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High School Reunion with 1967 Sedan DeVille

Started by savemy67, December 07, 2014, 11:57:13 PM

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savemy67

All,

Some of you may recall that I do not have a garage, so my car is outside and covered.  The weather during most of the last 9 weeks has prevented me from doing much with my car, but the days are getting warmer and longer, so I recently had a couple of productive days.

When I bought my car it came with four Cooper Trendsetter SE tires (235/75-15)and one Firestone snow tire as the spare.  Since I do not plan on driving in the snow, I got rid of the snow tire.  A friendly Firestone service center dismounted the snow tire from the rim at no charge.   I could not find a part number on the rim, so I do not know if it and the others are factory original rims.  As far as I can tell, the old black paint on all the rims is original to the rims.  I sandblasted the spare rim, and painted the backside black, and the frontside (under the wheelcover) gray.  The Authenticity Manual states the wheels were gray.

I like the look of the Trendsetter SE tire.  I think the white sidewall is the appropriate width for 1967.  Cooper still makes the Trendsetter SE, and they can be found for less than $85 per tire.  While my tires are somewhat worn, they have several thousand miles left on the tread.  However, the DOT datecode indicates the tires were manufactured in 2006, so I may have to replace them if I plan on any highway driving.  All four of the old Cooper tires seem to be holding air.  I have not had to put air in the tires since I got the car in November.

Since I want to sandblast and paint all the rims on my car, I am thinking of getting a Harbor Freight tire changer for $35.  Has anyone had any experience with one of these tools?  Also, does anyone have Cooper tires on their Cadillac?  If so, which model tire, and how do you like them?

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

savemy67

All,

The previous owner of my car replaced the master cylinder and the rear wheel cylinders sometime within the last two years.  Since testing the brake system is part of the Maryland State Inspection needed to register the car, I have started work on the brakes, beginning with the rear. 

After both rear drums were removed, a close look at the shoes, backing plates, and other components revealed that I would be spending more money than originally intended.  The passenger side rear brake was dusty, but dry.  The shoes had plenty of lining remaining, the drum was not scored, and all the other parts looked serviceable.  The linings are riveted and the shoes have a Delco Moraine part number.  The driver side rear brake was damp.  I was hoping for a leaking wheel cylinder, but a close inspection with my nose detected the ever-so-slight, but unmistakable, aroma of gear oil.  All the parts on the driver's side looked to be in the same shape as the passenger side, except for the presence of the gear oil.

I resigned myself to spending the money for new rear wheel bearings, and either having a shop do the press work, or buying a press myself.  First I had to remove the axles.  I do not have a slide hammer, so I reversed one of the drums, used it as a slide hammer, and successfully removed the axle with the leaky bearing on the driver's side.  Neither axle would pull out by hand, but using the reversed drum and three lug nits and washers did the trick - on the driver's side.  The passenger side would not come out with the reversed drum, so it was off to the auto parts store for a free loaner slide hammer.  Unfortunately, despite the fact that the store's web site stated that the tool was in stock, it was not.  Nor was it at the next closest store, nor the next.  I finally found one about 9 miles from home.  The tool worked like a charm.

With both axles out of the car, the leaky bearing actually looked OK, and upon rotating the bearing, it felt very smooth.  The non-leaky bearing also felt smooth, but there was a blob of grease that had worked its way past the seal.  I could rock both bearings with the leaky bearing having more side play than the non-leaky bearing.  Needless to say, given what I found, I will be glad that I opted for new bearings.

I removed the bearing retainer on both axles using the procedure described in the shop manual.  This was easily done.  I wish removing the bearing was as easy.  A local shop quoted me $55 per axle to remove and replace the bearings.  At that price, I am well on my way to my own press.  I have a few more shops to call.

For those of you who have had bearings pressed off/on, how much did it cost?  For those of you who have your own press, do any of you have a Harbor Freight model 60604 (12 ton) or 60603 (20 ton) or some other HF model?  If you have your own press (regardless of make/model), do you use a bearing separator or have you fabricated plates as described in the shop manual?

