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Vintage Toggle Switches


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Is there a common replacement part for the fuel pump, pitot heat, landing light and Nav light switches for a 1965.   My switches are very worn.


Do you know if they are breaker type switches? If they are, it will depend on how they are mounted and attached to the buss bar (if at all). Have you pulled any of them? If not, I would try to get the information off of them or pull them to make sure you understand what is needed.

Here is what the folks have at Aircraft Spruce:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpages/pbcircuitbrkr2.php?clickkey=4681


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28 minutes ago, Drumstick said:

Is there a common replacement part for the fuel pump, pitot heat, landing light and Nav light switches for a 1965.   My switches are very worn.

Most of the switches you mention above are circuit breaker type switches, Aircraft spruce should have more or less an exact replacement as Chris mentioned above.

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+1 '65C...  Switches are mechanical combination of circuit breaker and switch in one.  The oft used landing light wears out before the lesser used ones.

Look for the instruments panel cover above the switches to droop.  When droooping from loose, missing or old vibration mounts, contact with the switches and there colored ID covers will help turn them off automatically...

when swapping out with new CB switches, available from AS, know there is a bus bar (long piece of brass) behind them making it a challenge to just change one at a time.

getting them out is a bit easier from the access panels on the outside.  If they aren't glued in place...

How's my memory working today?  :)

Best regards,

-a-

Edited by carusoam
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This is when you realize there is a CB club and why so many people have joined it.

The CB switches are expensive and changing them out usually only makes sense if they are worn and don't work properly.

Changing them all out while you are in there makes sense when you have excess AMUs on hand.

There are two types of CBs....  circuit breakers and cheap b*stards, only one is the prestigious club for the finest of Mooney owners...

CB switches wear a tiny bit each time they are operated. The more current they are switching, the more sparks are flying internally.  There is a way to test the switch, but that starts to cost more than the replacement.  The standard way to know when a switch is worn is by it's feel. A good solid over-center click of a new switch is a good sign. A soft barely feel it click is not so good.  Know that the warmer the switch is, the softer the click becomes.

This is the usual PP thoughts. Not a mechanic or CFI.

Best regards,

-a-

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Whats wrong with the Tyco W31 series switches?

Most of the ones you will need are about $32.00 if they do not match up replace all of them for less than 2 of the others.  If I remember correctly there is something in the Regs  that allows you to replace these CBs and other electrical components like rheostats with a different model but with same form and function as the original.

 

 

 

 

tycoBreakers.pdf

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1 hour ago, 1964-M20E said:

Whats wrong with the Tyco W31 series switches?

Most of the ones you will need are about $32.00 if they do not match up replace all of them for less than 2 of the others.  If I remember correctly there is something in the Regs  that allows you to replace these CBs and other electrical components like rheostats with a different model but with same form and function as the original.

tycoBreakers.pdf

My sentiments exactly, however, you would need an A&P to sign it off...  Shouldn't be that big a deal.  Aircraft Spruce's website states "Used as original equipment in Beech, Cessna and Piper aircraft."

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1 hour ago, 1964-M20E said:

Whats wrong with the Tyco W31 series switches?

They don't fit into the existing holes because they interfere with the tubular steel at the bottom of the instrument panel.

I tried to do it back in 1995.

 

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On 2017-01-23 at 0:58 PM, carusoam said:

+1 '65C...  Switches are mechanical combination of circuit breaker and switch in one.  The oft used landing light wears out before the lesser used ones.

Look for the instruments panel cover above the switches to droop.  When droooping from loose, missing or old vibration mounts, contact with the switches and there colored ID covers will help turn them off automatically...

when swapping out with new CB switches, available from AS, know there is a bus bar (long piece of brass) behind them making it a challenge to just change one at a time.

getting them out is a bit easier from the access panels on the outside.  If they aren't glued in place...

How's my memory working today?  :)

Best regards,

-a-

I did change my landing light switch last year. Anthony is right about the bus bar. The trick is to remove the hex nut facing the pilot on all the switches that share the same length of bus bar (from memory I think they were 4), push the assembly of switches behind the panel, replace the bad switch, pull all switches back in their respective holes and reinstall the hex nuts. My mechanic gladly signed it off in the log book after he inspected my work.

Yves

 

PS This is the one I used:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/search/search.php?s=7270-5-20

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