Help with brake light switch

75 CJ5/258 6 cylinder....

Buddy of mine at work yesterday told me my brake lights were on in the parking lot. OK....replace the switch...picked up one up at NAPA today and thought it would be a ten minute job...WRONG !!

See attached pictures. After removing the cotter pin that runs through the end of the shaft, I could not remove the switch itself. Its got about 3/4" of play on the shaft, but it seems to need about an 1 1/2" to come off completely. What am I missing....does something else need to be loosened/removed or does the shaft to the master cylinder need to be messed with....

Thanks for any input........

The new switch appears to be the correct one..I attached it for reference...

 

From what I remember from doing this a few years ago, the rod from the master cyl has to come off the pedal shaft, to remove the switch. The switch goes over the end of the cyl shaft and the whole thing slides back onto the pedal shaft. Then the cotter pin goes back thru the pedal shaft as well. I suppose you could loosen the master cyl to get some lateral play to remove the shaft from the pedal. Isn't the rod to the master cyl a seperate piece from the cyl itself? I think it just seats in a recess in the back end of the cyl. Maybe someone else Knows an easier method.
Like I said, it's been a while but that's how I remember it.

 

I just did one a year ago. Mine shorted out and smoked up the cab. If I remember correctly I had to slide the rod out as far as it would got, then rotate the the switch up and the rod popped out the rest of the way. FYI, however I DO remember it was a bear to put it back together.

 

If I recall, it should slide off, just keep working at it. The switch itself actually puts a little pressure on it I think, so it may help to push or pull on the rod some.

 

Finished up this little project this evening. Actually wasn't too bad...the secret is getting everything aligned correctly.

Instead of forcing the shaft out of the link, you 'rotate' the link with a pair of vise grips located just aft of the rubber boot. After discovering this little secret, it was simply a matter of positioning the switch properly, along with the brake pedal and then rotate the link. Bingo...done deal and then insert the cotter pin and hookup the wiring.

Thanks for the feedback. Sometimes you just need a little encouragement to figure out a solution.

 

Does anyone know what that factory clip that slides onto the switch is called, and if they carry them in a FLAPS? Mine is fried and melted.