Misc: Everything Else Miller No 42 Brake Switch Early Rapide

[Rob H]

Hi all, managed to find an early brake switch, on testing it works but requires a lot of pressure to make contact.

Was wondering if anyone has had one of these to bits before, at least you would have to un-crimp the edge but not sure how it comes to bits with the lever slotted though the casing.

I imagine it must be something like the lucas switch internally and wondered if an adjustment could be made so it made contact with less pull on the lever.

 

[Simon Dinsdale]

What has happened is the beryllium copper contacts spread and so the moving part has to travel further and you are now probably at the maximum range of movement. Once inside you could bend the contacts back into their original position, but as you say getting inside is the problem. I would guess once the case is uncrimped the fixed contacts will come away with the fibreboard piece and the terminal posts.

The alternative is to buy one of the new ones that Mitch in USA had a batch of made (advert in back of MPH). For anybody in UK wanting one there are a few been held in the UK so international post & customs etc are not an issue. I know the person to contact.

Simon

 

[Marcus Bowden]

What was the price $400? absolutely essential to ride an all original Stevenage IRON. I hope somebody does just so we have a record of an original on a complete bike.
bananaman.

 

[Robert Watson]

I took the one off /34 whose fibre disk was seriously disintegrating and open the little ears, made a new disk, copied the body from solid and put the original repaired one back together without breaking the tangs and back on /34 where it still is today. The copies went on a couple of local bikes. This is one of the copies, the fibre disk is held with modern chemicals!

EDIT Of course I meant the crimped over part that holds the fibre, it is continuous and not little tangs. I was able to ease it open enough to replace the fibre and then ease it back down again without damage.

 

[Buster]

Hi all, managed to find an early brake switch, on testing it works but requires a lot of pressure to make contact.

Was wondering if anyone has had one of these to bits before, at least you would have to un-crimp the edge but not sure how it comes to bits with the lever slotted though the casing.

I imagine it must be something like the lucas switch internally and wondered if an adjustment could be made so it made contact with less pull on the lever.

Hello, Notts, UK.
Just disassembled my original unit, however looks like many yrs ago the internals received some attention by its then owner. The pull lever has one small hole in it which has a split pin positioning a non conductive small rectangular pad, this pad secures / positions a return spring. The pad is just high enough to ride up a copper leaf spring which makes the circuit between the two terminals. The circular insulating disc to which the terminals are attached, (on my unit), requires replacing as its damaged, was going to use circuit board material and then bond it to the case; don't plan to try and bend back the retention lip. Any other suggestions ?
I have a question regarding the outermost cover for the switch, my unit has three black 'plastic' circular discs, ea with two square holes cut thro' to clear the terminals, is this correct or should it be as shown, in the photos below. For info, my unit is off a Rapide No 37 ( Jan 1947)

 

[Rob H]

Hello, Notts, UK.
Just disassembled my original unit, however looks like many yrs ago the internals received some attention by its then owner. The pull lever has one small hole in it which has a split pin positioning a non conductive small rectangular pad, this pad secures / positions a return spring. The pad is just high enough to ride up a copper leaf spring which makes the circuit between the two terminals. The circular insulating disc to which the terminals are attached, (on my unit), requires replacing as its damaged, was going to use circuit board material and then bond it to the case; don't plan to try and bend back the retention lip. Any other suggestions ?
I have a question regarding the outermost cover for the switch, my unit has three black 'plastic' circular discs, ea with two square holes cut thro' to clear the terminals, is this correct or should it be as shown, in the photos below. For info, my unit is off a Rapide No 37 ( Jan 1947)

Can you post some pictures?

 

[Buster]

Hi,

This is the disassembled unit, not much to it.
Out of interest the No on the case is No 42E , it appears the alleged 1/4 on some units is missing, the o is underscored.

 

[Rob H]

Hi,

This is the disassembled unit, not much too it.
Out of interest the No on the case is No 42E , it appears the alleged 1/4 on some units is missing, the o is underscored.

What was the step by step process of disassembly?

Obviously you have to uncrimp the case somehow, but what about the arm through the case, do you have to remove the small rivet?

 

[Buster]

For me the disassembly was easy, as effectively this was already done. The Bakelite disk carrying the terminals was effectively damaged, by the previous owner I might add; so once the three Black plastic discs were gently prised out, the thicker tougher bakelite disc just came away as it was split down the middle. This is why it didn't work. Suspect the original manufacturing route was to crimp the outer rimmed retention lip, post insertion of the Terminal pad. To open this out and repeat / reverse the process would now require a special expanding mandrel. Hence my proposal to make a tight fitting replica disc and bond it in place, both effecting a seal and locking it in situ. Is there anyone out there that has some tooling to do this as per original method ?


Dave.

 

[Buster]

Just checking a few more historical threads, specifically colour of case and part No. I know my bike has been unmolested for some 50 plus years, the case did have black paint on it, clearly not proof of the original colour. Part Number is consistent with other members units from the same period .... No 42E. ( the o being underscored, no sign of a 1/4 mark ). So, spayed my unit cellulose Black! Need some help with the colour of the outer terminal material, is it the reddy-brown colour of the Terminal mounting plate, or a black separate cover made of Black cloth type material? This is what came off the bike, see photo posted above.

Dave