69 female portion of cigarette lighter

[Greg L.]

I'm trying to figure out what would be a correct replacement for my lighter. The problem I have is that when I push the lighter in to complete the circuit it usually won't stay down and pops back up. I tried bending the tabs that hold it engaged but that was a very temporary fix so I think I need to replace the socket.

Now I would like to replace it with one that looks the same but mine has three tabs that hold the element in place and every other one that I've looked at only have two tabs. Here is mine....

From what I've seen all the repro's are of the two tab type. I looked at a few late 60s to early 70s GM cars and trucks in the wreckers and they all seem to have the two tab version too so was this three tab one that I have a Corvette only thing?

I guess what I'd like to know is, is there a correct repro out there and if not where would be a good place to find a correct one. The other thing is that is this even something that a judge would even look at?

Thanks.

Greg Linton
#45455

[William C.]

Re: 69 female portion of cigarette lighter

Yes, a judge may look for the three vs 2 prong retainer, another problem with the 2 prong units is they don't always perform well in PV. The original configuration is not unique to Corvette, the best bet might be to find one in a non-smoker GM car from the 60's.

[Greg L.]

Re: 69 female portion of cigarette lighter

Thanks Bill. I'll stick to the three prong style then. Do you have any idea what years I should be looking at to find one of these units?

[Peter L.]

Re: 69 female portion of cigarette lighter

Gerg - The 63 Casco lighter was used on 1963 production thru 1972 on many Chevrolet passenger cars & trucks. As far as I know 63-72 Corvettes used only Casco lighters. Please note that Rochester Products lighters were also used on these other Chevrolet vehicles and the receiver parts are not interchangeable, i.e. they are lighter specific. Pete

[Jack H.]

Add-on

There are also several variations in the early, 3-prong, Casco cig socket... There were basically two versions of them, one for 'short' lighter elements (like the '63 Casco element you're working with) and another for 'long' lighter elements (like the undated element used on straight axle cars + '72 Casco elements).

In these two separate classes of Casco cig lighter systems, there were other variables including the specific width of the retaining flange on the socket (is it thin enough to insert in a well like that of the '58-62 Corvette instrument cluster or is it wide to spread the insertion force over a flush, dash mount installation like that of the '53-57 Corvette), was it an illuminated or non-illuminated cig socket (the socket's retainer is sized to match 'short' or 'long' depth sockets + has or lacks illumination lamp mounting slits and whether or not the socket derived electrical ground from its mounting vs. having a discrete ground wire (socket retainer will have a spade lug terminal for discrete ground wire).

Bottom line, get the correct socket to match your system. Specifically you want/need: (1) short depth socket, (2) illuminated, (3) no discrete grounding provision, and (3) wide socket flange for dash panel flush mount.

[Greg L.]

Re: Add-on

Thanks Jack, I didn't realize that there were so many variables. I think I better take my lighter assy with me to Kissimmee next month just in case I run across one...

Are you sure about the "wide socket flange for dash panel flush mount" because this is for my 69... You wouldn't happen to know which years and models of the GM line-up that used this type of socket would you? I have looked occasionaly in the wreckers for a replacement but all I've seen were the two prong type...no idea if they were the shorter version either...

[Jack H.]

Re: Add-on

The 'short' vs. 'long' versions of the two Casco sockets continued to today's era the last time I shopped for them when they were the house brand at Wal-Mart. The change from 3-prong to 2-prong came about circa 1973 when aftermarket folks (radar detectors, CB radios, Etc.) drove Casco NUTS by insisting on making plug-in power adaptors 'home brew' designed based on a handful of socket measurements + reverse engineering.

These after market items would 'spread' the element electrode holding prongs at the bottom of the socket causing geometry change(s) and lighters that 'launced' too soon (cold) or too late (RED hot and THROWING themselves out of the socket like Fibber McGee's toaster). Making the transition from a three prong socket (three points determine a plane) to a less efficient two prong socket relaxed the distortion generated by plugging in 'foreign' power adaptors poorly reverse engineered in terms of geometry....

On flange size, your '69 socket mounts in the center console adjacent to the ash tray. It's flush to the mounting surface and therefore 'looks' like a typical panel mount. Where the problem of flange size typically surfaces is with straight axle cars where the '58-60 cars mounted the socket inside a recessed tubular cavity in the instrument cluster.