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

savemy67

"Bearing comparing"

All,

In my previous post, I decided to replace my '67 Sedan DeVille's rear wheel bearings.  Once the decision was made, the next step was to locate some bearings.  I found a Timken catalog, a National catalog, and an SKF catalog, and all three listed the same part number for the bearing (RW509FR).  RockAuto listed the National for about $58 and the SKF for about $80.  I bought the Nationals.  When the bearings arrived, the box in which the bearings were packed stated the bearings were made in China.  In the photo below the old bearing with its ring retainer is on the left and the new bearing with its retainer is on the right.  The bearings are essentially identical in appearance.  The ring retainers are different.  The older ring is thicker.  Both rings have the same internal diameter.  National is owned by Federal Mogul, and they have a technical support phone number which I called.  The gist of what I was told is that the part has become standardized, hence the same part number, and that virtually all such standardized bearings are made overseas.  I was also told that the difference in the thickness between the old and new rings is a function of modern manufacturing.  I do not know if the old bearings are original to the car.  I could not find a part number on any metal portion of the old bearings, but I did find "made in USA".  The old ring retainer did have the chamfer that is called out in the shop manual.

Since the price of having a shop remove and replace the bearings was about half what a new Harbor Freight 20 ton press costs, I bought the HF 20 ton press (model 60603).  Having my own press allowed me to remove the old bearings, and sandblast and paint the bearing covers.  Otherwise, I would have had to have made one trip to a shop to remove the bearings, take the covers home, blast and paint them, and make a second trip to a shop to have the bearings pressed on with the painted covers.  I am sure the press will find many more uses.

The press worked well, but it is not tall enough to remove the passenger side axle wheel bearing unless the press bed rests on the angle iron feet of the press (the passenger side axle is longer than the driver side axle).  In this position the force is transferred through the four bolts that bolt the feet to the press uprights.  I do not plan on making it a habit to locate the press bed in this position, but I do recommend swapping these four HF bolts that come with the press with some grade 8 bolts.

The only other issue I had was with the bearings.  The shop manual specifies that the bearings be pressed on the axle until there is 3 and 3/64ths of an inch distance between the outboard face of the axle flange (lug nut side) and the inner face of the bearing (differential side).  This was not achievable even with considerable pressure from the jack on the press, and I did not want to use excessive force and damage something (or myself).  When a binding point is reached, it is best to stop pushing.  The inner corner of the inner race has a radius that coincides with a radius on the axle shaft.  Even though these radii looked the same, there was probably a difference of a few thousandths of an inch between the original axle and the new bearing that prevented the new bearing from seating on the axle the way the shop manual indicates.  I believe the small amount of space (about .062") that the bearings are off (based on the shop manual specification) will not affect the engagement of the axle shaft splines in the differential side gears.

The axles with the new bearings are installed in the axle tubes along with freshly painted bearing covers, brake backing plates, and new gaskets.  Next stop (no pun intended) is to finish refreshing the rear brakes.

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

FREDS64FLEETWOOD

Hey Chris! Congratulations on the 67! I think its awesome! I had a 64 Fleetwood and and now have a 78 Sedan DeVille. I cant wait to follow your updates!
FRED WITTENBERG
BREWSTER,NY
CLC#18218
1984 Sedan DeVille
1964 Fleetwood (Gone but never forgotten)

DeVille68

Thanks for the qualitative update and infos. Keep us updated.  8)
1968 Cadillac DeVille Convertible (silver pine green)

savemy67

All,

"brake"ing news part 1

I recently completed refreshing the brakes on my car and wanted to share some observations.

The left rear brake shoes had plenty of lining remaining (as did the other wheels) but the linings appeared to be oily - most likely from a leaking rear wheel bearing (see a previous post).  Rather than trashing the shoes with plenty of lining remaining, I used an old-school method and baked my shoes.  I put them on a cookie sheet and into a 350 degree oven for about three hours.  This forced the oil on and in the linings to migrate out of the linings and evaporate.  The kitchen stunk for a day, so do not do this if you are married, or if you are intending to have a casserole for dinner.  After baking the shoes, I sandblasted the metal portion of the shoes, painted them with high-heat black, scuff-sanded the linings, and wiped the linings with acetone.  The front shoes were not oily so I did not bake them, but they were refreshed the same as the rear shoes.

The drums were sandblasted and painted with high-heat black.  I kept the hubs in the front drums, but removed the bearings, seals, and races before sandblasting and painting.  The bearings and races were marked as sets so they could be reassembled as sets (all parts were kept in order so they could go back in the position from which they were removed).  The races were reinstalled in the front hubs so the front drums could be turned at a local shop.

