- Joined
- Dec 13, 2014
- Messages
- 292
For those of you who own an early Commando like me here is a conversion for the light/horn/ beam switch:
I was lucky to find an original Wipac Triconsul switch which was originally mounted on my 1970 Commando.
This switch is not produced as a replica currently, only the Ducon (horn/lights) and Tricon ( horn/lights/kill switch).
It has a brown high beam flash knob instead of a green one.
Last week I bought a whole wiring harness from a 70 Commando S on Ebay only the get the orginal green knob switch...
The switch was incomplete but I found the missing high/low beam lever and a new backplate in my electrical spare parts box.
A friend of mine also has a 1970 Commando.
He wants to rebuild it as close to factory stock as possible. At a local swap meet we bought a Wipac Tricon replica switch.
The difference to the Triconsul is both contacts go to ground when pushed. Pushing the red kob is a kill switch for magneto ignition.
The Triconsul has an extra connecting post where the brass strip has contact when pushing the green (or brown) knob which is for the high beam flash.
The black knob is for the horn.
The inside of the two switches:
On top is the replica base plate , below the original Triconsul plate. The holes for the extra connector are already there.
The extra connector is seen on top also the brass strip is different.
The other side shows the connecting bridge to the high beam connector.
Since I had no surplus connector I used a cable end sleeve in the right diameter for the hole in the base plate.
A suitable screw was driven in for securing the connecting bridge and the brass trip was bent and shortened.
This is how the original switch looks from the inside.
The red knob was firstly primed and the painted green with Revell enamel paint for plastic models.
The finished Triconsul replica on top and the original below.
To open the relpica switch I had to cut off the melted plastic pins.
I drilled holes in the posts and four screws are securing the switch now.
Here is how the cables connect to the switch posts:
Happy butchering the switches!
I was lucky to find an original Wipac Triconsul switch which was originally mounted on my 1970 Commando.
This switch is not produced as a replica currently, only the Ducon (horn/lights) and Tricon ( horn/lights/kill switch).
It has a brown high beam flash knob instead of a green one.
Last week I bought a whole wiring harness from a 70 Commando S on Ebay only the get the orginal green knob switch...
The switch was incomplete but I found the missing high/low beam lever and a new backplate in my electrical spare parts box.
A friend of mine also has a 1970 Commando.
He wants to rebuild it as close to factory stock as possible. At a local swap meet we bought a Wipac Tricon replica switch.
The difference to the Triconsul is both contacts go to ground when pushed. Pushing the red kob is a kill switch for magneto ignition.
The Triconsul has an extra connecting post where the brass strip has contact when pushing the green (or brown) knob which is for the high beam flash.
The black knob is for the horn.
The inside of the two switches:
On top is the replica base plate , below the original Triconsul plate. The holes for the extra connector are already there.
The extra connector is seen on top also the brass strip is different.
The other side shows the connecting bridge to the high beam connector.
Since I had no surplus connector I used a cable end sleeve in the right diameter for the hole in the base plate.
A suitable screw was driven in for securing the connecting bridge and the brass trip was bent and shortened.
This is how the original switch looks from the inside.
The red knob was firstly primed and the painted green with Revell enamel paint for plastic models.
The finished Triconsul replica on top and the original below.
To open the relpica switch I had to cut off the melted plastic pins.
I drilled holes in the posts and four screws are securing the switch now.
Here is how the cables connect to the switch posts:
Happy butchering the switches!