There, a traditional panel mount socket with wide flange poses an interference fit to sliding inside the tubular well in the instrument cluster. Short vs. long sockets come about from behind dash clearance considerations (how much room is there?) and you tend to see 'short' sockets in cramped spaces like '63 & up Corvette + passenger cars with REAR seat lighters mounted in the arm rest area.

Why you're not seeing 3-prong sockets at your scrap yards is probably because they lack cars older than 1973....

Also, since you've got a '69, you don't need to worry about the 'other' cig socket difference that lurks out there. Traditional modern Casco service replacement sockets (blister packed) have a 'safety' feature that can actually pose a fire threat to older cars!

These sockets have a bi-metal 'fuse' installed below the the electrode's mounting stud. If the socket draws too much current (foreign device plugged in), the bi-metal heats, expands and DEAD short circuits the power stud to ground to 'pop' the upstream fuse/circuit breaker....

Catch-22: when we go WAY back (definately in the straight axle era), the cig lighter circuit was TOTALLY UNFUSED and UNSWITCHED! So, if a current day Casco service replacement socket is installed AND the 'safety' feature bi-metal is left installed AND the socket draws too much current, the bi-metal can 'trip' and bus +12V directly to ground.

Since these early cars don't have a branch circuit fuse/circuit breaker, the 'safety' feature draws INFINITE current and can actually START an electrical fire!!!! That's one of the reasons Buick, Cadillac and some Ford models installed an optional screw-on fuse on the back of their cig sockets (Chevy didn't) back in the mid-50's to early '60 era...

They sweated the details of what would/could happen if a child, playing around, decided to drop a coin (penny, dime) down the cig socket just to see what might happen! On the cars that went the extra step to add the in-line fuse, they were safe. But, on the low end models (including early Corvette) you could kiss the sucka bye-bye!!!

Probably NOT a smart design assumption with a car whose body was made from flammable fiberglass... But, hey, I grew up in Detroit and the guys who designed these cars were under INTENSE pressure to save a penny/unit! Stupid, but unfortunately true. They woke up when Ralph Nader published his book 'Unsafe At Any Speed' though.

[Greg L.]

Re: Add-on

Thanks Jack, that's quite interesting...especialy the part about the bi-metal fuse!

I just realized that I can take my socket apart and replace just the three prong holder and stud assy so that will make things a bit easier if all I can find is the longer version of socket. I'll just swap the "new" holder over to my old socket and life should be good again.

If the wrecker is open tomorrow I might stop in for a quick peek. The pre 73 cars are quite rare but there is usually at least one or two in there at any given time. Were these Casco lighters a GM only thing or were they common on the other domestic vehicals back then?

[Jack H.]

Re: Add-on

Casco supplied MANY auto mfgrs (including Ford), so it's NOT a GM/Chevy only issue, Greg. But, as others mentioned, GM also used Rochester as a 2nd source to Casco on the higher volume passenger cars and its design (both lighter element and socket) is NOT interchangeable at the sub-assy level.

Also, there were running changes over time at Casco with the socket electrode (how many discrete parts, ceramic vs. non-ceramic insulation and geometry). Specifically, the bottom of the socket has 'dimples' to align the orientation of the electrode assy properly. Your replacement electrode needs to match your socket to fit properly. All Casco sockets from a similar time frame will interchange, but don't be trying to stuff an electrode from, say, 1956 into a 1969 socket!

Last, there's a specific assy order for the hardware components that fix the electrode in place on the socket. When you take yours apart make good notes of what went where! If you get the assy order mixed up, you can wind up shorting the power stud to ground and burn the wiring or pop the branch circuit fuse when you re-install the socket!

[Greg L.]

Re: Add-on

I think it's best for me to pass on the wreckers today because there are too many variables to be freezing my butt off for the slim chance of finding the right one... Plus it will be a lot more fun looking for one in 80 degree heat in Kissimmee in a couple weeks!

Thanks for all your help and have a Happy New Year everyone.

[John H.]

Re: Add-on

Here's a Casco replacement housing (carried by all the parts vendors) with the U-shaped bi-metal element that expands and shorts to ground when it gets too hot; this can start a fire in any Corvette prior to 1967; Chevrolet didn't fuse that battery-power circuit until 1967. Either fuse the 12V feed or remove the nut, pitch the bi-metallic element, and re-assemble.