Does anyone Know what goes here

[69broncofun]

Does anyone know what goes in that spot on my dash under the ignition . I looked online for diagrams of the dash for a 69 and the pictures are crap. even looked in my shop manual. Could not find anything.

Thanks

 

[West Tn Dawg]

I'm betting Parking Brake Light

 

[69broncofun]

ok thanks. Where can I buy this part?

 

[Crush]

Not parking brake. It is a brake. That light will light briefly when you start the bronco. Then turn off. If it senses a problem with the brakes it will light again. The other end is connected to the proportioning valve on the drivers side of the frame in the engine bay

 

[thegreatjustino]

Brake imbalance light. Completely pointless if a front disc conversion has been done.

 

[DirtDonk]

Not completely pointless I would say. It still points out a leak in the system. Likely long before you discover it from fluid on the chassis somewhere, or a low fluid level in the master.
Or when you almost hit the wall when the pedal drops almost to the floor!

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

Likely it was removed from yours 69, because it got stuck in the "on" position and nothing the PO's did would get it to work properly again.
The usual scenario is that the red plastic lens melts, the bulb burns out, the bulb is removed, or they just get used to it and ignore that light on the dash.
Or they get real tired and yank the whole thing.

The lens and bezel are readily available: http://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/Brake_Warning_Light_Bezel/Bronco_Dash_Switches but the actual socket itself is not reproduced yet as far as I've seen. So if yours is still tucked up under the dash, do NOT get rid of it!

Paul

 

[1owner66]

I'm loving the key swing scratches!

 

[thegreatjustino]

Every Bronco I've ever done a disc brake conversion on has had that light on continuously after doing the conversion. Even when it was working properly with the four wheel drums.

 

[DirtDonk]

Not sure what's up with those things Justin. Mine worked when I bought the truck but stayed lit after I did my first brake job and bled the brakes. Still running drums.
And they work on stock '76 and '77 Broncos with discs (until they don't work anymore) so it's not just the disc vs drum issue. Of course, those also had an actual proportioning valve too, so maybe there was something in the valve that takes care of the shuttle cock's positioning? Don't know.

For many years my buddy's '77 was the only EB I knew of that had a perfectly functioning light, even 30 years after the fact.
Just saw one a few weeks ago in an older one (with disc conversion) that did work. Sorry I don't remember what year, or whether or not the truck still had the H-block or had been converted to a prop valve.

The one in my new-to-me '68 does not function at all, so maybe the bulb was left out. It's using the old H-block and a manually adjustable prop valve (just the way I would have done it if I'd built it). So I guess this is the experiment. Can a converted system still have a working warning light. I'll make sure the bulb is good, fiddle with the valve adjustment, check out anything else I can find and let you know.
Maybe like you say the system has to be just right (close to the original balance) for it to even function.
It's just that so many of them fail to work even with the stock setup that it's hard to narrow down all the reasons. Your experience with the working one stopping though, is a good starting point.

Just another point of curiosity with these things.
Ultimately though I'd like to just convert it to a working Parking Brake Warning light instead. If I ever get 'roundtoit, as my dad used to say...

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

I'm loving the key swing scratches!

Hah! Yeah, all too common. Like a badge-of-honor for the well used Bronco.
These things have become ubiquitous for that reason: http://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/Dash_Protector/Bronco_Dash_Parts
I think they've been around in one form or another for almost 30 years now. About 20 or so for EB-specific ones probably.

When 904 built the dash on what is now my '68 he moved the ignition switch to the bottom row to minimize the visible scratching.
The hard powder coating doesn't hurt either! It'll still scratch, but should live much longer before any visible signs start cropping up.

Paul

 

[sykanr0ng]

Hah! Yeah, all too common. Like a badge-of-honor for the well used Bronco.
These things have become ubiquitous for that reason: http://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/Dash_Protector/Bronco_Dash_Parts
I think they've been around in one form or another for almost 30 years now. About 20 or so for EB-specific ones probably.

When 904 built the dash on what is now my '68 he moved the ignition switch to the bottom row to minimize the visible scratching.
The hard powder coating doesn't hurt either! It'll still scratch, but should live much longer before any visible signs start cropping up.

Paul

Unfortunately that dash protector is only for the ignition switch on the bottom row.
So you either move the switch or cut the protector.


You can rewire the light to be a parking brake warning light, which is missing from stock Broncos.

 

[DirtDonk]

I've seen the flat protectors too. Not sure where, and maybe we used to have them and just don't now?
Probably something easy to come up with though, even using some stick-on vinyl or something along those lines.

Heck, or keeping with the EB theme, just screw one of these (http://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/Manual-Fuel-Selector-Tank-Indicator-Plate/Bronco_Dash_Parts) on there!;D
You could really mess with someone with that!

Paul

 

[904Bronco]

Dash protectors from American Bronco Company owned by Scott Merrill

http://www.americanbronco.com/products/dash.html

 

[DirtDonk]

I knew that...%)

 

[904Bronco]

I knew that...%)

Once I reminded you

 

[DirtDonk]

What? Did you mention it? If so I don't remember.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it...

Paul