Paul J Posted July 22, 2016 Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 I'm looking to fit an overdrive switch in the top of my wooden gear knob after reading this months TR Action. If the link works! Does anyone see any reason why this type of switch would not be suitable. Perhaps it would it be too easy to accidentally switch while selecting reverse? Any thoughts, I think it would look neater than the Halford toggle type switch. Check out what I found. BLUE LED ROCKER SWITCH ON/OFF CAR DASH LIGHT 12 VOLT 12v http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/-/371330490290?roken=cUgayNvia @eBay_UK Thanks again Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
peejay4A Posted July 22, 2016 Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 (edited) It would work but as the od switch switches an earth via the transmission interlocks you'll have to come up with a different way of operating the warning light or it will be on when od is disengaged and off when engaged. The interlocks should prevent the od from engaging in reverse. Edited July 22, 2016 by peejay4A Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paul J Posted July 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 It would work but as the od switch switches an earth via the transmission interlocks you'll have to come up with a different way of operating the warning light or it will be on when od is disengaged and off when engaged. The interlocks should prevent the od from engaging in reverse. Thanks Pete, yes I see what you mean. The led isn't essential but I thought it would make rather a nice feature, it's also a very cheap alternative. Could call it a OD available light! Probably a way around it, will need more thought. Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted July 22, 2016 Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 Hi Paul, assuming the switch will fit you could use it to power a small relay that makes the earth connection for the OD. That way you will have 12V going to the switch and the LED will operate correctly. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paul J Posted July 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 Hi Paul, assuming the switch will fit you could use it to power a small relay that makes the earth connection for the OD. That way you will have 12V going to the switch and the LED will operate correctly. Roger Hi Roger, yes it's all electrickeryThat would work, the switch will functions, the led would only probably be of a benefit at night. Room only for the switch in the knob then fit the relay in another discreet place. I'm slowly getting there, now have something that resembles a TR. Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
peejay4A Posted July 22, 2016 Report Share Posted July 22, 2016 When in doubt, bang in another relay! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted July 23, 2016 Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 Hi Paul, to overcome Pete's little jest about 'add a relay' it would in theory be possible to rotate the LED so as to reverse its polarity and feed it 12v on the separate 'earth' wire. Can the switch be disassembled and the LED turned round. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted July 23, 2016 Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 Anything can be disassembled - it's whether you can put it back together that matters Bob. P.S. I would be very surprised if you could not reverse the polarity of the LED Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paul J Posted July 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 Changing the led polarity would be the way to go and the switches are cheap enough to experiment with. Thanks for your advice Roger, Bob and Pete I will give it a go Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
john.r.davies Posted July 23, 2016 Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 Paul, A switch on the gear knob, unless it's right on the top, will always be at risk of being triggered in error. Thinking laterally, it's best to keep you hands on the wheel as much as possible, so mount the O/d switch there. If you have a non-OE steering wheel, it probably has flat alloy spokes, with holes 'for lightness'. The switch may be mounted in that hole, on an alloy plate, convenient to the thumb. Connect it by a length of 'curly-whirly' flex, which will have three conductors so that you can include an LED light on the plate to remind you when you are in a lower gear that the O/d is activated. See pic. John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AlanG Posted July 23, 2016 Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 I fitted a shortened o/d Stag ( I think ) gearstick with the switch in the top and no visible wires. This works very well and is ergonomically correct. Alan. