I have an issue with the installation of a mechanical brake switch on my rigid frame with shovelhead engine. The taillight works but brake switch does not seem to activate. I have the wiring as such: key switch to the light(s) circuit breaker then from circuit breaker a wireto taillight, from taillight, a wire to mechanical brake switch terminal one, then wire from brake switch terminal2 a wire back to the light(s) circuit breaker. I get no brake light activation. Does the brake switch need to be grounded? It seems to get temperature hot when it is on. Any help I can get will be greatly appreciated. This is the last piece to my project and it is totally holding me up to get this baby on the road.

 

i think you can do it one of two ways. you can run fused battery to the stoplight on one side of the light and run the ground thru the stop light switch to the other side of the stop light. or you can run the fused battery thru the stop light switch to one side of the stop light and ground the other side of the stop light. either way works. by the way the fused battery in both ways goes thru the ignition switch.

 

Thanks Tushhog45, I'll give that a try. I'll let you know.

 

you should have 3 wires coming out of the tail-light..

ground, tail-light, brake light....

you should have your tail-light wire to a cuircut breaker (don't use fuses)getting juice from the key switch..

you can also get your brake light power from this same circuit breaker or get the juice from your ignition.

I recommend you get power for your brake light from your ignition, this way if your lights are turned OFF you still have a brake light!!!!

 

The way you have it wired, it is a dead short when you operate the switch, thats why it gets hot. One side of the switch needs to be grounded in your setup. Here is a simplified wiring diagranm that shows it wired a different way but works well. It doesn't show the circuit breakers or the tail light ground.



JMHO, YMMV, etc.

Bob

 

Greybeard,I believe you have the resolution to my problem. Thank you all.

 

the oem tail light on my 68 has only 2 wires one for tail and one for stop and ground to fender from housing.
Good diagram Bob Thanks. I have one of those from and old easyrider which also includes the electric starter model.