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12-27-2016, 10:38 AM
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#1
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Weeki Wachee, FL
Posts: 3,056
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: Cummins 5.9
Rated Cap: 72
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Switches....
Hey guys! So my Thomas bus uses these big switches mounted left of the driver. Most of them are either wrongly labeled require wiggling to make them work, or just don't work at all. I would love to keep the original style of the bus and use comparable switches, but then I saw they are around twenty dollars each, with pre printed labels...
So what are you guys doing for switches? Marine panels aren't exactly cheap either... Staying with that style is less important than the price tag I have seen thus far...
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12-27-2016, 04:37 PM
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#2
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Music City USA
Posts: 737
Year: 2005
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: Detroit MBE906
Rated Cap: 72
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OEM switches like that aren't gonna be cheap, for sure.
For me, style isn't as important as functionality. Any circuits I add in will have a separate panel for switches, and they will have a consistent look. The automotive switches you can get at auto parts stores are pretty good quality and are a lot cheaper, even if you get the lighted variety.
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12-27-2016, 05:29 PM
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#3
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oklahoma aka "God's blind spot"
Posts: 2,446
Year: 1989
Coachwork: 1853FC International/Navistar
Chassis: 35' Retired Air Force Ambulance
Engine: DT466, MT643
Rated Cap: 6 souls and a driver
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I know someone that can laser etch switchboard panels.....
__________________
I once complained I had no shoes....
Until I met a man with no feet
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12-27-2016, 05:32 PM
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#4
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Music City USA
Posts: 737
Year: 2005
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: Detroit MBE906
Rated Cap: 72
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Sweet..... with some good quality switches you could almost get the appearance of an OEM panel, and certainly a good looking one.
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12-27-2016, 06:13 PM
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#5
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oklahoma aka "God's blind spot"
Posts: 2,446
Year: 1989
Coachwork: 1853FC International/Navistar
Chassis: 35' Retired Air Force Ambulance
Engine: DT466, MT643
Rated Cap: 6 souls and a driver
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Co-worker made birthday present for my daughter
__________________
I once complained I had no shoes....
Until I met a man with no feet
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12-27-2016, 07:21 PM
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#6
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Music City USA
Posts: 737
Year: 2005
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: Detroit MBE906
Rated Cap: 72
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Now that is hella cool looking....... bet the artwork took a good while to put together.
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12-27-2016, 07:22 PM
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#7
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oklahoma aka "God's blind spot"
Posts: 2,446
Year: 1989
Coachwork: 1853FC International/Navistar
Chassis: 35' Retired Air Force Ambulance
Engine: DT466, MT643
Rated Cap: 6 souls and a driver
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlleyCat67
Now that is hella cool looking....... bet the artwork took a good while to put together.
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Nah, online artwork
__________________
I once complained I had no shoes....
Until I met a man with no feet
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12-27-2016, 07:25 PM
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#8
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Music City USA
Posts: 737
Year: 2005
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: Detroit MBE906
Rated Cap: 72
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Oh.
But still hella cool looking.
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12-27-2016, 10:34 PM
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#9
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Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Motor City
Posts: 146
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Are they Carling Contura switches?
Carling Contura rocker switches explained
They can be disassembled, cleaned, bulbs replaced, etc, and reassembled. Almost countless varieties. A few different style "actuators", they snap off. There's a special tool, but I have never used it, haven't had one break, yet.
I grab almost every one I see at the junkyard. Most are simple on/off style. Double throw are harder to find.
One of the cheapest sources I've seen is https://www.otrattw.net/
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12-28-2016, 01:11 AM
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#10
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Music City USA
Posts: 737
Year: 2005
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: Detroit MBE906
Rated Cap: 72
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These are very similar to the ones I have in my Thomas.... mine are grey and not black but otherwise identical.
It would be a big boon for me to be able to add factory-style switches to the existing panels as I have lots of empty switch spaces that could be utilized for added circuits.
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12-28-2016, 08:32 AM
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#11
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Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Motor City
Posts: 146
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That'd be them. There's a zillion different actuators; colors, styles, indicator lights, backlights, almost limitless.
Some more Carling info
They are a common switch system used by upfitters. In junkyards, I've found them in school buses, shuttle buses, step vans, and box trucks. Common in motorhomes and boats too. Not just in the cockpit area either.
Ebay is full of them, albeit expensive. There's places that do custom labeled actuators too. Mr. Google finds all kinds of stuff.
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12-28-2016, 11:16 AM
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#12
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: SE Florida
Posts: 1,108
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 65 pax
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Quote:
Originally Posted by milkmania
Nah, online artwork
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That is pretty darn awesome!
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12-28-2016, 01:42 PM
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#13
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: KANSAS CITY
Posts: 751
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Big truck junk yard or may be Summit racing or maybe https://www.otrattw.net/
__________________
Former owner of a 1969 F600 Skoolie.
1998 Ford B700 Thomas body 65 passenger. 5.9 Cummins 12 valve with MT643 Transmission 123,000 miles.
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12-28-2016, 02:07 PM
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#14
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Pensacola and Crystal River, FL
Posts: 647
Year: 1998
Coachwork: AmTran International
Chassis: 3800
Engine: Navistar 7.6L
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I buy all kinds of oddball stuff from
Surplus Center
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12-28-2016, 03:29 PM
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#15
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Picton,Ont, Can.
Posts: 1,956
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: GMC
Engine: Cat 3116
Rated Cap: 72
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Why not start with a continuity test of the switches and then clean them up.Lots of dust bunnies often impede the switches from making contact. Tighten up all the terminals if screw terminals. I like to shine the metal parts of such switches with a dremel tool and make them shine again. They oxidize which makes for poor connection.
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