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paul J Posted July 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 Paul, A switch on the gear knob, unless it's right on the top, will always be at risk of being triggered in error. Thinking laterally, it's best to keep you hands on the wheel as much as possible, so mount the O/d switch there. If you have a non-OE steering wheel, it probably has flat alloy spokes, with holes 'for lightness'. The switch may be mounted in that hole, on an alloy plate, convenient to the thumb. Connect it by a length of 'curly-whirly' flex, which will have three conductors so that you can include an LED light on the plate to remind you when you are in a lower gear that the O/d is activated. See pic. John Hi John, that looks a neat idea but I'm staying with the original steering wheel, my plan is to fit the switch in the top of the knob, it's a 20 mm hole, I hope to feed the wires down through another hole to run down the stick and disappear in the gaiter. If the knob will not take it I can always make another knob slightly deeper. Thanks for sharing your idea it's certainly a good one, the forum has been a wonderful source of help during my restoration. Thanks Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paul J Posted July 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 I fitted a shortened o/d Stag ( I think ) gearstick with the switch in the top and no visible wires. This works very well and is ergonomically correct. Alan. Hi AlanYes that's the sort of thing I'm aiming at, the switch should fit in the knob top with the wires going down through roughly 45 degrees to the stick. It's certainly worth a try as its considerably cheaper than obtaining a new column mounted switch. Thanks Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR 2100 Posted July 23, 2016 Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 I'm all for accepting different opinions But I just cannot understand anyone preferring to have the overdrive switch on the gearknob. What can be more convenient that a flick switch on the dash right beside where your hands are (or should be) on the steering wheel? AlanR Quote Link to post Share on other sites
peejay4A Posted July 23, 2016 Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 Reversing the LED means feeding 12v up the gear lever, another wire to accommodate. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted July 23, 2016 Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 I have my overdrive switch in the gear knob (lots of years with manual XJ6`s makes it second nature for me and I hate the silly column wand) Its a momentary switch as I have the logic box control. I made up the stick from top half of saloon and lower section of 4a stick. It has 4 wires up through to give the availability of a light in the switch (you do need thinwall cable or it wont fit). Unfortunately the momentary switches with a light in are too big for a saloon gear knob so I have a Corsa ESC switch in at the moment with a dash light until I can find a better knob. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted July 23, 2016 Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 Hi Paul, I did mine differently. I have knocked up a press switch that feeds my home made logic box. The switch is on the end of a stalk that is fitted where the original switch would be fitted. In operation the button is where my index & Forefinger would land when hunting for it. The logic box is very simple and quite cheap to make - and it works faultlessly. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paul J Posted July 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 I'm all for accepting different opinions But I just cannot understand anyone preferring to have the overdrive switch on the gearknob. What can be more convenient that a flick switch on the dash right beside where your hands are (or should be) on the steering wheel? AlanR Hi AlanI suppose it's all about personal preference, some like manual some like automatics, some like blue cars some like green etc. Whatever is preferable to the person sitting behind the wheel, in my case on the knob and as in your case on the dash. Cheers Paul Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don H. Posted July 23, 2016 Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 The dash-mounted OD switch on a sidescreen car is kind of goofy. Quaint, though. As a guy of a certain generation, I can't help thinking about ejector seats when I visualize shift knob-mounted switches. Were I modding a switch, it would be red and underneath a flip-top knob! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted July 23, 2016 Report Share Posted July 23, 2016 The dash-mounted OD switch on a sidescreen car is kind of goofy. Quaint, though. As a guy of a certain generation, I can't help thinking about ejector seats when I visualize shift knob-mounted switches. Were I modding a switch, it would be red and underneath a flip-top knob! The name's Hiscock,-------- Don Hiscock Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hamish Posted July 24, 2016 Report Share Posted July 24, 2016 (edited) Hi I had a test drive in a tuned healey 100/6 with a gear switch od p, this one http://www.rawlesmotorsport.co.uk/car-brokerage/cars-for-sale/austin-healey-%20for%20sale%20with%203%20litre%20fast%20road%20engine.html And found the gear change od quite intuitive in the gear lever . This is a similar car use in anger You'll be pleased to hear I bought a TR3a instead of the healey. And made room by selling my daimler SP250 I'm new to this TR mark and od so I'm still learning. Great forum H Edited July 24, 2016 by Hamish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted July 24, 2016 Report Share Posted July 24, 2016 Hi I had a test drive in a tuned healey 100/6 with a gear switch od p, this one http://www.rawlesmotorsport.co.uk/car-brokerage/cars-for-sale/austin-healey-%20for%20sale%20with%203%20litre%20fast%20road%20engine.html And found the gear change od quite intuitive in the gear lever . This is a similar car use in anger You'll be pleased to hear I bought a TR3a instead of the healey. And made room by selling my daimler SP250 I'm new to this TR mark and od so I'm still learning. Great forum H Good choice to not go for that Healey, having restored quite a few that one wasnt a nice one. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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