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Possible alternative to the floor mounted dip switch


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Personaly I am quite happy with the floor mounted one, but I know some people would prefer an alternative.

While at the Horsley Towers Classic car show yesterday, I noticed a Triumph Roadster had the almost same control hub in the steering wheel as the sidescreen TR's.

except it had a switch at the bottom. It sruck me that this switch was probably for dipping headlights, & if not, then it could be used for that purpose anyway, even if it meant using a relay.

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Bob.

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When I took my control head apart to clean it up I noticed that there were spaces for another switch moulded to the top (or maybe bottom) of the case. It panicked me a bit at first because I hadn’t got anything to fit there and thought I’d lost some bits.

I did a bit of investigation and found pictures like the one that Bob has showing a switch on the bottom.

Although the “cut-out” for the actual switch lever is not there, there is still evidence of where it should go on the inside of the moulding.

I’ll look later if I have another one in pieces so I can take some pictures of inside the case.

Of course, it would mean 3 more wires to fit in the stator tube. (Not easy.)

I think the same control head was used in quite a few 1950's cars.

 

Charlie.

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DipSwitch.thumb.jpg.860b3c4d998e98c762b4b2732bae9ba4.jpgHere are photos of a Roadster head (Taken from the internet) and bits from my 3A spares box.

Interestingly the dip switch only uses two of the copper strip slots and three of the nut holes.

Slightly to the left of the dipswitch is another slot for a copper strip and two more holes.

I wonder what else was switched from the head?

 

Charlie

Bob, I guess that one of the copper strips in the picture must go to the earth connection inside the head then.

The right hand strip looks  like it goes to the earthy side of the horn switch

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WP_20210906_10_05_10_Pro.jpg

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12 minutes ago, John Morrison said:

Plus another thing to catch on clothing?

John.

Well only if your slumped over the wheel! :blink:

Stuart.

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Ah you see, the reply of an Alpha Male, not allowing for the rotundness of many, who despite this affliction, still desire driving a sidescreen car up't North, topless, and thus needing several layers of clothing to survive!

John

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1 minute ago, John Morrison said:

Ah you see, the reply of an Alpha Male, not allowing for the rotundness of many, who despite this affliction, still desire driving a sidescreen car up't North, topless, and thus needing several layers of clothing to survive!

John

:lol::lol::lol::lol::rolleyes:

Stuart.

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When I rewired my 3A I used modern "Thin wall" cable in the stator tube.. Amazing how much thinner it is OD for the same current rating.

I do wonder though how they did it with the Triumph Roadster.

 

Charlie.

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No idea, Charlie, but a similar problem with the later TR6 etc overdrive switch in the gear knob.    The hollow gearstck was so narrow that only wires with varnish as insulation could be used.     Inevitably, that wore through in time, and shorted out, either to the stick (blown fuse) or the other wire (intermittent O/d!)

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6 hours ago, Charlie D said:

When I rewired my 3A I used modern "Thin wall" cable in the stator tube.. Amazing how much thinner it is OD for the same current rating.

I do wonder though how they did it with the Triumph Roadster.

 

Charlie.

Just been shown a stator tube that is bigger diameter than the one fitted to a TR.  The owner had tried to fit it in a TR2.     So that might be a clue.

Peter W

 

Edited by BlueTR3A-5EKT
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13 hours ago, BlueTR3A-5EKT said:

Just been shown a stator tube that is bigger diameter than the one fitted to a TR.

Peter,

I  (foolishly) assumed that the Roadster used the same steering box as the TRs. (Including the outer tube and stator tube.)

Apparently not.

I investigated and discovered that the Roadster used a Marles box, which is very different. No doubt two of those differences are a larger diameter outer tube and stator tube.

Learn something new every day.

I think the TR steering box was made by “Cam Gears”.

 

Charlie

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