Important correction to 67 AC controls repair - long read

["Dick Benjamin" <DickB@xxxxxxxxx>]

I am embarrassed to report that I made an error in transcribing my notes
about wiring the new blower switch.  I swapped the light green and dark
green wires, so please, if this is something you are archiving for the
future, dump what I sent out last night and replace it with the below, which
has been corrected.  Only one pair of words is involved, but it is
important,ad doing it the way I originally typed would make the blower speed
sequence go "low-high-medium-outrageous" in stead of the correct sequence.

Sorry, again.  Getting old, I guess.

Dick Benjamin
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dick Benjamin" <DickB@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "Mailing List Imperial Club" <Mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, January 06, 2003 9:34 PM
Subject: 67 AC controls repair - long read


> I thought some might be interested in some repair work I have just
completed
> on the AC system in my 67 Convertible, with standard (non-ATC) air
> conditioning.     I have the complete dashboard out of the car, and am
going
> through every switch and control device, rebuilding or replacing as
> necessary to bring the car back to as new operation of everything. I
decided
> to search for replacement new controls for both the fan 4-speed switch
> ("Low", "Medium", "High" and "WOW!") and the push button vacuum routing
> switch that controls the mode of the system ("OFF",  "MAX AC", "AC",
"HEAT"
> and "DEF").
>
> The reason I decided to replace these controls is that the push button
> assembly had developed some vacuum seepage, making the response of the air
> control flaps very sluggish, plus the push buttons were hard to push
unless
> one pulled the previously depressed button out before making another
> selection.  The blower switch had become very touchy on the "WOW"
setting -
> one had to very carefully position the switch lever to make it stay on
that
> setting - it tended to slip off to the "HIGH" setting, hardly a serious
> problem, but an irritation to the perfectionist (does anyone hear my
call?).
> I took the switch apart to diagnose the problem, and decided it was caused
> by warpage of the phenolic substrate in which the terminals are staked.  I
> made the repair, but I didn't feel it was a permanent cure, as the board
can
> just warp further. It is such a royal pain in the posterior to get that
> switch out of the dash that I decided I wanted to replace it with a new
one
> of better design.
>
> I tried to find these controls on eBay, PartsVoice etc., without success.
> Then I tried NAPA, - same story.  I took the "buyer's guide" from NAPA and
> began comparing shapes and functions, and found substitutes that others
may
> be interested in making a note of, in case you ever have the need.
>
> For the push button control, Mopar number 2587 564, you can directly
> substitute a Mopar number 3431 020K, which was used on 69 - up non ATC
cars
> from lesser Mopars, for instance my 69 Newport.  The only difference is
the
> presence of an extra electrical terminal on the blower feed lugs on the
> right rear of the switch.  This switch has three terminals, while the
> original only had two. To use it, just ignore the extra terminal, which is
> the one toward the center of the control unit.   NAPA stocks this control
> under their number ECH-HC-205.  AutoZone also stocks it, but you have to
ask
> for a 1969 Chrysler Newport switch.  As I recall, their number is WF259,
but
> double check that as it is from memory.
>
> For the blower speed control, Mopar number 2587 321, you can substitute a
> Mopar number 4261 306, which was in use at least up to 1980 in the Dodge
> trucks.  The NAPA number for this is ECH-HC-202.  You cannot use it
> directly, you have to change the  wire connections to the back of the
> switch.   Directions to do this are as follows:
>
> 1.  Note the 4 #16 wires to the back of the old switch.  They are Brown,
> Light Green, Dark Green and Tan (on some cars the light green wire looks
> white, according to my color consultant (I'm color blind, so I take her
word
> for it).
>
> 2.  Note that the pattern of the connection lugs on the back of the new
> switch is in the shape of the letter "A", with one terminal at the right
> bottom of the "A" - this one gets the brown wire.  The center bar of the
"A"
> gets the light green wire.  The apex of the "A" gets the dark green wire.
> The left bottom of the "A" gets the tan wire.  Clip each of these wires
off
> the old switch, strip back 1/4 inch of insulation, and crimp on a new
spade
> lug female to each wire. Then solder the crimp so that it won't work
loose,
> overheat, and ruin the new switch.  Then, using heat shrink tubing, put an
> insulating sleeve over each crimp lug, so that they cannot contact each
> other when installed on the switch, as the terminals are VERY close
> together. Do all this work with the wires unplugged from the switch, to
> avoid overheating it.
>
> 3. Now, you have to remove the electrical operating doo-dads from the new
> switch and install them on the old switch, as the handles and mounting
> bracket are different.  Carefully unbend the 3 bent over tabs holding the
> back of each switch to its housing, and transfer all the contents of the
new
> switch to the old one.  You will have to slightly extend the notch for one
> end tab to make it fit the old switch housing, but you can do this with a
> nail file (if your wife isn't looking).  Be sure to transfer the inner
> slider and spring assembly also, as they are slightly different and the
old
> one won't work on the new terminal board.   Install the new parts in the
old
> housing, carefully bend the holding tabs back down, and Bob's your uncle!
> Plug in the wires as described above and you have a complete new control
> system for the AC and Heater/Defroster system.  How sweet it is!
>
> Any questions or difficulty, feel free to ask me.
>
> Dick Benjamin
>