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MG MG Y Type - Trafficator Switch YA

The direction switch on the steering wheel hub is what can only be described as 'floppy'. I guess the return spring is broken.
Can anyone tell me please how to get the switch assembly off. I have removed the horn button and am faced with a cheese head screw in the centre, but I am fairly certain removing this is not the right way to go.
I seem to remember there was a thread on this subject a while back but I can't find it now, saying it is a fairly simple task to replace the spring and is not a job needing a skilled watchmaker!
If it is the spring, would it be NTG or someplace else for a replacement?
I shall be grateful for any help/advice
TonyK
A B Knowles

Hello Tony,
If you go to the Shopping Mall on the IMGYTR website, your will find I sell replacement springs for the trafficators that include instructions for fitting.

I have sold a few over the years, so there should be some people on the forum who can comment on what I supply.

Seasons Greetings from Down Under,
Tony S
A L SLATTERY

Having removed the horn push and chrome ring you will then need to undo the large cheesehead screw at the top of the Y of the steering wheel arms. Once this is removed then you should be able to remove the unit and get to the wires on the back.

Tony, you describe the action as floppy. If it is merely the spring then you should encounter resistence and the unit will wind up firmly in either direction but just not cancel. Does the knurled ring just rotate freely? If so, it is more likely that the bakelite ring is broken.

If it is just the spring then you can buy one from either Tony Slattery can supply these (see the advert at the top of the Y News page at www.mgytypes.org or his page in the shopping mall at the same site, or you can still buy these at the MG Car Club Y Register site too I think http://www.mgccyregister.com/node/32).

Once you have the unit removed from the car best thing to do will be to drop me a line off line from the BBS Tony and I will let you know how to proceed from there.

Seasons Greetings

Paul
Paul Barrow

Thanks, Paul & Tony S
Have replied to Paul separately
Tony K
A.B. Knowles

Hello Tony,

To give you the benefit of my experience, I had exactly the same symptoms. Furthermore, when I acquired my car the trafficators had been disabled and the steering wheel switch replaced with a dash mounted switch. I decided to attempt a repair and get things back to original. After dismantling as described by Paul. I found the clockwork spring broken. I ordered two springs (one for spare) from Tony Slattery. The item arrived within a few days and was easy to fit particularly with the excellent included instructions. Overall an great service

However, the other problem I discovered was with the two metal arms/cams which locate on the spindle that turns with the clockwork mechanism. These cams should have holes with flats that match the flat sides of the spindle. On mine the holes were badly worn and this built a lot of "slop" in the system. I'm not aware of any source of replacements so I spent a lot of time remaking the cams. if the cams are not accurately reproduced you can end up with uneven time delay from one direction to the other.

My repair was far from perfect but I did manage to get the trafficators and switch mechanism working. the sting in the tail came when I tried to use the system whilst driving when I discovered that the trafficator arms would drop apparently randomly. I then discovered the problem lay with worn commutator strips at the end of the steering column. I have yet to find out how to repair these so after a lot of effort I still don't have a fully operational system!

Don Avery
D G Avery

Hi Don and everyone

Yes, if the control cam is either missing, worn or broken (yes I have seen them snapped in two!) I have some good news for you in that I am having a small batch of 10 of each style of cam precision made and these will be available in the new year sometime. Watch www.mgytypes.org for details of this. More news of these later.

At that time Don, if you want to replace yours with one of these you will be more than welcome and this will take out the "slack" that you have.

As to the commutator strips - aka slip ring fingers, there isnt much you can do to repair them if they break off. Presumably Don, on your system they are still there but you are just experiencing intermittent contact? Have you stripped down the slip ring assembly yet to see what is going on there? If you need step by step instructions on how to do this, please email me off line and I will walk you through it.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Hi Don & Paul
It may be some time before I get the opportunity to do this, but thank you for your comments, they will most certainly be helpful.
I hope I don't need the cams Paul, but good to know they will be coming available.
Regards,
Tony K

A B Knowles

Hi Tony
There is an article by Jack Murray at http://www.mgccyregister.com/node/32 which you may find useful
Regards
Dave
D P Jones

I appreciate all your comments. I got a replacemnt spring fom Tony S in Oz, but on fitting it, it became apparent that there was something else missing. I emailed Paul for advice on who might repair these switches. 'Send it to me' he said.
Paul procured the missing parts, found a watchmaker and has returned it to me.
What service!! I have thanked him privately, but feel I must do so publicly too - Thank you, Paul

Paul has asked me to say that he is thinking of formally offering this service on the specialist vendors page.

You read it here first!

Regards

TonyK
A.B. Knowles

Thanks Tony. Not sure how your comments wound up with my details on it as originator but I have asked Mike Plumstead to have a look and fix that for us all!

As Tony says, his switch was missing slightly more than just the main tension spring - it was missing the main arm that controls the unit, and also the top disc was all broken up too. Credit for this should also be given to Masaaki Sakaguichi as I sent him, from my inventory here, one of each type of control arm (there is an "early" and a "later" type switch and they are different designs!) and commissioned him to make me a small batch of each which he duly arranged for and despatched to me. When I go these, Tony's switch was also missing some small pins so I had an expert clock repairer make these for me too. Then his mechanism was cleaned ultra sonically, rebuilt and gently lubricated.

So, this is a perfect example of the International MG Y Type Register coming together - a guy in Japan making stuff for a guy in the USA to repair a part for a guy in the UK fitting another part supplied by a guy in Australia ... and it is basically what we do in the IMGYTR fraternity! I think I can speak for Masaaki too when I say that it is a pleasure to join hands with other MG Y owners around the world and keep these great cars going.

It is a pleasure to do stuff for you all, and it was a delight dealing with your switch Tony too.

So, if you have a dicky switch and want it looked at, send it over and I will assess it for you, tell you what we need to do, and if you want try to get it working again for you.

Best wishes

Paul
Paul Barrow

This thread was discussed between 16/12/2011 and 24/05/2012

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