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MG TD TF 1500 - Pneumatic indicator switch

Hi all
Does anyone have any expierience in repairing the Lucas pneumatic indicator switch? Problem is it returns too fast to the neutral position. The disk on the piston which slides inside the cylinder of the switch loks a bit worn out to me. Should it be replaced and if with what? Or can it be saved?
Should there be some kind of time out adjustment in the buttom of the unit (screw)?

As usual thanks in advance
Torben
Torben Olesen

Here's a good video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJCUeyGVL5c

Tim
Timothy Burchfield

Torben,

This link should take you to a page that discusses rebuilding the indicator switch. It was helpful when I rebuilt mine. http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/electric/ts101.htm

Best regards,
Dave
DLH Hodson

in the base there should be a pointed screw which compresses a plug of felt to restrict air entry,controlling time.
Also an elastic band under the seal helps to seat it, grease on the leather.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

The felt plug that Ray mentions tends to lose its compress-ability over time and wants to be replaced.
20 seconds is the standard cycle time. Bud
Bud Krueger

Torben,

If you add a drop of oil onto the felt plug this can help tremendously in slowing the wanted 'switch off' timing.

Cheers
Rob Grantham
Rob Grantham

I took the spring out and just cancel when required. The timing on the traffic lights around here does not suit that type of pneumatic switch.
Regards
Declan
Declan Burns

Mine is set at 35/40 seconds, on the TF I can reach the switch with one finger with my hand on the wheel and change as required.
I find it strange to drive a friends TD with a non cancelling switch. I cannot see the near side torpedo lamp, he luckily has a piezo buzzer so I don't annoy other drivers.

Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Ray,
I had a piezo buzzer and found the sound very annoying.

Just connect a cheap automotive relay between terminal P (light green wire) on the flasher (Lucas SFB105) relay and earth. You get a pleasant clicking sound like a modern car which is a lot easier on the ears. Hide the relay behind the dash and bin the buzzer.
Regards
Declan

Declan Burns

Which direction does the bottom of the lever of the switch on your TF point for a left turn? Which way did it point when it was installed in Abingdon?

I wired my LHD TF so that I move the lever to the right for a left turn. If the knob had a pointer on top then it would point left.

Lonnie
TF7211

Image: Left Turn

LM Cook

Lonnie, I mounted mine so that the handle points in the direction I want to turn (TD). I think you arrangement for the TF makes sense. I can't imagine the factory would not do the same.

Tim
Timothy Burchfield

I have mine moving to the way I am going to turn. There is no pointer o you have a visual indication on the dash with the lever.

Ray
Ray Lee

This was a very fortuitous post.
My indicator was down to about 5 seconds and I was just going to look at the archives to get information on "fixing it"

I had purchased mine about 3 or 4 years ago from Holden, in the UK. Its genuine Lucas and even with shipping its less expensive than Moss.

I had expected the seal to be more Leather like. Mine is very soft, pliable and very fuzzy on the OD. It had a very thin coating of white (amber) lubricant on the OD.
I scraped that off and applied a coat of Silicon grease.
I inserted it in the chamber (I forgot to put the spring in). Could not get it out. Only with great effort.

Reassembled it and no luck still 3 to 6 seconds.
I took it apart again and placed some tape on the barrel,
I used blue, waterproof painters masking tape. 1/4" wide, 6" long.

Reassembled it and it looked good. about 30 seconds on the bench.
Installed it and I get about 60 seconds in the car. Thats fine with out NJ traffic lights.

Two notes on things to do/watch-out for.

1) before you do anything disconnect the battery ground.
2) those captive nuts that hold the outer shield can fall out VERY easily. When they do they quickly sprout feet.

Jim B.
JA Benjamin

On my TD (under dash mount) I move the lever opposite to the turn so the lever is pointing toward the turn direction. On my MGA (dash mounted to the left of the driver) the lever is moved toward the direction of the turn, opposite of the TD. Probably neither are "Abingdon" installations.

Jud
J. K. Chapin

The turn signal on my TF was turning off too soon and the adjustment screw was little help. I took the unit apart and of course the bellows was very dry. I coated it with petroleum jelly (I can't remember the reason why, perhaps I had too much caffeine?)and the bellows worked like new. This was a few years ago. The adjustment screw was very sensitive but I finally was able to set it such that the turn signal stays activated for a long time, perhaps 3-4 minutes. I no longer needed to keep turning it back on when making a turn. The next problem was remembering to turn it off so I installed a simple buzzer in the wiring (hidden under the instrument panel) and it works great.
Another thought, regarding disassembling the turn signal. It is not easy to put it back together while holding the parts together against the pressure of the spring while installing the screws. I use clamps (found at low cost in many hardware stores) to hold the unit tight while I install the screws. Works real nice.
Most times it needed to switch the wires as I tended to reverse them at the back of the unit. I installed extra long wires to the wire harness thus making it quite easy to change the wires as the unit just hangs by the wires and I have lots of room to work.

Larry
LD Kanaster

Hi all

First of all thank you all for your contributions to my little problem. Very useful!
However, the thread in the buttom of the unit fails to hold the screw in place making it more than difficult to adjust the time, so I decided to cheat a Little bit.
I installed an electronical timer circuit to be triggered by the contact in the pneumatic unit and simply letting the timer control the time instead of the pneumatic unit. Now I have a potmeter controlling the time. The timer was less than £5, and will probably last forever.


rgds
Torben
Torben Olesen

Good solution!

Can you share a link to it please?

Thanks.

Peter
P G Gilvarry

Hi

give me a couple of days, and I'll do a small drawing showing how I solved the issue.


rgds
Torben
Torben Olesen

And a link to the timer please.

Thanks.

Peter
P G Gilvarry

Hi

Believe this timer will do the trick:

Velleman VM188 which can be found here:
https://www.velleman.eu/products/view/?id=386130

Other timers might work as well, as Velleman might not be available in all countries.

The timer comes both as a DIY kit or fully assembled. Depending on the frequency of the turnsignal it might be needed to replace the value of one of the electrolytic capacitors.
The relay on the pcb will close and open in a pattern decided by the setting of the potmeters on the pcb, and the present relay in the car won't be needed. Just the pneumatic unit which now will work as the trigger contact for the board input.

rgds
Torben
Torben Olesen

This thread was discussed between 09/10/2018 and 21/10/2018

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