Before the drums were turned, the shop used a digital drum gauge to measure the drums.  The shop manual states the drums are 12 inches in diameter and that no more than .060" should be removed when the drums are turned.  All four of my drums measured within .004" of 12 inches, so the shop did not have to remove much material.  It is unlikely that at 90,000 miles the drums are never-turned originals, but I once drove from Baltimore to the Ohio state line and only touched my brake pedal twice.  The shoes are stamped "Delco Moraine" and the linings are riveted, and the primary shoes are grooved - all as if the parts are original.  Again, at 90,000 miles I doubt the parts are the ones from the factory, but since the car has hardly been driven in the last 17 years, I think that the last time the brakes were serviced, it must have been done at a Cadillac dealer.

The previous owner replaced the rear wheel cylinders and the master cylinder.  I disassembled these parts, cleaned and inspected them, and reinstalled them.  I was able to bench bleed the m/c using some clear 1/4" tubing and some nylon barbed fittings from Lowe's plumbing department.  The m/c appears to be an aftermarket unit as it does not match perfectly the drawings of either the Bendix or the Moraine m/c in the shop manual.  I originally planned to rebuild the front wheel cylinders as my initial inspection last Fall did not show that they were leaking.  Upon disassembly however, the insides of the front wheel cylinders contained a coagulated gravy colored goo of rust and old brake fluid.  Both front wheel cylinders were significantly pitted so I replaced them.

I ordered from Rock Auto front wheel cylinders and front and rear brake hoses.  The cylinders are Bendix.  The hoses are AC Delco (front) and Raybestos (rear).  All these parts are made in China.  I had to thoroughly clean the wheel cylinders because they were covered in some Vaseline-like rust preventative.  The wheel cylinder bleeder screws are metric (10 mm), and the angle relative to the wheel cylinder on the right cylinder is different from the left such that the bleeder screw on the right almost touches the steering knuckle.  I was underwhelmed by the quality(?) of these parts.  The hoses - from two different manufacturers (AC Delco and Raybestos) - were actually fabricated by the same firm in China.  I do not know if this a good thing or a bad thing, but I will never fly on a Chinese made airplane.

part 2 to follow.

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

savemy67

All,

"brake"ing news part 2

After disassembling, cleaning, inspecting, and painting all the brake system parts, I finally reassembled everything.  I think Cadillac should have duplicated portions of the wheel/tire section of the shop manual in the brake section of the manual.  The wheel/tire section has the exploded drawing of the knuckle, backing plate, bearing retainer, bearings, etc.  I would have found this useful when reassembling the front brakes since I had torn-down all the parts to the steering knuckle.  Regardless of the section in the manual, nowhere could I find reference to the rubber gasket that was mounted between the backing plate and the knuckle.  These gaskets on my car were firmly encrusted with decades of road grime so I have to assume they are original. 

The backing plates were sandblasted and painted gloss black.  All the small parts and fasteners were cleaned on my bench grinder's wire wheel.  The steel parts were clear-coated.  I did not wire wheel the springs.  I wanted to preserve the colored paint on the springs so they were just wiped down.

Everything went back together without fuss and was torqued to the spec's in the manual.  Before the cylinders and hoses were connected, all the steel lines were blown out with compressed air.  The residual fluid that came out of the lines was reasonably clean - completely unlike the goo in the front wheel cylinders.

Bleeding the brakes was a PITA for me as I do not have a lift.  My driveway is not level so I am reluctant to lift all four wheels off the ground.  I jacked-up the rear, bled the rear wheels, lowered the rear, jacked-up the front, bled the front, lowered the front, and repeated as needed.  I did use a vacuum pump which helped some, but I still had to draft my neighbor to press the brake pedal while I opened and closed the bleeder screws one axle at a time.

I road tested the car, and even took it on the Baltimore beltway (I-695) for two miles.  The car stops, but I think I still have some more adjusting (and maybe some more bleeding) to do.  I should be able to get the feel of the pedal to a satisfactory level.  I have to get used to the feel of drum brakes again.  My current daily driver is a 1995 Impala SS with four wheel disc brakes.

Christopher Winter


Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

DeVille68

nice! Good work.
So, which one is better: AC Delco or Raybestos?
1968 Cadillac DeVille Convertible (silver pine green)

savemy67

Nicolas (and all),

The two front hoses from AC Delco, and the rear hose from Raybestos are all made by a Chinese firm by the name of Sunsong.  The AC Delco and Raybestos hoses appear to be of the same quality, so I cannot say that one is better than the other.  I can say that the rubber portion of the new hoses appears to have a smaller diameter than the old hoses I removed from the car.  The fittings are English - not Metric - so my line wrenches fit snugly.  The fittings on the new hoses use a separate horseshoe-style clip to hold the hose fitting against the bracket where the steel line and hose connect.  This differs from the old hoses where the fitting itself was made with an integral flange that fit against the bracket.  To me, this indicates that it is either too costly to manufacture a fitting with an integral flange and/or the Chinese manufacturer does not have the capacity to make such a fitting.

