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On dash left-right directional switch.

B

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Jim, no way that part will do me any good. All the dimensions are wrong and basically not compatible. But it sure gets me pointed in the right direction. I now have a destination, just have to figure out the route. Many, many thanks. I was dead in the water.

Bill
 
loose_electron

loose_electron

Donation Time
Bill Blue said:
Does anyone know how (or when) the Triumph TR6 switch actually cancels? I haven't a clue. About the only way I can see how to make this switch to work would require about 1/2 turn of the steering wheel and the cancellation would happen as the wheel is being turned into the turn, not as it is returning to center. Is that even close to how they operate?

BTW, got pictures, but cannot do anything with them. Just love opaque technology.

Bill
Click to expand...
The Triumph switch has two little cam lobes on the device, that when you rotate the wheel in one direction it passes thru (think turning wheel after putting turn signal on) and when you turn the wheel back, it cancels off the turn signal. The other cam lobe does the same thing for turning in the opposite direction.
 
B

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Jerry, my problem is that if the turn signal switch is turned "ON" while the steering wheel is set for any significant amount of turn in the new direction, the point of the appropriate cam stabs the Alpine cancelling tang. The natural result of the mismatch in parts size. To make matters worse, the "wrong" part (TR6) is small where it should be big. I think I am going to have to make new ends for the cams and solder them onto the old cams. The new cams will have to be reshaped so they will always slide over the tang when the switch is turned "ON". Will also reshape the tang to minimize it's profile, which should help.

'Taint easy with only half a brain. Remember the Tinman's song, "If I only had a brain"? That's me. I see a problem and it's like looking into a bucket of paint. So seeing the clearances involved and knowing for sure how the TR6 switch is supposed to operate gives me a definite target and is a tremendous help.

Bill
 
260Alpine

260Alpine

Silver Level Sponsor
Bill, Early MGB has similar cams. Homemade canceller made from bolt ground down with nut and washer for spacer.Turn Signal Cancel Tang.jpg
 
DanR

DanR

Diamond Level Sponsor
Jim, Could that "flat" spot catch the return ends and cause a fluke accident damaging the switch?

The bolt would be a neat way to create a canceller! Is it welded on to the outer column?
 
DanR

DanR

Diamond Level Sponsor
Why is it missing? Removed or lost ?

Sure hope Mr Bill sees this too!

Jim, You stated: Dan, Original MGB had a similar rectangular head bolt that fit a hole in the shaft.

DOn't think the Alpine Outer Column has enough space to accommodate a nut inside....I will have to give that a good look see! Especially with my modification for the Electric Power Steering (ESP) and telescoping option.

Many thanks for those PIC's.
 
B

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
IMG_5439.JPG IMG_5440.JPG IMG_5441.JPG All this chatter and seeing the various cam shapes has been very helpful. There is a whole lot going with springs and cams! I think it will be easiest for me to make a pair of cams and modify the Alpine knock-off tang. I see no reason it would not work.

Bill
 

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B

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Top photo above is the TR switch clamped onto the Alpine steering column. Things may look a little unfamiliar as I have made a new upper steering column bearing. Barb got tired of hearing the constant rattle of the stock bearing. The plastic seems to be working okay. You can see that while the TR switch is mounted, it hardly "fits".

Second photo is with the Alpine knock-off tang mounted. Looks like it might work!

Third & fourth photos, sorry for the duplicates, but that's life. Only in your dreams. The upper signal cam is firmly lodged against the upper knock-off cam. Gonna make new cams that extend almost all the way to the steering shaft and see what happens.

Bill
 
65beam

65beam

Donation Time
Bill,
An easier solution is to not use the directional. My mother- in-law reminds me that I don't use them every time I take her somewhere.
 
B

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
I don't use directional signals all the time, only about 99.9% and that is not going to change. I need all the help I get to keep the Alpine uncrumpled. It seems that I am not really into "easy". If I was, there never would be a Duratec powered Alpine.

Dan, same bushing, only I decided there is a distinct possibility the strapped on turn signal switch would distort distort the bushing and increase friction. So I made a new bushing to fit into the old bearing shell to add some rigidity. Can't say it is effective, but I tried.

Bill
 
B

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
Finally got the house cleared of those pesky grandkids and started making chips. After several hours, one cam is completed, the profile is going to work great, I see little to no chance of any operating interference. Have to make the second cam, then do something about the horn contact. The Alpine knock off tang works fine, requires rebending and maybe reshaping of the tang, depending on personal preference.

In the meantime, is anyone interested in doing this? I'm thinking about making some cam blanks. They would be predrilled with the outline of the cam painted on. Finishing them would be handwork, mostly filing. Time consuming, but not hard if you have files and a vise. Most of my time was spent generating the proper shape. That was very time consuming.

Bill
 
260Alpine

260Alpine

Silver Level Sponsor
Bill, I think you are doing a great job figuring out a reasonable, affordable solution. My question is how do you replace the cams, aren't they rivited on?
 
B

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
No. They are mounted on what appear to be very coarse thread screws, pushed into the nylon body. They pull out, might need the help of a flat blade screwdriver to do a little prying. There's probably a name for them, maybe they are small screw nails.

Bill
 
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