neutral indicator switch

[bassa99]

Hi all, I am attempting to adjust neutral light switch so light goes of when in gear. Looking at this old tractors suggestion I am not quite sure where to bend brass arm. Should I bend tip only or bend flat area to get adjustment correct. I also see it appears brass arm is making contact about mid way on piece. 1974 Eldorado model.
Thanks for any input,
Allan 

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

You bend it where the flat piece is held in the round metal piece.

[bassa99]

Thank you Charlie. I will go after it now. I was bending it in mid way point with no success.

[bassa99]

Charlie  I should ask how much bend is might be required. I had it bent around 30 degrees and light was still on in gear. I don't want it hitting something inside and doing damage.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Normally it's almost perfectly straight (no bend) or a very slight bend at most.

[bassa99]

The switch seems to me not working. I took it out of transmission hooked up wires and held it in hand with no contact to metal light was on, touched
 it to transmission block and light stayed on. I don't need light to function as intended but would rather have light off when riding.
Thanks again.
Allan

[wirespokes]

The neutral wire makes a ground connection when the transmission contacts the flat copper strip. If the light stays on with the switch removed (or the wire unhooked from the switch), then that wire is making a ground connection somewhere before that.

[bassa99]

Wirespokes, thanks for info, now i will try and chase that down.

[Kiwi_Roy]

Can you post a picture of this switch.
The only gearbox I've had apart just had a brass contact that touched a bump on the shift drum.

[John A]

https://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=55&products_id=2970&zenid=e567fd1284d43e3e06e1d4b3b1a259e1
Here is one

[Kiwi_Roy]

https://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=55&products_id=2970&zenid=e567fd1284d43e3e06e1d4b3b1a259e1
Here is one

Thats not a switch, it's just a contact i.e. half a switch, no moving parts inside it at all.
Its set to be just clear of the shift drum by a mm ir so, in the neutral position a salient dimple on the drum touches the tip and grounds it turning on the light, you will see this said dimple on the shift drum in Johns booklet on about page 17 or 18
http://www.thisoldtractor.com/guzzitech.dk/pdf/gearbox-rebuilding-john-noble.pdf

[bassa99]

Can you post a picture of this switch.
The only gearbox I've had apart just had a brass contact that touched a bump on the shift drum.

Wrong terminology on my part Roy. Contact is what I had apart.

[Kiwi_Roy]

Wrong terminology on my part Roy. Contact is what I had apart.

It's not just you, its referred to as a switch by others as well e.g. MG Cycle which is confusing, owners may be fooled into thinking the brass strip is just a mechanical actuating arm, its much simpler than that.
You just need to bend it so it doesn't quite touch the drum but makes contact with the Neutral bump (the other half of the switch), as far as I know there's no way of adjusting it once installed, at least on my 72 Eldorado theres not.
Perhaps adjust it for open with the box in top gear.

[Rich A]

I seem to recall that someone, maybe Greg Fields, suggested rotating the thing 180 deg, so that the bent side made contact w the drum.

(Ooops that's Field, not Fields)

Rich

[berniebee]

I seem to recall that someone, maybe Greg Fields, suggested rotating the thing 180 deg, so that the bent side made contact w the drum.

Rich

Right on.

(From T.O.T.:)
Removal and replacement

The neutral indicator has a curve/bend at one end. When installing the indicator, the curved/bent portion of the indicator should point down.

As an alternative, the indicator can be installed with the bend facing up. Then, take care to adjust the bend so that it just makes contact with the nub on the shift drum. Doing so will make the neutral indicator light much more precise. (My Italics) Greg Field provided this tip.

[LesP]

The knub on the shift drum is over 2 mm in height so there is some leeway from rubbing on the drum and making a decent switching contact.
I like to make things complicated but that 'roundy side looked good to go long term, roundy side sliding over roundy thing.