Headlight vacuum switch hard to turn off

[J-440]

 Got a 68 with vacuum headlights, manual brakes, 8.5 comp ratio, single plane intake with vacuum port installed.  I'm sharing this port with my fuel pressure regulator's vacuum hose split with a T vacuum fitting.  When the engine is on the headlight switch is easy to turn on.  It's really hard to turn off.  Normal?

[moparnation74]

Is it the original switch? 

[J-440]

No, a brand new one from Year-One.

[Ghoste]

Not normal for any of the ones I've ever owned.

[tan top]

silly question I know  , did you try the switch before fitting it , . i'm thinking  because its a repop switch , maybe the mounting  screw holes are off slightly , & once fixed in place , the switch is binding some how   

just a guess

[J-440]

Maybe worth a try.   

[Dino]

Definitely not normal.

[J-440]

 Could it be possible my engine is producing too much vacuum?  It's a fresh build and only has 30min of run time.

[Dino]

I don't see how but it's easy to find this out: disconnect the vacuum hoses at the t-connectors by the grille, they're easiest to reach.

[Ghoste]

Seems like it would take an enormous amount of vacuum to make the switch hard to operate.

[zaimen]

Had the exact same problem with my YearOne switch! Hard to turn off.. I pushed mine so hard it fell apart and internal switch parts flew everywhere..
It's the vacuum connection on the new switch.. It will try to push vacuum back to the 'vacuum in' tube. Go figure!

I had to take the vacuum controller from my old switch to make it work.
Don't know if YearOne is aware of this problem..?

[J-440]

  Zaimen, thanks for the input.  Which part is the vacuum controler?

[zaimen]

It's the white plastic you connect your vacuum lines to. Attached to the switch with 2 screws. See picture!
YearOne sells a reproduction of this, but i don't know if it has the same weird fault..

[J-440]

 Ok man thanks. 

[Ghoste]

What is it about that makes it different I wonder?  (that is what is it internally they did that makes it send vacuum back the wrong way)

[zaimen]

Beats me.. It's like they have placed the 'blocking' piece you move around in the vacuum controller the wrong way or something
Maybe they don't care and are hoping that people convert to electric instead?

[cvf]

Hey folks,

just want to add my experience since this forum got me my car, and furthermore helped alot during restoration process.
This thing was driving me nuts as well, vaccuum did not move, or hardly, when I took the switch out of the instrument cluster, I doors began to work when I moved the small arm that was pushing the vaccuum slider to/or from the tubes. Only giving it a additional force by hand brought the doors back to work in both directions.
So I had another vaccuum slider in stock and unscrewed it from the other switch I had. Then it worked. Finally. Maybe this will help someone...

Cheers, Chris.