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

savemy67

#29
All,

When I bought my car, the radio worked but the antenna did not extend.  I could hear the antenna motor operate, so I assumed the nylon cable was broken.  Recently I took the antenna out of the car and dis-assembled it.  Sure enough, the nylon cable was broken about 3 inches from where the cable is crimped to the brass ferrule which in turn is crimped on the mast rod (the topmost, thinnest part of the antenna when it is extended).  I removed the ferrule from the mast rod with a utility knife, cutting lengthwise through the brass ferrule.  One of the photos below shows the mast rod, ferrule, and broken piece of cable as taken from the car.  Note on the ferrule a crimp on the left and three crimps on the right.  The left crimp holds the ferrule to the mast rod.  The mast rod has a reduced diameter at this spot.  The three crimps on the right hold the cable.

I searched the web for a replacement mast rod and cable.  I could not determine if the parts I located would fit my '67, so I decided to save   the $30 for the part and shipping, and see if I could repair the antenna myself.  For less than $5 (including shipping) I located some brass tube of approximately the same diameter as the original ferrule.  I used a micrometer to measure the diameters of the mast rod, ferrule, and cable, and found that brass tube with a diameter of 3.5 millimeters was just about right.

One of the photos below shows the common tools I used to make the repair.  The wire stripper/crimper worked well.  One needs to be careful not to crimp with too much force so that the tool does not cut into the brass.  Crimping the brass tube to the mast rod was more difficult than crimping the cable to the brass tube.  At 3.5 millimeters (outside diameter), the brass tube is a loose fit on the mast rod so it took some time to get a good crimp.  The nylon cable is a thousandth or two larger than the inside diameter of the brass tube, so I "shaved" the cable with a utility knife until it fit snugly.  I used a mini tubing cutter to cut the brass tube.  When cut this way, the brass tube winds up with a burr that slightly reduces the inside diameter of the brass tube at the point of the cut.  A 10d, 3 inch finish nail re-sized the cut end of the tube so the cable could be inserted after it was shaved.

Using the wire stripper/crimper has the disadvantage of not leaving the newly crimped brass tube perfectly round.  The slight out-of-round shape prevented the mast rod from sliding smoothly inside the hollow, middle section of the antenna.  A few minutes with 100 grit sandpaper reduced the outside diameter of the brass tube enough to permit easy operation of the mast rod within the middle antenna section.

Once the mast rod and cable were repaired, overhauling the rest of the antenna motor and gearcase was straightforward.  The shop manual does not describe how to dis-assemble the motor and gearcase.  My '67's motor is enclosed in a plastic shell that can be pried off with a screwdriver.  The motor is held in place with two machine screws.  My motor was exceptionally clean after 48 years.  A pinion gear on the end of the motor shaft extends into the gearcase.  The pinion drives a series of gears that operate the cable drum.  The drum is topped by an over-riding clutch mechanism that is responsible for the "click-click-click" noise one hears when the antenna has reached its fully extended or retracted position.  The clutch mechanism is covered by a dome-shaped metal cover (the small circular saucer-like object in the background of the photo showing all the parts).  This cover is staked in place and is easily removed and re-staked.  I cleaned all the components and re-greased the gears.  If you rebuild your antenna, be sure to keep everything in order and don't lose any of the small parts (like the two ball bearings for the over-ride clutch).  The most difficult part for me was re-soldering the antenna lead wire.

My antenna now operates as it was designed.  The only problem I see is finding a station that plays music only from 1967!  Who remembers the Doors?

The following link is for a '60 antenna rebuild.  There are a few differences between '60 and '67, but the concept is similar.  I also want to thank "cadillactim" for refreshing my memory on the theory of operation of the power antenna.

