relocation of brake light switch

Post by **malminor** » Mon May 14, 2007 2:38 pm

I am fitting a remote servo but noticed in the Owen Burton book the brake light switch should be in the input side of the brake line to the servo cylinder, where would be the best place to locate and what fittings would I need, Apparantly the extra pressure causes the switch to delay switching off the brake lights?.

Post by **Willie** » Mon May 14, 2007 4:04 pm

It has had no adverse effect on my minor.

Post by **Stig** » Mon May 14, 2007 4:24 pm

As it's a pressure switch wouldn't that mean there's a delay in releasing the brakes too? I hope not.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Mon May 14, 2007 8:46 pm

Probably!

Post by **Rob_Jennings** » Tue May 15, 2007 9:53 am

keep it where it is, putting it on the 'input' side may mean it does not light as in theory the pressure on the input side is 1/2 that of the output (thats what the servo is there for!!)

Post by **DaveC** » Tue May 15, 2007 5:37 pm

good point Rob! Mine's on the servo output side. No probs..

Post by **bigginger** » Tue May 15, 2007 5:45 pm

I'm puzzled. Why would leaving it operating on the side where it was designed to work be a problem?

Post by **Willie** » Tue May 15, 2007 6:05 pm

He had heard that the increased servo pressure would cause the brake lights to be slow to extinguish.

Post by **bigginger** » Tue May 15, 2007 8:26 pm

Eeer - OK. Not in my experience, fwiw

Post by **aupickup** » Tue May 15, 2007 8:38 pm

that would be the owen burton book

Post by **bigginger** » Tue May 15, 2007 8:48 pm

Yup. I have an opinion of the man, but good or bad I'm not allowed to give it...

Post by **DaveC** » Wed May 16, 2007 8:17 am

I would have thought that if the light was kept on by pressure then the shoes would also bind. A cause of this could be the lack of the 3/4 inch play at the brake pedal, I wouldn't think that the servo would cause any binding effect. I'd leave the switch where it is...

Post by **minor_hickup** » Wed May 16, 2007 9:03 pm

I'd be more worried about any higher pressure damaging the brake light switch. Temperamental as they can be. I'm sure hard braking force is what kills them. My last one died after someone cut me up....coincidence?

Post by **Rob_Jennings** » Thu May 17, 2007 9:38 am

they should be able to withstand the pressure. the fact that they don't is because the modern copies are clearly not being built to specification ;-( a common problem with even simple replacement parts.

Post by **malminor** » Sun May 20, 2007 2:04 pm

Might as well leave it where it is, I am fitting all new brake pipes.
Mr B doesn't explain in any detail where and how to relocate, the switch has a different thread to everything else and I can't find a suitable tee piece.
I could use another cross piece, but that gets even more complicated.
Anyone fitted a mechanical switch into the master cylinder / push rod area? .
I gather 1000's of these servo conversions have been fitted over the years.

Post by **jonathon** » Sun May 20, 2007 2:29 pm

In my opinion the switch is perfectly okay in its standard position, when fitting a servo.