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MG MGB Technical - Reverse Light Switch

The reverse light switch on my 80GT has just failed after only 27 years. Another unreliable Lucas product.

This is just to say thanks to everyone whose contributions I found in the archives. These helped me eliminate the wiring and connectors and to identify the switch as the source of the troubles.

To add my own 2 euros worth, the switch was very tight in the box after all that time. Instead of dropping the gearbox mounting to gain space I was able to undo it in situ with an oil filter removing strap. I aligned this by adding a couple of wobble extension bars to the rachet, but it would probably have worked with a simple extension.

Hope this saves someone a little time and trouble

Vic
V Todman

Vic - Another unreliable Lucas product. You would think that they could have made something that would have lasted much better than that ;) Just wait until you see the replacements that are available for Lucas parts. I had one replacement brake light switch last all of two weeks. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Useful tip about the strap, but if you have a chain-type oil-filter wrench then they have to be aligned exactly, as I found out when trying to remove a 1500 midget oil-filter which is angled, and a link broke. I'm still agonising over whether to splash out on a new strap-type, or a link from the local bike shop.
Paul Hunt 2

Do the reversing lights have to work for the MOT?
Ron
R. Algie

Ya know......I keep reading these posts that say the back up lights switch on the gear box is unaccessible without some difficulty.

I don't understand as I replaced mine on my 73B roadster very easily by reaching up with a large open end wrench. Does anyone think my gearbox is somehow misaligned?????

Thanks,
BH
BH Davis

I can't see anything about it in the two MOT manuals I know about (http://www.bobmckay.co.uk/Frame2.html and http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual/contents.htm). But I do know that if you have a *manual* reversing light switch, you must also have a warning lamp by the switch, and I can't see reference to that either, so maybe I have missed it.
Paul Hunt 2

The MOT checklist doesn't list reverse lights specifically. I just noticed they were dead and wondered if the bulbs needed changing. Before I knew it I was under the car with my forearms coated with old oil and road dirt. At least that area is clean now so it won't be so messy replacing the switch if it fails early.

The replacement switch has a large hex head, I think I could have loosened it with an open wrench. The original however was cylindrical and I couldn't get to it with a Mole wrench.
Cheers
Vic
V Todman

I don't know the rules, but do know that my GT has passed plenty of MoTs with dodgy reversing lamps. The rule with auxilliary lamps is usually that they have to work if fitted. Since reversing lamps were not a legal requirement in 1970, it should be easy enough to take them off for an Mot test!

Neil
Neil22

Thanks for the info, it's actually my daily driver [Alfa 147] not the B which has the knackered reversing light, when I went to replace the bulb the one in situ was OK, it's about as much use as a chocolate teapot anyway so if I don't need to fix it, all to the good.
Ron
R. Algie

This thread was discussed between 15/10/2007 and 18/10/2007

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGB Technical BBS is active now.