Gearbox reverse switch

Post by **ericwork** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 1:04 pm

I am planning on puting a reversing light onto my son's car, something I have already done for my daughter's car. With the first one I fabricated a bracket and mounted a microswitch next to the gearlever. This time I decided to get a remote housing from a midget and use its inbuilt switch. I was offered a remote housing which has the tapped hole at the top near the gearlever hole, facing forward but with no switch, this being the normal place for the reverse switch. I took this and set about getting a proper mg switch, when I noticed that this remote has a switch mounted further forward on the left hand side. This appears to be a reverse switch. Looking at the standard moggie remote there is a bolt mounted in this position which has a spring and plunger inside it. Now the thought was if you can get this switch , you must be able, I guess, to fit this to any Morris with minimal effort. Has anybody else seen these switches and have a part number for them? I will be cleaning it up at the weekend, prior to fitting to the car, so I will see if it has a part number.

Post by **Matt** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 8:56 pm

No, the 1275 spridget boxes have the spring and plunger, there is an extra threaded hole.... I will take some photos of both at the weekend......

Post by **ericwork** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 8:30 am

thank you Matt, I do however have a standard 1275 gearbox on my Sprite, several standard Morris gearboxes and this odd ball remote from a midget. I will be investigating this further as, if it works, this would be a quick and easy modification to fit a reverse light switch to a standard Morris box.
Eric

Post by **Matt** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 1:18 pm

The reverse switches on my 1275 sprites screw in the engine side... and there are the 2 other places for the spring and plunger etc....

Post by **ericwork** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 4:49 pm

sorry Matt, I don't understand that. If you sit in the drivers seat of my Sprite the reverse switch is screwed in to a tapped hole parallel with the centreline of the car just to the right of the gearstick, near the top of the housing. My Morris gearbox remotes do not have this tapped hole. The midget remote has this hole but it also has a switch fitted forward of the gearlever lower down and screwed in from the passenger side, 90 degrees (anticlockwise) from the sprites switch position. The morris gearbox has its spring and plunger there. I had intended to look at this switch more closely at the weekend, but had to go to Nottingham instead. Might look one evening, but I will be travelling north again later this week. If this is a reverse switch screwed into the side, I was hoping that it would work on a standard Morris, that way everybody could just buy the switch and replace the spring plunger and have automatic reversing lights.

Post by **Matt** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 9:53 am

the reverse switch is screwed in to a tapped hole parallel with the centreline of the car just to the right of the gearstick

Its on the left on both my sprite boxes, which makes sense considering where reverse is! I will download the pictures I took this weekend tomorrow....

Post by **Matt** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 10:39 am

ok I have got some piccies sorted .

the green one is a 1098 minor box and the gold one is a 1275 midget box, they have exactly the same plungers etc at the rear (facing towards the back of the car), however, as you can see from the next photos there is an extra hole facing towards the front of the car on the 1275 box. Its my opinion that if you try and put the switch in one of the other holes it definately won't work as a reversing light, but it my come on is 1st or 3rd.

Post by **MrA.Series** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 10:48 am

No, it could be used if it triggered when the stick is moved to the far right to engage reverse, not the actual up or down movement of the stick mabey?

Post by **Matt** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 12:10 pm

well the switchy button moves backwards and forwards, so I don't think so! also you screw the switch in so you rotate it, and therefore its very unlikely too!

Post by **TerryG** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 12:23 pm

does the thing that pushed the switch move further back depending on which gear it is in?

Post by **Matt** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 12:48 pm

I think its only pushed when in reverse

Post by **ericwork** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 1:20 pm

Brilliant pics, Matt. the last picture is exactly what I have on my sprite. a plunger type switch is screwed in there and when you engage reverse a rod is moved upwards to 'make the switch. However the MG remote has this feature and a mystery switch, which I will attempt to discover more about after I return home, in a couple of weeks. its position is shown on your third picture, the green morris one. If you look at the picture you see two nuts, below the gearlever large hole. Just to the right and slightly above of the right hand nut you can just make out a very flat bolt head. this is on the side of the rmote 'tunnel'. Well I have a switch screwed in there. it may not be a reverse switch at all but if it is, this could be a very easy mod for the morris remote. Sorry it is taking so long but watch this space as they say.

Eric

Post by **MrA.Series** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 3:42 pm

Where? Here?

Post by **Matt** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 3:45 pm

Well done Mr A I was wondering where he meant!

Post by **MrA.Series** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 3:57 pm

Just noticed the same thing on the spridget gearbox. Is this where you mean ericwork?

Post by **ericwork** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:17 pm

no: sorry chaps, the other right hand side. if you look at the top of that blue bag which is to the right of the picture, in line with that on the right hand side of the remote, you can just see the side of a thin hex head bolt. That has been replaced with a switch on my remote.

Post by **MrA.Series** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:27 pm

Please add an arrow yourself, I'm really confused now.

Post by **ericwork** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:45 pm

once I get back home I will hopefully have my digital camera back and I will post a picture, plus I hope to have tested this switch see if it really is a reverse one.

Post by **ericwork** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 8:14 am

As I had a change of plans last night which left me with an hour to spare and so I have now checked out the odd switch on the gearbox remote. It only works when the gear box is in neutral and is not a reverse switch at all. It is also not possible to add this to a Morris box without cutting a detent into the internal control rod. So now the question is:~ what is it for. I can make use of it by using it as, say, a starter inhibiter, will only start when box is out of gear. or as a anti-theft device, so that the engine cuts out when a gear is engaged. Or similar things, but why was it fitted in the first place, any ideas.

Eric.

Post by **MrA.Series** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 9:42 am

Could it have just originally been for a Neutral warning light, light you have on some cars and motorbikes (usually orange or green in colour)?