Leaking reverse switch?

[OldSpool87]

I have a relatively newly rebuilt 915 in my ‘82SC. I noticed a drip almost in the center of the support mount of the box. Looking upwards, it appears to come from what I believe is the reverse light switch. Are these known to leak? What’s the difficulty in replacing?



Thanks!


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[OldSpool87]

Adding marked up picture for clarification:




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[DRACO A5OG]

Best to have engine and gear box out but the other option is to raise the front end as high and safely as possible and working fast do the swap. Take care not to lose the reverse trigger pin when doing the swap.

[OldSpool87]

Originally Posted by DRACO A5OG

Best to have engine and gear box out but the other option is to raise the front end as high and safely as possible and working fast do the swap. Take care not to lose the reverse trigger pin when doing the swap.

Jim,

Are you suggesting to lift the nose so that gbox oil loss is minimized? My thought was to take a stab at replacement when changing gear oil.

Thanks

[Mike Andrew]

Suggest measuring the reverse pin once the switch is out. Many of these have been replaced with trimmed drill bits(thread on that here somewhere) and it may be a tad long. This damages the switch and it begins to leak. My buddy replaced 3 switches before discovering the culprit and just removed the pin. No back up lights but no more leaks. Grinder can make quick work of any excess length.

[KTL]

Probably best to take off the sway bar and trans mount so you can get a good pair of hands on it. Obviously just support the transmission case with a jack or block of wood or whatever.

That rubber boot with the drip on it is indeed the reverse switch. It's got two tabs/ears on it that you pull on to pull the boot off the switch body. Take a close look at the wires and DON'T cut them. They are bullet terminals that press into the switch holes. Carefully pry them out of the switch with a flat blade screwdriver.

The switch itself is easy to replace because it has a hex body on it and it just screws into the trans. Like the guys said, make sure to retrieve the pin with a magnet tool. Once you get the switch out, you'll see the pin is a simple round length of metal with a reduced diameter end on it that engages the hole in the switch body.

Reverse Light Switch Woes

If you'd like, I can show you a picture of how the pin is activated inside the trans. It's crazy how it's a few pins that hit each other and push the contacts inside the switch.

[DRACO A5OG]

Originally Posted by OldSpool87

My thought was to take a stab at replacement when changing gear oil.

Even Better :-)

I would also remove the cross member, support the gear box for easier access. I suggest the Porsche Brand switch, if you can.

[lespaul]

I have a 78 SC. It failed safety inspection in VT because the reverse lights did not light. I read this thread. Fuse is fine, bulbs are fine and the rear brake, turn signal and running lights are fine. Honestly, I don't know whether the reverse lights were ever working during my ownership (VT got more strict in its inspections this year). Before I dig into replacing the switch, I would like to confirm it is the switch that needs to be replaced. I have a multimeter but have limited education on how to use it.

If I remove the two wires in the switch and touch them together with the ignition on, should the reverse lights come on? If this is not a good test, exactly how would I use a multimeter to test the switch? Where would I put the leads to the multimeter, what setting on the multimeter would I use, and what would I look for. Sorry for the dumb questions about using a multimeter. BTW -- can someone recommend a basic resource to help me understand how to use a multimeter properly?

TX

[old man neri]

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+use+multimeter Just pay attention to when they talk about checking for continuity and voltage. Don't worry and amps or resistance for now. You'll need resistance later when you start testing sensors components and you will probably never need amps when working on your car. Your car is 12 volts DC!.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtNMhCzq72M

Put it in reverse, disconnect wires, test the switch to see if you have 'continuity', and go from there. That test will tell you if it is the switch or the wiring.

[lespaul]

Thanks so much. Of course I should have looked on the Web for a tutorial! These links taught me the basics. I will check the reverse light switch and go from there.

Much appreciated.