Lucas dash switch failure, carry a jumper wire

[wolf k]

Turned on my fuel pump switch the other day, movement felt weird, and pump would not energize. Luckily I was at home in my warm, toasty garage.
Normally I don't carry emergency supplies, but now I will as car is getting up in age.

Took switch apart and this is what I found, tiny, cheesey plastic pieces.
Failure piece is in bottom photo. That little plastic cup goes between the metal ball at the end of the switch and the spring which pushes on the rocker contacts.
That cup broke, thereby not allowing any tension on spring, thereby not able to push on rocker contacts.

[patrickt]

Lucas switches (all re-pops now) basically suck. They break without any real current going through them at all. But, if you have the traditional "headlight current through the switch" wiring method that was almost universal in the 1960's, then you're just asking for an electrical failure in the Lucas switch. If you have that wiring design then you need an upgrade: Headlight Wiring Upgrade