QuestionHoward,
I have a 77 MGB which was reassembled by the PO from boxes, therefore the wiring is really a bloody nightmare. He bypassed the hazard switch and directly wired the turn signals to a three-way switch. The hazard switch appears fine, I have pulled it and cleaned it, but since it has been by-passed, I don't know if it works. Because the wiring has been amended so much, the standard colors don't much up, he put in black and red wires, etc. I want to rewire the hazard-signals loop to use the still good hazard switch and the original turn signal switch, as the wires are complete and the horn works fine. So, my question is if I rewire this from scratch, following the Haynes diagram, what gauge wiring will I need? What flasher relays will work, I have a couple of new, unopened 552, two-pole relays, wil these work?
AnswerHi Bill,
You can use 14 gauge wire for all of the turn signal wiring. You only need one flasher unit (not really a relay) The flasher unit works on the resistance of the bulbs in either the right or the left turn signal lights including the turn signal warning lights. When a load is applied by the bulbs, a by-metal strip inside the flasher unit heats up and warps and brakes the circuit and the strip quickly cools and makes the circuit again. There is only one flasher unit that is used for the turn signals. Your car does have a second flasher unit but that is for the 4 way flashers only.
I don't know anything about your relays. However, I never heard of a two pole relay. Are they flasher units that you are calling relays? Most later flasher units are two pole. Only the earlier MGs had a three pole flasher unit.
If they are flasher units. You can test them by routing power for either the right side or left side turn signals through one of these "552" units to see if the lights flash and how fast they flash. You can even change the Wattage of the bulbs to get a different flash rate. Higher Wattage bulbs will give you a faster flash rate.
Howard
