Brake light switch composition and nut question

[Ronald L.]

Repro catalogues show plastic 67 up except 68...

Metal was from 50s up to what year - its not clear.



Nuts - were they solid or stamped thin metal speed nuts?

Anyone have an original metal on a mid-year?

[Ronald L.]

Re: Brake light switch composition and nut question

no one knows?

[James W.]

Re: Brake light switch composition and nut question

Ron,

This is a picture of my '65 brake light switch. It is a thin stamped metal nut. This is the original on a late production '65 VIN 2216X, AOS body.

Not sure on the '67.

James

[Ronald L.]

Re: Brake light switch composition and nut question

Hi James

thank you

ive just looked through 20 pedal boxes and I agree thin metal nuts

still curious when the switch changed?

[Ronald L.]

Re: Brake light switch composition and nut question

When did the switch change to plastic?
65?
66?
67?

[Richard M.]

Re: Brake light switch composition and nut question

The AIM for each year would yield the part number for each switch. This would help to determine when the changeover occurred, which appears to be 1967, as shown below. Prints for the part numbers would help determine compositions of both the switches and the nuts.

A check in my AIMs shows:

1963 Switch 3825257 Nut 107825

1964 to 1966 Switch 3825257 Nut 9420171

1967 Switch 3886907 Nut 9420171

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[Ronald L.]

Re: Brake light switch composition and nut question

Rich

thank you

Are there sources for the 63-66 switch?

[Harry S.]

Re: Brake light switch composition and nut question

Ronald, I do not recall ever seeing that part number available. Same looking metal switch, but a different number is available, check eBay.

Maybe it was never available in Service. Joe Lucia may know.

[James W.]

Re: Brake light switch composition and nut question

You might try Dave Sokoloski who advertises in the Driveline.

[Gary B.]

Re: Brake light switch composition and nut question

The AIM for each year would yield the part number for each switch. This would help to determine when the changeover occurred, which appears to be 1967, as shown below. Prints for the part numbers would help determine compositions of both the switches and the nuts.

A check in my AIMs shows:

1963 Switch 3825257 Nut 107825

1964 to 1966 Switch 3825257 Nut 9420171

1967 Switch 3886907 Nut 9420171

=====

[Ronald L.]

Re: Brake light switch composition and nut question

Interesting usage of the second part number on ebay

Seen these on 65 burried

Also seeing the plastic on mid 66 model year

[Richard M.]

Re: Brake light switch composition and nut question

Gary,

Yes, I saw the "OPT" 1993509 switch but forgot to make note if it. i was in a hurry to head out and missed it. Thanks for jumping in.

Rich

[Gary B.]

Re: Brake light switch composition and nut question

Way back in September of 2002, Pete Lindahl wrote the following:

“…the '66 Corvette AIM lists a P/N 3825257 Switch Asm- Stop Lamp and 1993509 Opt. (optional). The 1993509 switch was available as a Delco Remy and Chevrolet SERVICE part and is the metal switch. I'm assuming that the 3825257 is the plastic switch…”

I bring this up because, like my ‘66, multiple people have reported in DB postings that their ‘66s had a white plastic brake light switch. If those plastics switches are original to those ‘66s we know those switches can’t be GM 3886906, which also is a white plastic switch that was available as a service replacement part, because GM 3886906 was supposedly introduced on Aug 8, 1966, for use in the 1967 model year. GM 3886906 would not have been available in time for the ‘66 model year production.

So why are there so many ‘66s with white plastic brake light switches? The idea that those reported white plastics switches in ‘66s are later service replacements (GM 3886906) of failed original metal switches doesn’t make sense because years prior to ‘66 would also have failed metal switches that would have been replaced with the later, plastic style, service replacement (GM 3886906).

So, back to Pete’s posting and his assumption about GM 3825257. How do we know that GM 3825257 was not a white plastic switch? If it was, then some ‘66s could have gotten a white plastic switch, GM 3825257, while other ‘66s could have gotten the metal version, GM 1993509. That would explain the observation from multiple ‘66s owners that their cars have white plastic switches.

Gary

[Joe L.]

Re: Brake light switch composition and nut question

Ronald, I do not recall ever seeing that part number available. Same looking metal switch, but a different number is available, check eBay.

Maybe it was never available in Service. Joe Lucia may know.

Harry------


The 1953-57 stop lamp switch was GM #1998030. This switch had a metal body and an integral mounting bracket. It was once available in SERVICE but is long-since discontinued.

The 1958-E66 switch was also of a metal body but it had no integral bracket. The switch was otherwise configured differently than the earlier switch. It was GM # 3825257 but I cannot find that it was ever available in SERVICE. For SERVICE it was known as GM #1993509. GM #3825257 is a Chevrolet part number; GM #1993509 is a Delco part number. My expectation is that they were both part numbers for the same part. GM #1993509 was discontinued in August, 1966 and replaced by GM #3886906. The latter was a white nylon ("plastic") switch. It was discontinued in May, 1977 and replaced by GM #3886907, an identical switch. Finally, GM #3886907 was discontinued in July, 1981 and replaced by GM #1261219. The latter is a white nylon switch very similar in configuration to its predecessors.

1968 used a stop light switch that was unique to that year. Rather than a plunger activation as were all previous switches, it had a lever actuation. It was GM #1993446. One does not want to need one.

For 1969-73 the switch was GM #3954246. I believe this was also a plastic switch, similar to the above-referenced. It was discontinued from SERVICE in June, 1973 and replaced by the aforementioned GM #3886906.

1974-79 (except cruise control) were originally equipped with the aforementioned GM #3886906.

[Ronald L.]

Re: Brake light switch composition and nut question

Now we are getting some where.

Chevrolet vs Declo part numbers. GMPD would be using the Delco numbers.

Joe

Similar configuration - what do you nean by that?

Might you share some specifics?





Here is my data:

A stash of C2 pedal boxes - 10, 3-66 and a 65 car.

3 metal switches, one in the 65
3 white plastic switches in 66 cars. 3 in the pedal boxes

The White switches are All White with Copper-ish brass terminals.

The 1261219 NOS servcice part in a '83 data box - from the same supplier, different end cap color and terminals... and if not the same plastic as the early 66 version.