Christopher Winter

edit June 1:  forgot to paste the link - http://www.palmantics.com/cadillac/restoration/antenna.html
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

Rob Troxel

I believe you saved yourself 300 bucks reworking your antenna. Great commentary and pictures.  Felt like I was right there twisting a wrench with you!

savemy67

All,

The trunk closing mechanism of my '67 Sedan DeVille has not worked correctly since I purchased the car.  Today I had a go at rectifying that situation.  Dis-assembly was fairly easy.  The cylinder seems to be OK.  I can pull the plunger out against spring tension and the plunger retracts slowly under hydraulic pressure.  The cable is what I think is the problem.  It barely moves.  It is now soaking in a vat of acetone.  I will let it soak for a day or two and see how it operates.  I believe the cable should move relatively easily in order for the closing mechanism to work properly.

The mechanism was dirty so it got a bath of solvent, a compressed air dry, and a white lithium lube.  The only fuss I had was with the wire for the trunk tell-tale light.  In the photos, this is a white wire with a green stripe that is crimped to a plunger in the mechanism.  I traced this wire back to the passenger compartment but did not find a connector so I cut the wire in order to remove it from the mechanism.  For re-assembly, I crimped on a male and female connector that I will finish off with heat-shrink tubing.  I have both the Fisher Body Manual and the Shop Manual, but I did not find this wire on any diagram detailing the wiring at the rear of the car.  One diagram showed a dark green with white stripe wire coming from the instrument cluster connector for the trunk tell-tale, but the trace did not lead to any other connection.  Has anyone found a wiring diagram that shows this trace completely?  My body style is 68349.

Once the cable is free, I should be good to go.  If the cable refuses to become free, I could use a bicycle cable as I have seen suggested by other posts on this forum.  I have asked one member who worked a few days freeing his cable, how loose it became.  Have others had success loosening a stuck trunk cable, and if so, how loose did you get it?

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

DeVille68

Thanks for your qualitative update.
Do you also have the vacuum actuator in the deck lid?

How is the vacuum line attached to the deck lid?
I need some kind of clip for my 68.
Can you snap a picture?

Best regards,
Nicolas
1968 Cadillac DeVille Convertible (silver pine green)

savemy67

Hello Nicolas,

My car does have the vacuum actuated deck lid release.  Thursday is the earliest I can get a picture for you, pending the weather.

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

savemy67

Nicolas (and All),

My trunk was in a funk, it would not go clunk-clunk, what a bunch of bunk, the cable took a dunk, the PB Blaster stunk, the carpet liner shrunk,  my knuckles lost a hunk, my hopes were almost sunk, just to close the trunk!  Is this hobby worth it? - I thunk.

I did get the trunk closing cable free.  The acetone bath was not effective so I spent some time squirting PB Blaster into the ends of the cable.  The photos below show both cable ends in a vise so I could get the PB Blaster to dribble down the cable conduit, and the cable ends secured so I could slide the cable conduit back and forth endlessly until I improved the movement of the cable by several factors.  The closer now works well.

The trunk has the vacuum operated opener.  The vacuum hose is routed from under the dash, under the seats and carpet on the passenger side of the car, to the shelf of the trunk compartment behind the right side trunk hinge box.  Photo 3702 shows the vacuum hose with some red primer on it just behind the receptacle for the jack handle.  At the hinge box a slack-loop in the vacuum hose is formed and held in place by a clip.  From the hinge box the hose is routed through the trunk lid to the locking mechanism in the rear-center of the lid.  The hose is attached to a vacuum cylinder on the locking mechanism which activates a plunger opening the lock. 

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

DeVille68

Hi Christopher,

Thanks a lot for the pictures! Now I know what clip to buy!

But I see some sort of a shield on your trunk lid mechanism. Is this 67 only? I don't remember having seen this in the shop or parts illustration catalog for 68.

I have a spare vacuum actuator for 67 - if yours is bad, you can have it.
(I first bought the wrong one, because the one for 68 is special)
( also have the locking mechanism for 67 and one for 68)

Regarding solenoid and vacuum: I guess the moisture, heat and cold caused problems for the solenoid. Actually, I think a vacuum system is quite reliable once you set it up and don't mess with it again. So a single line to the trunk hidden well behind seats and back panels does seem to be a simple idea...


Best regards,
Nicolas
1968 Cadillac DeVille Convertible (silver pine green)

savemy67

Hello Nicolas,

I am not sure what you are referring to when you say, "I see some sort of a shield on your trunk lid mechanism."  The photo images are numbered, so let me know in which photo you see the shield, and I will try to figure out an answer to your question.

GM and Cadillac were not averse to changing designs and parts over the years.  On the one hand some parts were used on cars for decades (if it aint broke, don't fix it).  On the other hand, the 1950's seemed like a good time to experiment (hydro-electric windows and seats, electric only windows and seats, hydro-vac and treadle-vac brakes, vacuum accessories, electric accessories, etc.).

