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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MG Y Type - Orig headlight switch

Need original side/head light pull switch for Y/YB
Rodney C "Rocky" von Dullen

Hello
you have no headlight swicht, or a problem with the switch ?
FT Franz

Rocky it would probably be worth you contacting Tony Slattery via the imgytr contact page - he is likely to have such an item, and his costs are always very reasonable to say the least. If you continue to be stuck, I may well have a spare at home, but I'm motorhoming interstate for another month.
Yours,
John.
J P Hall

Rocky. Did you resolve your headlamp switch problem? I have just been rooting through my spares to remind myself after realising I had gone through the process of trying to get one myself some time ago. I had one with a broken body and found that the same switch was used on quite a few British cars in the fifties but unfortunately for our purposes there are detail differences. Basically other cars use the same body with different knobs and, often, different methods of fixing them. As far as I can tell round knobs are common withor without various markings but with a spring loaded "pip" fixing which locates in a hole in the knob. The knob can also be of varying lengths. While they may do the job I am afraid that they will not look right and, I expect, only MG used octagonal knobs. I even considered modifying my octagonal knob to fit the wrong shaft but eventually overcame the problem by using the original operating shaft from my switch which I fitted into the body from, I think, a Triumph which came from "a well known online auction site". I hope that this is helps as original MG parts may be thin on the ground.

Ian
ian thomson

if you need a mg octagon knob
mail me
i can print it in resin
you will not see a difference

here my hazzard light knob, have painted it in black and the sign is clear, behind a red led
without light i looks like the other knobs
with light you see the red light in the sign

FT Franz

Ian,

Attached are photos of an orig MG TF headlight switch and its knob (lower and left on the photos) from my spares. It fits into the Y's metal instrument panel and operates properly. The knob is octagonal, marked with a white "L". It fits onto a hexgonal shaft by means of a spring loaded pip. Unfortunately, when installed it presents a markedly different appearance to the orig dash switch knobs. I believe this is the switch NTG currently offers as a substitute for our Y's.

My orig Y knob fits onto a "D" shaped shaft by means of a small set screw (upper and right on the photos). I have not explored dismantling the switches to swap shafts. They appear to be soldered in place.

Rocky
YB0952





Rodney C "Rocky" von Dullen

So I am unclear Rocky - do you need the switch, or the knob or both?

Paul
Paul Barrow

Paul,
I am in need of an original switch. Mine no longer works in the "head" position. I can reuse my existing knob; in fact I have extras.
Rocky
YB0952
Rodney C "Rocky" von Dullen

Rocky, you would do well to do as I did and take it apart. If it doesn't work anyway you have nothing to lose. On mine, a late model YB, there are three small screws to undo on the Bakelite/Tufnol cover on the back to expose the nut on the end of the shaft. At least mine had this nut which was locked by solder. I bought two switches off EBAY which did not have the cover and with a crimp on the end of the shaft instead of the soldered nut. I expect they are from a later iteration of the switch. This sort would be more difficult to take apart as the crimp must be undone to slide the shaft out of the front. I considered drilling this off to use the body to replace my broken one but luckily the second one I bought had the soldered nut. If you have the sort where solder is used to lock the central nut then you will be able to do as I did. There is a grub screw on the side of the body just behond the panel mounting nut which must be removed before the shaft can be withdrawn. Take care with this as behind it is a small spring and ball bearing which acts as a detent to hold the shaft in either the side or head position I eventually found mine under the sofa! Some care is required but I expect you will find that the switch contacts for the headlights are damaged in some way. If you are lucky they will simply need cleaning, a contact file is useful for this. It is possible that the contact springs will have lost some "spring", especially if they have become overheated. They may need careful bending in order to restore the contacts to working condition. Good luck.

Ian
ian thomson

This thread was discussed between 05/07/2021 and 02/08/2021

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