1976 B Reversing Lights Switch Problem. SOLVED! : MGB & GT Forum : MG Experience Forums : The MG Experience

1976 B Reversing Lights Switch Problem. SOLVED! #1
tourtelot Douglas Tourtelot Seattle, WA, USA 1976 MG MGB "Heathcoat"	Posted: July 11, 2012 12:10AM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 467

My switch still works as it should but it's not aligned properly with the new (Advanced) shortened gear lever and will only come on when I pull the lever hard down to the bottom left corner of the "slot. When the lever just sits in reverse, no reversing lights. Is there a way I can realign the switch to work with the new gear lever or should I put the old gear lever back in?

Thanks.

D.

Douglas Tourtelot
Seattle, WA
1976 MGB
18GB-U-H 85005

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Re: 1976 B Reversing Lights Switch Problem. #2
RAY 67 TOURER Ray Marloff Fort Bragg, CA, USA 1967 MG MGB "My Girl"	Posted: July 11, 2012 01:05AM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 5,948

It sounds to me like your new shortened shift lever has been improperly machined. I'd check with the company that you purchased it from. They may have come accross this problem before. RAY

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Re: 1976 B Reversing Lights Switch Problem. #3
twigworker Jack Austin Blowing Rock, NC, USA	Posted: July 11, 2012 06:20AM Registered: 7 years ago Posts: 20,759

A am not sure why shortening the lever would have any effect on the switch.

Anything below the fulcrum ball will still be as original, and the movement of the shift rail will be unchanged.

Could you elaborate?

Jack

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Re: 1976 B Reversing Lights Switch Problem. #4
captkenny2 allen kenny omaha, USA 1976 MG MGB	Posted: July 11, 2012 08:45AM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 361

I seem to recall someone saying that there are spacers that are used with the switch to "fine tune" when it triggers. Are there any spacers used with your switch. If so, perhaps you could remove them so the switch screws in further.

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Re: 1976 B Reversing Lights Switch Problem. #5
dickmoritz Dick Moritz Philly 'burbs, PA, USA	Posted: July 11, 2012 10:03AM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 7,259

Agree with Ray. I wonder if the new shifter is simply not pulling the mechanism fully into reverse. Could be a missing white nylon bushing on the ball on the bottom of the shift lever, or it could be carpeting or the shift boot preventing the shift lever from moving far enough rearward to fully engage reverse. Doubt that it has anything to do with the switch itself if it was working OK before...

Dick

Errabundi Saepe, Semper Certi
(Often wrong, but always certain)

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Re: 1976 B Reversing Lights Switch Problem. #6
tourtelot Douglas Tourtelot Seattle, WA, USA 1976 MG MGB "Heathcoat"	Posted: July 11, 2012 12:34PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 467

Okay, I took it all apart and tried a few things. Old shift lever with a new bushing, new shift lever again and it hasn't made anything much clearer. It seems with either lever, with whatever bushing, the switch seems to work okay until I screw the plate down, which points to installment error. I have the plate oriented correctly, I believe but I am confused about the spring washers and what they are supposed to do. Are they supposed to let the plate ride up a tad as the shift occurs? Are the shoulders of the bolts supposed to go through the plate so that it can move against the springs? I am missing one spring and the PO ground two flats on a regular washer; I will order another the next time I speak to the folks at Moss. In other words, do I perhaps have the plate screwed down too tightly against the gear box, and because I didn't line up the shoulder bolts through the hole, I have clamped the shift lever in a deeper position than it should live in?

Thanks for the ongoing help.

D.

Oh, by the way, the position of the shift lever when moved around in reverse, makes the reverse lights light up in two distinct brightnesses. Am I imagining this? sad smiley

Douglas Tourtelot
Seattle, WA
1976 MGB
18GB-U-H 85005

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Re: 1976 B Reversing Lights Switch Problem. #7
dickmoritz Dick Moritz Philly 'burbs, PA, USA	Posted: July 11, 2012 12:52PM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 7,259

Douglas,

The spring washers, called Thackery washers, go under the heads of the shouldered bolts but above the round retainer plate. You need the special shouldered bolts so they can only tighten so far, after which the Thackery washers exert spring pressure downward on the retaining plate. This keeps fairly constant spring pressure on the plate and shift lever without the need to re-adjust the bolts. Overtightening the non-shouldered bolt(s) could possibly cause the backup lights to be inop. Can't comment on the differing degrees of brightness...

