Pedal Position Sensing Brake Light Switch
Installation on a Carbureted 1800
May 26 R. Kwas (updated
continually)
[Comments added]
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The SW-EM Pedal Position
Sensing Brake Light Switch Kit (PPSBLS) in a
carbureted 1800 provides greatly improved performance and reliability in Brake
Light function (much faster contact closure and not requiring brake system
pressure so significantly "earlier")!
[Injected 1800s have the PPSBLS
standard from the factory!]
The name and explanation should make it clear, but J Graham Coutts has providing
some nice pictures of his clean footwell and installation of the kit in his
Sport. Pictures shown with his kind permission.
The shiny metal sandwiched
between, and captured by the bracket and bolts which also secure the Steering
Column to Dashboard is the SS Bracket of the
PPSBLS Kit. Also note the OE
foam seal around the Steering Column at
the firewall, held in-place by a formed wire. This seal, along with grommets sealing
all the other
firewall penetrations go a long way to keeping engine compartment hot air,
noises, and smells (did I miss anything?), out of the passenger compartment.
See also (future tech article): "Quieting Down a Vintage Volvo"
Looking down the Steering Column. SS bracket is again visible, secured by
the same saddle bracket with secures Steering Column to Dashboard...no new
holes!
Another angle, looking up the Brake Pedal Arm. The actual
switch is visible in the shadows,
above.
View from the Pedal back toward the Dashboard, with Pedal partially applied, so
the Pedal Arm is away from the switch-plunger, giving a better view of the SS
bracket and switch.
View from Pedal back toward the Dashboard with Pedal in the rest position:
Switch plunger is depressed in
the Pedal-at-Rest Position, so contact is open. Contact closes with
minimal Pedal movement from that, and long before any pressure comes up in the
hydraulic brake system, which is what the older pressure sensing Brake Light Sw
was monitoring and closing the contact based on. It should be clear that
the Brake Lights come ON much earlier with this arrangement...that's GOOD!
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Reference Information:
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External material
sources are attributed. Otherwise, this article is Copyright © 2026.
Ronald Kwas. The term Volvo, and names of other suppliers shown here
are used for reference only. I have no affiliation with any of these companies
other than to keep their products working for me, help other enthusiasts do the
same, and also present my highly opinionated results of the use of their
products here. The information presented comes from my own experience and
carefully considered opinion (and fruitful little gray cells), and can be used (or not!), or ridiculed and
laughed at, or worshipped, at the readers discretion. As with any recipe, your
results may vary, and you are, and will always be, in charge of your own
knuckles, and future!
You are
welcome to use the information here in good health, and for your own
non-commercial purposes, but if you reprint or otherwise republish this article,
you must give credit to the author or link back to the SWEM site as the source.
If you don’t, you’re just a lazy, scum sucking plagiarist, and the
Boston Globe
or maybe
Harvard wants you! As always, if
you can supply corrections, or additional objective information or experience, I
will always consider it, and consider working it into the next revision of this
article...along with likely the unique metaphor and probably
(likely) wise-a** comment, if I can possibly work it in!.
