1959 directional signals

[Lee]

Has anyone out there had any experience with repairing inoperative directional signals? I've followed my '59 shop manual and my fuse is good and the new flasher didn't fix it. Next they say to disconnect the wires and try a new switch..but they don't say 'turn signal' switch or 'headlight' switch. The signals worked recently and also I've just recently lost my IP lights (could be a separate issue..that headlight switch rheostat never did work real well and may have just bought the farm). Headlights, parking lights, tail lights, and brake lights all work. so, headlight switch or turn signal switch and is there a way to test for it???

[Ford Only]

Have you checked for voltage at the fuse & flasher?
If you have power going to the switch you will have to check the switch which requires removing the steering wheel, it might just need a good cleaning with contact cleaner.
Those rheostats on the head light switch never seem to work for long, I always jumper the rheostat and let the dash lights be on bright all the time.

[Lee]

I wrote this prior to seeing the remarks by 'Ford Only':
I woke up this morning with renewed interest regarding my turn signal issue. I assumed the shop manual meant to sub another turn signal switch since the fuse and the flasher proved to be ok. So before going to the trouble of removing the turn signal switch I wanted to follow the power through the switch to see how it was malfunctioning. That's when I discovered that there was no power going to the switch. So I checked for power at the flasher and there was none there either. Come to find out, even though the fuse was clean, the contacts in the headlight switch were dirty enough to impede current flow. That's all the problem was. So the manual's trouble shooting process could be improved a little by suggesting to check for power at the flasher.
While I had the headlight switch off to clean the fuse contacts, I drilled out the two rear rivets holding the insulator block to the switch frame. With that block removed it was easy to clean all the contacts for the IP light rheostat (four surfaces counting the spring-like rheostat) and the dome light switch contact (neither feature was previously working). Then, two poprivets to reattach the block back and the headlight switch is as good as new.
I only posted this in case someone else has a similar problem so that they might benefit from my experience. Thanks, Ford Only, you were right on the money!