MGA! Tech Talk – Delayed Brake Lights on the MGA

Tech Talk
with Bob Shafto, Technical Editor

The brake light switch has been a complaint in the community for at least a decade maybe two. The complaints are early failure due to inferior design and the second complaint is that even with a good switch, it takes hydraulic pressure to activate. So, a light touch on the pedal does not activate the brake light. Several industrious owners have come up with “make it yourself” systems that are activated by brake pedal movement. These systems can be found on MGA forums and https://mgaguru.com/mgtech/electric/et255.htm. The concept is simple and similar to modern vehicle designs that signal an intent to stop using brake pedal movement. To my knowledge, none have of the alternative brake light systems have been approved by safety regulators so as always liability falls on you.

A NAMGAR fifty-year member, Tom Pollak of the Binghamton Classic and Sports Car Club, New York developed one such system for his 1961, 1600 roadster as a kit containing switch, bracket and wire harness, with no drilling, cutting or modifying original MGA equipment. Here is his story.

When we were sitting around after a drive with some club members, someone said to me, “Hey, do you know your brake lights aren’t working.” I had no idea of how long the brake lights weren’t working during normal driving – time to order and install another hydraulic brake light switch for my MGA – for the fourth time!

Rather than just installing the new pressure switch, I started thinking about reliability. Reviewing comments in Barney Gaylord’s, MGA GURU web site and in Mike Ash’s compilation, Tech Sessions from MGA!, MGA owners have been dealing with poorly functioning hydraulic switches for years. Configuring a mechanical switch was suggested by others in years past. The challenge now was how to install a mechanical brake light switch that would replace the hydraulic switch.

After sourcing items that might work and installing and testing the prototype in my car, the brake lights would come on with just a light touch of the brake pedal – every time! After seeing the improvement, it was apparent that every MGA would benefit by upgrading from the pressure switch to a mechanical brake light switch.

The design criteria would have to ensure absolute reliability, make no modifications to existing wiring, locate discretely, be completely reversable, be adaptable to all
models of the MGA and be relatively easy to install.

Simplifying the design required repeated trips to the fabricators and contacts with suppliers. Finally, a prototype which met the design criteria was installed and tested. With this mechanical switch, the brake lights are now able to provide advance warning to the driver behind, of the intention to slow and\or to stop without the delay associated with a hydraulic pressure switch.

The next test was to have another MGA owner install and then review the performance of the mechanical brake light switch kit on their own car. The test subject, with his gorgeous MGA MK2, was given a kit and instruction sheet along with the specified tools to do the installation.

The key questions were, how much effort, how long would it take without other instruction, how visually apparent would the installation be to spectators and judges and most importantly, how much pedal movement was needed as compared to before the installation of the new switch kit?

Fifty minutes and a few MGA stories later, the owner saw that with a touch of the pedal, the brake lights would signal an intention to slow or stop the car. He said, “Now all I have to do is tap the brake pedal and the brake lights come on.”

Now MGA owners can obtain a mechanical brake light switch kit that is easily installed and greatly improves reliability while providing a modern level of brake light performance. Each kit comes complete and requires only simple tools.

There is beauty in simplicity!

Tom Pollak
NAMGAR #424
tompollak@verizon.net

A note from the Technical Editor:
As you may have guessed, this issue of MGA! Magazine is also about building the NAMGAR membership. NAMGAR is more than a register of over 9,000 cars, the board, staff and members are dedicated to serving MGA, Magnette and variant owners with advice and information daily.