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Re: OD Wiring

To: "Skye Poier" <skye@ffwd.com>, "MG Nuts" <mgs@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: OD Wiring
From: Max Heim <mvheim@studiolimage.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2000 15:57:56 -0800
I have (almost) the same conversion in my 66, so I should be qualified to 
advise you...

I have the plain (not crooked) toggle switch on the dash (the crooked one 
cost 3X as much). It is wired in-line with the lockout switch, or, more 
precisely, I ran a wire from the ignition-on fuse to the dash switch, 
then to the lockout switch, and from there to the solenoid. This gives 
you the following switch conditions:

Dash switch ON; Trans in 4 = OD ON 
Dash switch ON; trans in R, 1, 2, or 3 = OD OFF
Dash switch OFF; trans in any gear = OD OFF

I have the Blue Label OD which only operates in 4th gear -- your Black 
Label OD would work in 3rd or 4th gear. The lockout switch is very 
simple. It has a plunger on the bottom which, when contacted by the 
3rd-4th gear transmission shift rod, is depressed, enabling current flow 
to the solenoid (ON position). Otherwise, it is OFF.

I did a rough circuit diagram to get me started -- if you would like to 
see it I could scan it and email it to you. To tell the truth, my circuit 
is a little bit more complex because, in order to fill up a DPO-caused 
hole in the dash next to the OD switch, I wired in a lamp which glows 
when the OD switch is in the ON position (NOT just when the OD is 
operating, but whenever the switch is in the on position -- this is to 
remind me to switch it off). I found this pretty useful; I used a 69 MGB 
ignition lamp to maintain a vintage appearance. [I'm sure this level of 
electrical improvisation will cause me to be cursed as a DPO in due time.]

One good thing about the 66 -- you can remove the transmission tunnel top 
cover to access the OD lockout switch. I ran my wire from the dash 
through a hole drilled in the tunnel that is hidden behind the speaker 
grille surround.

Hope this helps.


Skye Poier had this to say:

>Ah ha! That explains a lot. See, I have a 4sync+OD conversion in my 66 B
>and I wasn't sure how the PO wired it up.
>
>It appears that the soleniod is always on and they simply wired the
>lockout switch to a rocker switch on the transmission tunnel which turns
>the OD on and off.
>
>Does this sound like it would work?
>
>The downside being of course, don't turn the switch on in R/1/2 !!
>I haven't done it yet, its not hard to remember to turn it off since I
>only use it on the highway in 4th.
>
>How did the lockout switch originally activate?
>
>I would like to replace the tacky lighted rocker switch they mounted on
>the tunnel with the proper "crooked" switch on the dash.  Would it be OK
>to hard wire the lockout off and put the switch inline with the solenoid
>power?  What's the "usual" way of wiring up these conversions?
>
>Thanks
>Skye
>
>--
>1966 MGB - GHN3L     Safety Fast!             __,__\__ 
>The MGB Experience   http://www.mgb.bc.ca/   (_o____o_)
>


--

Max Heim
'66 MGB GHN3L76149
If you're near Mountain View, CA,
it's the red one with the silver bootlid.


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