pfenlon Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 I am fitting a new wiring loom to the car it was a LHD one and I have modified it to a sort of RHD format adding cables to the rear and front of the car for Facet pump and electric fan etc etc. The wiring diagram I downloaded and its for a TR4 not a 4A, but I saw a note on the diagram showing wiring for "reverse lights, optional extra" I have now included the wiring but were TR4 cars ever fitted with this option? I cannot recall seeing a 4 with them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dykins Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 Pete Page 110 of Bill Piggott's "Original Triumph TR4/4A/5/6 states Reversing Light Kit Part number 510706 for the TR4 which included two reversing lamps, but part 511166 for the TR4A , which appears to have included only one lamp! I'm sure that they were attached under the rear bumper in a vertical line with the light clusters. Regards Peter Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Quicksilver Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 Pete, It is a option. Seen on all rallycars. page 8, the orginele tr of Bill Piggot. Marcel. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dykins Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 Here's a photo from last year's Lakes Tour Regards Peter Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tr4Tony Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 The correct lamp is the Lucas L661 as per the Aston Martin DB6 ... TR4's were specified with an 'option' of 1' TR4a with 2. The bracket to hang them under the rear over rider is hard to get but the lamps are common. The TR4 rally cars used a Lucas WFT 576 on the RHS of the bootlid (LHS often on LHD cars for obvious reasons) as these lamps have the large BPF bulb giving a lot more light to see the road you should have gone up in the dark. I'll get my anorak again shall I ? Regards Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pfenlon Posted April 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 Well, thank you all for the information, the next question is, how was it activated? no provision on the gearbox for a switch I presume, or was this part of the "option" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
North London Mike Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 (edited) Pete My Lucas WFT 576 on the RHS of the boot lid is manually switched, as you say, no gear box switch fitted to TR4's However, Ian C had a body mounted item in addition to his 576. Maybe the 576 was too bright for daily use, when he used 4VC as his daily hack!! Knowing Ian, he may have sorted this problem.............(Ian?) Edited April 30, 2012 by North London Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 When I acquired 4VC in October 1969, it had the two reversing lights as shown in Mike's photo. I cannot say whether the small one (mounted in the rear valance) was fitted by the Works or by Gordon Birtwistle, the Works' test driver, who acquired the car from Triumph early in 1964. The small lamp now fitted is identical to the original, which had rusted away between 1973-1990! The wiring looms in the Works' cars were built specifically for the purpose by a Mr Smith from Joseph Lucas, and include 4 fuse boxes (holding 4 fuses apiece), 4 relays, RB340 regulator (superior to the standard unit) and all the connections for the spotlamps, panic horn button (in front of the navigator), map light, power socket, reversing lamps etcetera. Mr Smith certainly knew his job - the wiring is very neat and has never given me any problems. Neil has a reversing lamp switch on the gearbox top cover on 6VC - I don't know whether he fitted that or whether it was there when he brought the car back from the USA in about 1994/5. The lamp on the bootlid is, strictly speaking, illegal if switched on (it has a 25W bulb) - but jolly useful when reversing! Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Quicksilver Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 How was the reversing light activated? By the reversing light switch ( same type for overdrive) on the gearbox cover leftside. Marcel. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tr4Tony Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 There are two positions on the gearbox to which a reversing light switch can be attached, one as normal using the reverse inhibitor switch or back on the LHS as used by the stag and TR6. Manual switching is simply by wiring in parallel to a dash switch and power. This is very useful. The small lamp on Ian's car was the first incarnation of the reversing light set up used by the factory on the four rally cars and I recall looks like that from a Midget ? There is another in existance which shows the holes in the rear valance when this was fitted, plus some sort of cover plate so Im pretty sure from photo's and physical evidence that this is correct. The larger WFT 576 lamp was used from late 62 onwards when the Mini's and Healeys were