As David mentioned, the vacuum trunk opener could potentially have been the straw that broke the camel's back.  There were quite a few components that used vacuum.  If you owned a '67 Eldorado, the headlight doors required vacuum.  I am reasonably certain that someone at Cadillac did a cost benefit analysis between vacuum and electric trunk openers.  Sometimes factors other than strict design considerations may tip the balance in favor of one system over another.  Did the cost of the rubber for the vacuum hoses increase one year, making the relative cost of wiring less expensive?  Did labor contracts change affecting the cost of assembling a wiring harness?  Since I have completely dis-assembled a GM car, I have a feel for the number of individual pieces that go into assembling a car.  Several years ago, I read in a business magazine that GM would cost each component to the fourth decimal place of one cent.  If you manufacture a million or more cars per year, and each car uses several hundred or a thousand fasteners, those fractions of a penny add up.

I appreciate the simplicity of the vacuum trunk release, but dislike the fact that there is not enough residual vacuum after the engine is shut off to be able to open the trunk several more times.

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

DeVille68

Hi Christopher,

well this is probably what happened. I have to admit that one is indeed somehow limited by the amount of vacuum in the system.

I was referring to picture 3703 and 3704. Observe how the vacuum hose ducts behind some sort of a shield and comes out at the top (slightly to the right of the shield).
My hinge does not has this shield.

Actually, I just found in my Fisher Body Manual that this metal shield is the bell crank actuating lever! :-)
The vacuum hose is also routed differently for 67 and 68.  (see picture attached - page 8-9)

Best regards,
Nicoals

1968 Cadillac DeVille Convertible (silver pine green)

savemy67

Nicolas,

As you discovered in the Fisher Body Manual, the bell crank actuating lever is a rigid piece of metal that is bolted to the hinge.  When the trunk lid is lowered, the bell crank actuating lever makes contact with a roller which is part of the bell crank.  The bell crank pulls on a spring inside the hydraulic cylinder.  This action causes the trunk closing cable to "cock", and when the latch engages the strike, the cable is released - but controlled by the hydraulic pressure in the cylinder - and the trunk lid is drawn down and securely latched.

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop

savemy67

All,

When working on my car, it seems as if I correct or fix one problem, and then another problem arises.  In actuality, I think this has more to do with being very focused on task A, and not noticing or paying attention to issue B.  In any event, I thought my lights were working OK.  The only issue I initially noticed was that the instrument panel lamps did not light-up when I rotated the headlamp switch.

I had a problem with the left front turn signal, and as I focused on that, I failed to notice that a new problem developed with the lights.  When I pulled the headlamp switch knob all the way out, the headlights came on, but the parking lights went out.  When I noticed this problem, I initially thought the headlamp switch was bad, so I removed the switch.  One of the photos below shows my headlamp switch lens as it came from the car.  The upper edge is broken - the pieces just fell out when I removed the switch - and the lower right corner is also broken and a piece is missing.

When I dis-assembled the switch and compared it to the drawing in the shop manual, it was apparent that my switch is missing the spring washer and spacer behind the Guide-Matic control ring.  The switch is also missing the clips that hold the backplate and lens to the housing case.  Aside from the missing pieces, I tested the switch for continuity between terminal number 1 (battery 12 volts), and terminal  6 and terminal 7 respectively.  My understanding is that when the headlight switch knob is pulled half-way out, the parking lights are energized, so there should be continuity between terminals 1 and 7.  When the knob is pulled out fully to energize the headlights, there should be continuity between terminals 1 and 7 (parking lights), and terminals 1 and 6 (headlights).  On my switch, with the knob pulled out fully, I had continuity on terminals 1 and 6 (headlights), but no continuity between terminals 1 and 7, so therefore no parking lights when the headlights were energized.

Given the issues with my headlamp switch and the lights, I ordered a new headlamp switch yesterday.  Hopefully, this will resolve the issue with the instrument panel lights, and the issue with parking lights going out when the headlights are energized.  I am led to believe that sometime in the car's past the headlamp switch was replaced.  I would enjoy hearing from others who may have had similar problems, and if anyone has an intact headlamp switch lens for a '67 Sedan DeVille with Guide-Matic and would be willing to part with it for the cost of postage, that would be most kind.

Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter
1967 Sedan DeVille hardtop