49 Mercury Turn signal switch

Ok, I've looked all over and not finding much info on this. My turn signal switch works but doesn't lock in place. Is there a replacement one that I can buy without putting in one of those bulky column strap universal junk?

I found a 56-58 Ford switch online that looks very similar to the one I have but not sure it would fit in the housing.

Anybody know what might be compatible?

this is a 49 mercury 4dr with stock column and 3 on the tree shifter.

 

i believe it is this one i have the same turn signal switch

http://lbcunited.com/earlyford2/product_info.php/cPath/298/products_id/3160

 

Yep thats the one I found too. Have you gotten it yet? What did you put it in if you did?

 

i have a turn signal switch from a 50 sedan i am running on my tudor as far as i can see i'm going to make that work cause the aftermarkets are shit and ugly looking too but that looks like the right one

 

After inspecting the switch a little closer I'm not sure mine is actually broken. Does the switch itself that locks in place or is it part of the mounting hardware that is supposed to lock in place? I'm thinking maybe there is a piece missing now that would do the lock/release for the turn signal. I know the electronics of it works fine I just had to hold it to keep the turn signal on.

 

It seem like the 49 had a little different set up than the 50 & 51 or maybe it was mid 50 when they did the change. The switch part itself was the same but they had differences in the actuator pieces. The early arm & pawl had a little roller and a spring. The pawl had a bow shape built in to act as a spring effect and the little roller kept it positioned against the tension correctly. If the little pieces or springs are missing the mechanism won't hold and cancel correctly when the cancelling cam makes contact. The Lincoln Mercury Overhaul manual has good illustrations of how the parts fit but you have to have the latest updated to get all the illustrations from 1949 thru 1951. I thing there were three diferent variations. If someone pulled it apart & lost some pieces or changed out the column with a later unit then it could be discombobulated.

I have a few pieces from the early types but not all and they are definitely different than my 51s. The later stuff should work as replacements but you have to have all the correct little parts for the type that is going to be utilized.

 

Here is a pictorial out of the 49-51 Mercury overhal Manual. Perhaps it will help clarify questions. click on photos to enlarge.

 

The illustration shows one of the types but you can't see a roller on it although it's on the side oposite the one illustrated. The later ones had no roller on the arm or switch plate and the pawl is larger and requires a coiled spring clip to hold it tightly against the actuator arm (switch plate). These pieces give the tension that hold the lever in either selected direction and the pawl is pushed back to center by the cancelling cam on underside of the steering wheel hub.

 

Thanks for these responses guys. I've inspected all the parts and the only thing I found was that the plastic insulator ring is cracked and split into two pieces. All the other parts seem to be there and working properly. The insulator ring is held together inside the contact support ring. Could this be the problem with it not holding the switch on?

 

The insulator ring is for the horn circuit and is in close proximity to the turn signal mechanism but won't affect it unless it fowls the canceling cam or the signal mechanism. When you actuate the signal arm does it adjust the pawl that cancels the signal? It should cock the pawl inboard either one direction or the other (depending on direction selected) to allow the cam to push the signal lever back to the off or neutral position. There is a clothes pin type spring that holds tension on the pawl for this process. If that spring is missing or incorrectly installed, there is nothing to hold the canceling pawl in place and therefore nothing to hold the signal arm in position.

See the next post entry for the illustration & explanation of the roller & detent parts.

 

Aside from the illustration that 19FORDY left above, I've included a picture of the switch plate or signal arm if you will. This little jewel has the little roller that is illustrated in the side sectional view. That little roller rides on some detent bumps down in the bowl under the plate position. You can't see them very well in the illustration 19Fordy left us but they are there and you can kind of see where that ledge is where the roller rides. The illustration I've left shows the bend in the arm (switch plate) that provides the tension for the roller against the detent bumps. That is what holds the signal lever in the left, right & neutral (off) positions. If the detents are worn down or the arm doesn't have sufficient bend for tension then it will be loosy-goosy for sure.

If the illustrations are too small try opening them in a different window. They will pretty much be full size then.

 

rotorwrench you are the man. I have it all disassembled at this point starting my steering column modifications, but I think you nailed it here the arm is pretty much straight with no bend to it and I believe the spring on the pawl is not connected correctly either. I will have to get it all back together to find out for sure. Thanks for your help!