65 Dart Wiper Switch Breaker

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Ryan the Gnome

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Hey guys, I have a 65 Dart that recently had the wipers crap out. I've been doing a lot of reading and pulled the switch apart. My best guess is the circuit breaker in the switch is toast. The small tab snapped off when I separated the switch halves. Is there anywhere I can get just a replacement metal breaker, can I make one, or am I looking for a new switch? Either way, I need it fixed ASAP. It's my DD and it always rains here, aside from this weekend. Thanks!

Ryan
 
There is no way I would NOT try to "go around" that. I've never had one of those apart. Is both sides of the breaker brought out to a terminal? Looks like the B -- B terminals are. If so that would be VERY easy, you just feed 12V from a fuse / breaker into the "other end of the internal breaker.

If not some work with a dremel should get you a small area to install a jumper across the original breaker.

This is the closest I can come to matching up what you have.........
 

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67Dart273, I talked with my electrician buddy and he basically said the same. We're going to try and wire in a fuse. Thanks!
 
I didn't know there is a circuit breaker inside the switch. The old switches do have a little box that looks like a breaker mounted on a flat stalk on the outside. One trick with the switches is that some terminals are just convenient junctions to chain power on to other devices, and have nothing to do with the switch functions. There are also several varieties of the switches. I recently scored a 1965 variable-speed switch with the "washer" terminal (push knob to actuate) at PickNPull. I already had one without the washer feature.
 
I actually got it figured out. Turns out the wiper wiring had wrapped itself around the pivot arm and yanked the plug loose. I cleaned up the switch, put it all back together, good as new. Thanks guys.
 
I suspected the original bi-metal had cracked in half.
I had to cure that fault waaaaay back in about 1980, before internet. I cut an opening in the switch body for wire to exit and placed a more modern cycling circuit breaker on the outside. For those who go through this...
My guess is eventually you will find wear/resistance in the drivers side pivot assembly is the root of the problem. Meanwhile, cleaning out the gearbox and filling with lithium grease will help.
 
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