Dick

Errabundi Saepe, Semper Certi
(Often wrong, but always certain)

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Re: 1976 B Reversing Lights Switch Problem. #8
tourtelot Douglas Tourtelot Seattle, WA, USA 1976 MG MGB "Heathcoat"	Posted: July 11, 2012 01:03PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 467

In reply to # 2117272 by dickmoritz Douglas,

The spring washers, called Thackery washers, go under the heads of the shouldered bolts but above the round retainer plate. You need the special shouldered bolts so they can only tighten so far, after which the Thackery washers exert spring pressure downward on the retaining plate.

So the shoulder of the bolts (I have all of them) needs to go through the plate. If the plate is captured by the shoulder of the washer, and essentially clamped down tight, this could force the pivot of the shift lever into a position where the reversing light switch isn't properly activated. I'll look into this after Starbucks smiling smiley

Thanks.

D.

Douglas Tourtelot
Seattle, WA
1976 MGB
18GB-U-H 85005

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/2012 01:04PM by tourtelot.

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Re: 1976 B Reversing Lights Switch Problem. #9
dickmoritz Dick Moritz Philly 'burbs, PA, USA	Posted: July 11, 2012 01:24PM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 7,259

In reply to # 2117283 by tourtelot

In reply to # 2117272 by dickmoritz Douglas,

The spring washers, called Thackery washers, go under the heads of the shouldered bolts but above the round retainer plate. You need the special shouldered bolts so they can only tighten so far, after which the Thackery washers exert spring pressure downward on the retaining plate.

So the shoulder of the bolts (I have all of them) needs to go through the plate. If the plate is captured by the shoulder of the washer, and essentially clamped down tight, this could force the pivot of the shift lever into a position where the reversing light switch isn't properly activated. I'll look into this after Starbucks smiling smiley

Thanks.

D.

Correctamundo...

Actually, I think you mis-spoke and meant to say, "If the plate is captured by the shoulder of the bolt..." But you've got the idea... thumbs up

Dick

Errabundi Saepe, Semper Certi
(Often wrong, but always certain)

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Re: 1976 B Reversing Lights Switch Problem. #10
tourtelot Douglas Tourtelot Seattle, WA, USA 1976 MG MGB "Heathcoat"	Posted: July 12, 2012 11:51AM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 467

Went under the car today and removed the reversing light switch. Two fibre washers between it and the gearbox. Removed one. Reversing lights work like they ought to! Took me about ten minutes total; take me about two the next time.

Done and done!

Thanks to all the experienced guys here on the forum. You are making it fun (mostly) to do my own work on my LBC.

D.

Douglas Tourtelot
Seattle, WA
1976 MGB
18GB-U-H 85005

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Re: 1976 B Reversing Lights Switch Problem. #11
DOUG1977 DOUG FORTNER CARTERSVILLE, GA., USA 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlas "RUBY" 1977 MG MGB "GRACIE" 2004 Ford Ranger Pickup 4WD	Posted: July 12, 2012 12:11PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 503

Glad you got them to work, mine only worked in 3rd and 4th gear, cleaned the grime off the wires and found that the spark advance wires were plugged up to the back up switch and the back up light wires to the spark advance. Seemed strange haveing reverse lights after all the years without them. Would have never known they came on in 3rd and 4th if a friend hadn't followed me to a show and told me.

Doug 1977 MGB

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Re: 1976 B Reversing Lights Switch Problem. #12
captkenny2 allen kenny omaha, USA 1976 MG MGB	Posted: July 13, 2012 08:53AM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 361

In reply to # 2118175 by tourtelot Went under the car today and removed the reversing light switch. Two fibre washers between it and the gearbox. Removed one. Reversing lights work like they ought to! Took me about ten minutes total; take me about two the next time.

Done and done!

Thanks to all the experienced guys here on the forum. You are making it fun (mostly) to do my own work on my LBC.

D.

Boo-ya!!! I love it when I guess correctly. Glad to have helped.

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