Alright electrical gurus, I am sick and tired of buying these **** box 10 dollar keyed ignition switches. I am sure you know the ones I am talking about. Pot metal housing, set of 4 keys, **** quality hold down bezel. What is the best/better quality keyed switches?
I'm happy with the aluminum Painless Ign Switch # 80153, 25 amp, and has these features: ACCESSORY, OFF, ON, START. $18.25 from Summit Racing.
if its just a 2 pole off on thing ? some opt for a aircraft type switch and a cover. witha push start? that said you also need a hidden switch ... ya should have one ANYWAY hay its one IDEA oUT of thousands stay here stay tuned tO the HAMB and 9 pages later the experts will all have shown up with there OPINIONS
I like the OEM Mid 50's GM ones, from say a 1957 Chevy truck. They interchanged for a lot of years, I know it was just like the one in my '64 El Chumino which was almost if not exactly the same as the one in my buddy's 1954 Chevy 210. You can take the key out while its still running! I have one out of a Hyster forklift in my Model A which I found in a 50's Studebaker Pickup Truck in the junkyard. It's been working fine apparently for a very long time!
Bringing this back up for any other feedback. What about the boat stuff, I heard the key will not come out in the run position ?
Any dash mounted ignition switch from the 60's is better than this aftermarket rubbish I once lost a race because my key fell out and the engine quit, you are not allowed to release the harness to retrieve the key [ if you do, you must get off the track ] So on my race cars I used a rotary switch that is used on duel fuel propane conversions [rotate it on- rotate if off, and press the prime to start it]
I have gone through many switches in several cars, so far my Ron Francis one is the best. But I do agree with using original equipment switches from early Chevys if they are NOS..
After burning out 3 of the farm store ign. switches, I decided to use this one... http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Universal-Pull-Type-Ignition-Switch,2369.html Works great! Nothing I hate more than getting in the seat and realize, I forgot to get my keys out of my pocket before I got in!
That Speedway switch would be OK for a car with minimal electrical, but undersized for pretty much anything with a heater, electric wipers and/or turn signals, not to mention a radio or other electrical items. Same thing could be true of those forklift switches; those have very basic electrical systems on them. Any switch will operate into an overload... for a while....
Probably one of the highest quality and longest lasting ignition switches ever made. Very durable. and if 6 volt, made to run amperage twice that of a comparable 12 volt unit.
I use the So-Cal keyless starter switch. Pull the knob all the way out and the car starts and the knob retracts to a run position. Push the knob in and the engine stops. I also have a hidden battery switch. About $35.00.
I was having ignition switch problems. Now the ignition circuits are switched by an 80 amp relay. The accessory circuits are switched by a separate 80 amp relay. This takes almost all the load off the ignition switch. pprather
The old GM switches. The key was not supposed to fall out are be removed while the key was in the on position. After wear are repop poor construction it happens.
I have a corvair instrument panel with switch but no key sitting on the shelf. Maybe I should just try and get a key made for it to use, can't seem to get it out of the panel without a key anyway. I have used the pull type switch before without problems in a bare bones car but thought I would like a keyed ignition in this one. Then of course I have the full race panel with fused toggles and push ****on sitting out there but that's a little overkill for it.....decisions
I recently installed an Aircraft Spruce ignition switch in our airplane. The switch is well made but the keys look more like a gun cabinet key. Aircraft Spruce is geared to home builders but they have a subsidiary ACS that sells the exact same products for certified aircraft with all the installation info on line. I have seen where they are used in cars but the wiring configuration is different for a car. The aircraft ignition is set up for dual magnetos that allows one to test the running of each magneto individually and the run position of both. It would take a little research to see how they are used in cars. It may just need a little circuit creativity. These switches are not inexpensive but they do have repair kits which are inexpensive. There may be friendlier alternatives. http://acsproducts.co/?page_id=417 Add my name to the list of those tired of offshore **** and it is getting harder to find any alternatives.
I'd have to say from past experience that if you are burning up any switch on regular basis you need to add relays to your high draw circuits. I've seen a fews hot rods with everything including the headlights running through the ignition switch and that just creates too much load for just about any switch to handle.. I've gone though a couple of the "universal" parts house switches in my 48 but figure that I wore them out rather than burned them out as each lasted around a hundred thousand miles.
LOL I never use the start poll on an aftermarket switch, I have one from Ace Hardware here that is probably 20 years old and has been in several old heaps. I like GM ignition switches if I am going to drop coin on one, the switch and the cylinder is sold separately if you are buying a good one. Ask for '64 Impala.
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