicator, I am not sure the Dennis Carpenter one is all that good. The loud click is terrible and I battle to keep it on through a turn. It hasn't shorted out like the Scott Drake brand, so that is one positive.
You know... With all the technology that we have now, as well as better materials etc, why are they selling crap like this to us? I would have thought that a new switch in 2019 would be better than a new switch from 1965?

Last edited by Stevo (7/10/2019 5:26 AM)


1964-1/2 D Code Coupe - 289 V8, 4 Speed Toploader, 3.00 ratio rear, Autolite 4100 Carb, 15" tires, Pertronix ignition
 

7/10/2019 2:01 PM  #12


Re: Turn signal switch replacements

Every! One! Of! Them! Sucks! 
I stopped changing them when I found one that sort of works. The flasher comes on, but I have to manually turn it back off. That was the best reaction out of the four that I've replaced. If you are changing the wiring in an IDIDIT steering column you have to tape a piece of string to the old wires to tape to new wires so you pull each wire individually. You can't pull the whole bundle through at the same time.

 

7/10/2019 2:24 PM  #13


Re: Turn signal switch replacements

Actually you can pull the whole bundle through on an Ididit column. It takes a lot of patience and even more cursing, but it can be done.  If you look at the video they have on their website, the guy replaced one in about 5 minutes. I probably wasted an hour on that little task.

That was another item that failed right out of the box. Brand new Ididit column and the turn signal switch didn’t work. I called them and they did send me out a replacement no questions asked, but it was a PITA to change. And I also had to contour the plastic self-canceling arm a bit because it would cancel in one direction but not the other. A little shaping with the sanding drum on the Dremel took care of that.

 

7/11/2019 8:16 PM  #14


Re: Turn signal switch replacements

If the switch is clicking loudly, you might want to add some grease.
If you have a steering wheel adapter that uses roll pins to cancel the switch... STOP RIGHT NOW, as it will never work nearly as well as the factory cancelling cam from a stock wheel that, typically, can be mated to most aftermarket steering wheel adapters.


Money you enjoy wasting is NOT wasted money... unless your wife finds out.
 

7/11/2019 9:16 PM  #15


Re: Turn signal switch replacements

Yes, adapter with a roll pin. So far it seems to work OK, but no testing has taken place while actually driving on a road yet.

 

7/27/2019 5:32 AM  #16


Re: Turn signal switch replacements

MS wrote:

If the switch is clicking loudly, you might want to add some grease.
If you have a steering wheel adapter that uses roll pins to cancel the switch... STOP RIGHT NOW, as it will never work nearly as well as the factory cancelling cam from a stock wheel that, typically, can be mated to most aftermarket steering wheel adapters.

I am about to look into this. The indicator switch works fine, well kind of fine, but the loud click sends me crazy. What kind of grease would be best for this?
I still think I will keep my eye out for a new old stock replacement though, but for now, this will have to do.


1964-1/2 D Code Coupe - 289 V8, 4 Speed Toploader, 3.00 ratio rear, Autolite 4100 Carb, 15" tires, Pertronix ignition
 

7/27/2019 2:16 PM  #17


Re: Turn signal switch replacements

I bought my turn sig switch from FoMoCo a few years back(end of problem!) so check with their parts guys.
6sal6
PS...........Take your wallet! 


Get busy Liv'in or get busy Die'n....Host of the 2020 Bash at the Beach/The only Bash that got cancelled  )8
 

7/27/2019 5:45 PM  #18


Re: Turn signal switch replacements

6sally6 wrote:

I bought my turn sig switch from FoMoCo a few years back(end of problem!) so check with their parts guys.
6sal6
PS...........Take your wallet! 

Do you have a link? What did it cost?
The Non-Scott Drake one I have fitted does work, but will cancel out going through a turn. I can live with that, but the click is loud and really annoying.


1964-1/2 D Code Coupe - 289 V8, 4 Speed Toploader, 3.00 ratio rear, Autolite 4100 Carb, 15" tires, Pertronix ignition
 

7/27/2019 9:53 PM  #19


Re: Turn signal switch replacements

I just went by the dealership (I'm sorta old skool like that!)
6sal6


Get busy Liv'in or get busy Die'n....Host of the 2020 Bash at the Beach/The only Bash that got cancelled  )8
 

Board footera


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