doing the same, so I suspect that 4 VC is the only car which had both at some point! Regards Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tr graham Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 I am fitting a new wiring loom to the car it was a LHD one and I have modified it to a sort of RHD format adding cables to the rear and front of the car for Facet pump and electric fan etc etc. The wiring diagram I downloaded and its for a TR4 not a 4A, but I saw a note on the diagram showing wiring for "reverse lights, optional extra" I have now included the wiring but were TR4 cars ever fitted with this option? I cannot recall seeing a 4 with them. pete do not forget tr4 is positive earth and late 4a will be negative Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pfenlon Posted May 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 pete do not forget tr4 is positive earth and late 4a will be negative graham, I have an alternator fitted so it will be Negative earth from now on. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
EdwinTiben Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 The correct lamp is the Lucas L661 as per the Aston Martin DB6 ... TR4's were specified with an 'option' of 1' TR4a with 2. The bracket to hang them under the rear over rider is hard to get but the lamps are common. The TR4 rally cars used a Lucas WFT 576 on the RHS of the bootlid (LHS often on LHD cars for obvious reasons) as these lamps have the large BPF bulb giving a lot more light to see the road you should have gone up in the dark. I'll get my anorak again shall I ? Regards Tony Tony, I have fitted the L661 on my TR4 too. You mention a bracket to fit under the rear overrider. I think this is incorrect, original there were two L661 fitted under the rear bumper, next to the rear overrider on the outer side of the overrider. This is a link to google books of Bill Piggotts" Original triumph..." http://books.google.nl/books?id=roAhcuSXL-sC&pg=PT105&lpg=PT105&dq=piggott+triumph+tr4+reversing+lamp&source=bl&ots=5oC03-Qft-&sig=1I7F1PzS1AD6uSvNdJnNcuRn9SY&hl=nl&sa=X&ei=MnGiT9fmKoGZ-waDp8T0CA&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false I have asked on this forum if anyone has a picture of the bracket, but haven't receive any, so I've created my own. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tr4Tony Posted May 5, 2012 Report Share Posted May 5, 2012 TR4 only specified with 1, TR4a with 2, different brackets as I recall having fitted both ...... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
EdwinTiben Posted May 8, 2012 Report Share Posted May 8, 2012 TR4 only specified with 1, TR4a with 2, different brackets as I recall having fitted both ...... according to the book of Bill Piggott, it just the other way: tr4 2 lamps tr4a fitted with 1. perhaps Bill is wrong ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted May 8, 2012 Report Share Posted May 8, 2012 In my TR4 Parts Book (510978 2nd Edition, 1st printing), it specifies for Reversing Lamp Kit 510706: 2 reversing lamps (128192) for cars to Commission Number CT - but no number is printed! Beneath this, it specifies for Reversing Lamp Kit 511166: 1 reversing lamp (same number) for cars from Commission Number - but, again, no number is printed! No specific mention of any mounting bracket in either Kit, but it might have been included as part of the "Lamp, reverse, assembly", which is how both Part Numbers 510706 and 511166 are described. My TR4A Parts manual (514837 2nd Edition) specifies for Reversing Lamp Kit 511166 just 1 reversing lamp (128192). Ian Cornish P.S. I'll go and hang up my anorak now - it got quite damp at the village May Fair yesterday! P.P.S. An additional use for a manually-controlled reversing lamp is to tell the stupid so & so who has lamps on full beam (and is blinding you) or is too close to your tail, to dip lamps/back off! Unfortunately, nowadays a great many Chelsea tractors are on the roads and these have headlamps mounted so high that, even on dip beam, they are a nuisance for drivers of lower cars. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
North London Mike Posted May 12, 2012 Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 The lamp on the bootlid is, strictly speaking, illegal if switched on (it has a 25W bulb) - but jolly useful when reversing! Ian Cornish .........very useful, most of our reversing is done in daylight so auto RLs not really needed, but when you NEED people to know you're reversing they can certainly see it !! And, as Ian says, very helpful in telling following 'inconsiderate' road users to bugger off (so to speak) PS. fitted mine with a buzzer to warn me its on after driving 20 miles one day with it on and not understanding why I was getting flashed and honked at. Problem was I reversed into my garage, light died with the ignition and when you started of again in daylight it was still on. Sorry officer Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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