Door 'courtesy' switches

[geoberni]

My '55 2 Door doesn't have door courtesy switches (it doesn't have an interior light) but I'd like to fit some as part of restoring the Traficators. Basically to make them drop back in if a door is opened and thus hopefully stop them being broken off.

How easy is it to get behind the door pillar?
I'm assuming the wing has to be removed as there's no access from the inside.

[palacebear]

Your car didn't come with automatic courtesy lights. Just the 'on/off' manually switched interior light, which itself was an optional extra on some cars until late 1956.

Courtesy lights were fitted to all models except convertibles from September 1958.

I'd suggest you check the A-pillar and door-edge of a later car. Not sure but the pressings may differ, making courtesy switches difficult to fit.

As far as a 'cut-out' device for the trafficators is concerned, perhaps an easier solution would be to fit an audible warning device under the dash. A few folks on here have mentioned them in previous forum threads.

[philthehill]

There is no access even with the wing off.
If I remember correctly the single wire comes down inside the 'A' post to the switch which then earths illuminating the interior light.

[geoberni]

Palacebear - Yes, if I correctly understand the varied collection of wiring diagrams in the BL Manual, as an early 2 door it didn't even qualify for a lamp!

"Interior Light (Fitted to 4 door saloon models only)"

The Bodywork section of the manual is a bit confusing as it has illustrations for an 'MM body' and another for a 'Series II/1000/Traveller body', yet as my Series II is a Splitie, I'm guessing that it might actually have the configuration they claim is for 'MM.

Philthehill - Any idea how a wire gets inside the A Post, which I assume is the bit identified as 'Assy 63' on page R32.
Thought I'd better not put up a photo of the manual illustration as it might upset Mods.

[palacebear]

At some point, (not sure when) the light became standard equipment on 'deluxe' cars but remained an optional extra on 'base' models.

As yours is a '55 car and hence a 'facelift' split-screen, my inclination would be to follow the section of the manual relating to Series II/1000/Traveller bodywork. The section on the MM bodywork is probably also of some relevence to early Series II with the 'cheesegrater' grille

I'll let philthehill respond to the question of accessing the A-post, but I suspect it involves moving the headlining and dropping the wire(s) down from the top.

[geoberni]

As yours is a '55 car and hence a 'facelift' split-screen, my inclination would be to follow the section of the manual relating to Series II/1000/Traveller bodywork. The section on the MM bodywork is probably also of some relevence to early Series II with the 'cheesegrater' grille

.

What I find a bit confusing is that it's referred to as a 'Late Series II' http://potteries.mmoc.org.uk/Identify.htm yet in the Manual, as it has a Split screen, it implies that it is an 'early' variant as the 'late' ones were single screen.

Picking my way through the variants and options, especially after all the decades of various owner's modifications, reminds me of the old Johnny Cash song 'One Piece at a Time' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39Ee_Hkxc-8

[palacebear]

'Early' Series 2 split-screen = flat, gold dash and 'cheese-grater' grille. Side-lamps on front panel. First cars produced August 1952. Full-scale production February 1953 until October 1954. Visually almost identical to high-headlamp Series MM.

54 Minor S2 Birch Grey.jpg (111.61 KiB) Viewed 4972 times

Early dash with optional clock.jpg (123.65 KiB) Viewed 4972 times

'Late' Series 2 split-screen = central speedo with glove compartments each side. Horizontal slatted grille bars. Side-lamps on front wings. Produced October 1954 to October 1956. Replaced by Minor 1000 with single-piece windscreen..

2.JPG (138.47 KiB) Viewed 4972 times

21.JPG (114.17 KiB) Viewed 4972 times

Single-piece windscreen cars did not officially have a 'Series' name. Simply called the Minor 1000, although quite a few people refer to them unofficially as 'Series 3' if 948cc and occasionally 'Series 4' if 1098cc, whilst Charles Ware Minor Centre refer to their upgrade package as 'Series 5'.

[geoberni]

Thanks.
I think I'll just accept that the illustrations in the 'Official' BL manual are not much better than a Haynes manual
A case of 'Take yours apart and see which diagram it's most like'!

[philthehill]

The 'A' post is the piece of body work and its constituent parts that runs from the roof down the side of the windscreen, encompasses the door hinge panel and ends at the floor pan.
To get the courtesy light cable through is a right pain and near impossible without a lot of patience or cursing and/or both.
A 17/64" hole is drilled centrally in the face of the 'A' post facing the door and is situated approximately 1" above the weld that runs horizontal from the top of the door hinge panel towards the centre of the car.
The wire is then fed up the 'A' post pillar and along and above the headlining to the light.
The door switch is attached to the door/lower end of the wire and the switch and wire pushed into the 17/64" hole until the switch clips into place.
Unless you can get the wire up the pillar and along on top of the headlining the headlining will have to be removed at the corners but that is another story.
I will post a photo of the switch location as soon as I can.

[palacebear]

Thanks.
I think I'll just accept that the illustrations in the 'Official' BL manual are not much better than a Haynes manual
A case of 'Take yours apart and see which diagram it's most like'!

I have the BMC manual (part no. AKD530A) which covers Minor Series MM, Minor Series II and Minor 1000 (948cc). A lot of the primary content relates to the Series MM, needing much reference to sub-sections for content specific to the Series II.

[philthehill]

There is no comparison between the BMC/BL workshop manual and the Haynes workshop manual.
The BMC/BL manual comes out tops every time.
For a fully detailed understanding of the Minor having the correct edition workshop manual and the correct BMC parts manual does help.
I have access to the newest and older editions of the BMC/BL workshop manual and BMC/BL parts lists including a BMC LCV parts list.
As I have Marina/Ital and Ford parts fitted to my Minor I have the respective BL & Ford workshop manuals and BL parts lists.
You can never have too many workshop manuals and parts lists.
The Marina/Ital workshop manuals are much better arranged than the Minor workshop manual and they do go into a lot more detail than the Minor workshop manual.
As a Marina variant was fitted with the 1098cc engine obtaining the Marina workshop manual just for information relating to the 1098cc engine is well worth the effort.

[geoberni]

philthehill - Thanks for that description. I realise now that there is a channel down the inner side of the door pillar area that's not evident from the panel diagrams.

My Moggie has received a Reconditioned 948cc engine about 7 years or so ago, so that's hopefully covered enough for my purposes in the manual.

palacebear - I've got the AKD530 14th Ed from Brookland Books. It was plate R34 that had me confused, as it shows sidelights in the wings of the MM.

[palacebear]

That's plate N34 in mine. The accompanying text (sect. N.28) makes reference to 'later' models (sidelamps mounted beneath headlamps).

To be honest, I find the layout isn't alway logical. Shame really, as the content is pretty good.

[geoberni]

My Section N is the Electrics.... gotta love the old books.
Reminds me of my technical training in the 1970s RAF; most of our manuals were from the 50's as a lot of the training equipment was old 50's stuff that had been consigned to the training role.

[palacebear]

When I started 'in the trade' in 1977, we'd just taken the giant leap to microfilm and microfiche. I did have a Haynes manual for home-maintenance of my numerous Marinas. The Minor manual is the first real manual I've ever had!

[firedrake1942]

What impresses me is that the illustrations are not photos, they are hand drawn by someone with such skill!