fitment of vintage yankee turn signal on P15 column

[3046moparcoupe]

Almost got the car wiring completed. Thought I get the Yankee turn signal switch I went through this past summer mounted to the column and wired in. I hated to use a hose clamp, although in honesty it would probably solve much of the problem I'm having with clearance, but I will admit I'm guilty of thinking how crappy a hose clamp looks when you see it around the columkn of one of these old vintage rides....anyway - this Yankee switch came with one of the mounting ears and a piece of old rusted metal strap. The strap had rectangular slots cut about every 1/4" and you slid the ears through the correct slots and ran a bolt through the hole in both ears to tighten the strap and signal switch to the column. I made a second mtg ear (since I only received one with the switch when I found it), and since the strap was pretty much junk, I found a matching 3/4" wide piece of stainless at .025 thick, and made a mounting strap for the 1 1/2 " column.

 

With the P15 having 3 spokes in the wheel, and in effort of being able to see the indicator light on the switch, I initially indexed the signal switch to the column where the switch was riding just above the left horizontal spoke. It seemed to look completely wrong in that position and depending on how high above the wheel spoke you positioned it, it tried to somewhat obstruct the view of the gauges...so I then relocated the switch to just below the left steering wheel spoke, trying to keep it as high as possible (just to where the indicator could be seen with the wheel in the straight forward position) and this seemed like a much better placement. Even in this lower position, this signal switch tries to take up all the real estate available on the column between the wheel and the column gear shift.  (I also tried placing the switch on the dash side of the gear shift lever, and again, it didn't look right to me, also seemed like it might even get in the way of a knee mounted in this slight downward position. Finally I carefully worked it in to position as shown in the attached pictures, however placement (as it is mounted at present) has it extremely close to the shift arm (when I pull the arm up simulating a future shift into reverse),...I figured OK, this isn't horse shoes - extremely close is OK,...I won't know until the tranny is in, I'll leave it as is for the time being and if I have to clearance the strap a little later down the line, that should be do-able.

 

While doing the above, trying to get this switch in just the right place , before I tightened her down,..I also had checked how close I was to the back of the steering wheel spokes, and I had about 1/8" clearance on one spoke, and maybe a tad less on the other,....it was at this point I thought "did I check all 3 spokes" better do that, and sure enough that far spoke on the right side only clears the turn signal switch by what looks like maybe a couple of thousands,....I mean you can't even see daylight between the back of that spoke and the front of the switch, it's not hitting but it's too close to leave and I got a feeling that once it's bolted down it sure might.

 

Two ways I could fix this without cutting on anything. (actually three ways I suppose).

 

1: move the turn signal switch from where I have it , to behind the gear shift to column attachment point.

 

2: if I change the indexing of the switch so that it rides the column above the left horizontal spoke of the steering wheel, this will allow me to move the switch back from the steering wheel  just a bit. The reason it will allow for the movement is due to the mounting ears sliding through the rectangular slots in the strap. The thickness of these ears keeps the mounting strap held out/away from the column a little over a 16th of an inch right where the mtg ear is positioned. By moving the entire switch upward on the left side, the strap moves downward on the right side, and the high part of the strap, directly above the mtg ear moves away from the back of the gear shift arm....

 

3:If I placed a shim washer, bushing washer, etc...into the column to move the steering wheel out a bit,....maybe something like 40 thousands or so max,...I would obviously gain that amount of clearance between the switch and that 3rd spoke of the wheel, but I also would be removing that much of the spline to spline connection between the steering wheel and the steering column shaft..

At this point, this option 3, is my preferred choice, but I'm reminded of how often the easiest choice is many times not the correct one...IS THIS A BAD IDEA GUYS ? AND OR GALS ?

 

Thanks for the help.

Steve 

[Plymouthy Adams]

steering wheels have a slight tapering and what makes them so secure when affixed.   I would not space the steering wheel with a washer....and yes 99% of addon devices look just that....added on....

 

the inability to see the flashing indicator light is pretty much the rule on a stock steering wheel....relocating the light operation to another installed indicator in plain view would be the best all around deal in my opinion.  If you wish not to do a mod in this manner, at least install a sounding device like a beeper out of sight that will alert you to the fact  you still have an active turning signal.  The angled out of normal positioning we are so used to will add to the in your face look of the aftermarket device..

Edited December 12, 2018 by Plymouthy Adams

[3046moparcoupe]

thank you Plymouthy,..I will try moving this switch upward so  that I can get it to also move backwards a bit,....if I forget about trying to have solid visibility of the indicator light, I can probably still keep it low enough that it won't block the view of the amp and oil gauges, it'll just be covering up the throttle cable and headlight switch knobs...then I'll start looking for a good place to either add a separate indicator light or as you mentioned a buzzer/etc type alarm (which might be a little easier as it could be under the dash out of sight),...as I'm trying not to drill any new holes anywhere at this point. 

 

Putting that switch behind the shifter linkage to column attachment point would also solve all this, but to my eye - it would sure look like crap...I noticed in the manual, the diagram shows a press on cup that went directly behind the steering where to beautify  that area, the manual notes say to remove and discard the cup when a turn signal switch is installed, so it appears they also see you as mounting the turn signal switch up close to the back of the steering wheel. 

 

Steve

[DJ194950]

Is it possible to thin the width of the metal band to add clearance in a small area to move the switch downward a hair??

 

A flashing light in the gauge panel like they added to 49 Plymouths onward(it flashed green weather the switch was on left or right). It was just tapped in the flasher wire going to the switch.. One hole in the gauge panel or wherever you want it or just use a warning beeper as Plymouthy suggested.

 

Just some thoughts,

 

DJ

[3046moparcoupe]

You bet DJ, I appreciate the input. It may just boil down to that (reducing the width of the band suggestion),  the band itself is 3/4" wide,...and being stainless, it would be easy breezy to take a scoop out of the width of the band just in that specific area to make for some clearance,...however it will have to go a little further than that,...the 2ea mounting ears/cleats/etc...(I'm not exactly sure what to call them) that slide through the slots in the metal band, and have the bolts holes in them where you actually do your securing down, are also 3/4" wide, so I will need to down size that piece as well,....those pieces I made out of steel, and primed and painted them, etc...but still  - if I'm careful when I trim the ear piece, i should be able to touch it up well enough to prevent it from future rust,......in the scope of things - that should be very do-able,...

 

I suppose I was looking for an even more less involved resolution that might be staring me in the face that I wasn't seeing...like maybe having that turn signal clocked in the upward position might not be as crazy looking and out of the norm as I keep thinking it would be....without seats in the car, etc...I don't know exactly where my heads gonna be,...but again, at this point, it did look odd to me to have the switch mounted up above the left horizontal hub spoke of the steering wheel,...kinda like a horn on a unicorn I should probably go look at some pictures on the internet to see what others have done, with this type Yankee turn signal switch.

 

again, I appreciate the input...

 

Steve

[Eneto-55]

As far as locating indicator lights some place else, I seem to recall reading some place where someone had incorporated two small lights (LEDs, maybe?) in the speedometer, maybe in the lower outside corners.  I haven't had mine open, so I don't know what exactly is behind the face plate there.  But if that is a possibility, they would be barely perceptible when not flashing, and if done 'right' would look like they were original.

[9 foot box]

   Could you notch the band in the center for clearance of the wheel and shift lever neutral position?