Has anyone else experienced a problem connecting up a 1968 standard brake switch?
On 1968 Cougars, the brake switch connector wire pair is only 5" long and it seems to be too short.
On 1967 Cougars this wire pair is 10" long.
1968 Cougars with disc brakes use an extension that compensates for this decrease in length.
However, this extension is only called out in the L/M parts catalog for the disc brake cars.
'68 Cougars use a jumper so that you can install the brake light switch, then plug it in to the main harness. The jumper is two wires, about 5" end to end. One connector fits the brake lamp switch, the other end the harness.
I don’t see how it would work if they were only for disc brake cars.
Mustangs also use that brake line extender, but I only see them very rarely and i’ve not kept track of which years they come from. I may have one laying/lying/lieing around if you want me to check. I’ve thought about making them, but I’ve yet to find the correct gender pins (the gender deals with which way the wire enters the flag connector and what side the locking tab is on). If I could find a supplier for the female pins, I should be able to find the male spade leads that go into the underdash harness plug.
WCCC has originals and repros. I think the repros are from Cougars Unlimited.
Cougars Unlimited? Never heard of them…
Just noticed who the original poster is. Duh.
I agree, the wire doesn’t reach the switch without putting a lot of tension on the connector. It
is a common failure where the wire frays and/or breaks off at the connector pin.
However, I’ve never seen the jumper installed on a 1968 standard brake car - only disc brake cars.
The L/M and Ford parts catalog specifically calls this part to be used for disc brakes only - an error?
This issue was raised when I had a Mustang customer contact me with this length problem on his standard brake car after
he replaced the 14401 main harness with a factory-style reproduction harness.
The 1968 factory assembly manual shows a unique cylindrical stop light switch that, as far as I have seen,
was never used. It fits into a bracket at the top of the 1968 non-power brake pedal. I thought that perhaps the
wire length was shortened to accommodate this switch but not corrected when the original style switch was used instead.
Perhaps a number of these harnesses went into production before it was caught - just speculation.
I was just curious if anyone else had this problem or if it was a fluke.
I have had these extensions made up, C8ZZ-13K408-AR. If they are necessary for all 1968 Cougars, I’ll change the part description.
The switch that you mention was used on other Ford / Mercury / Lincoln products. I’ve never seen one on a Cougar. They are frequently on eBay. I suppose you could use one on a Cougar. Then you wouldn’t need the jumper.
