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Mounting the O.D. switch in the dash of 240

X

xshaunx

New member
Joined
Mar 1, 2003
Location
Raleigh NC
For manual cars.......If anyone is interested in this its easy. PM me if you want more info looks clean and original. works well if you want to use an aftermarket shift knob that wont pull off easily like the stock one.
 
Hey, another NC bricksta.


How about you post more here about that?

I used my horn button to actuate it, as I couldn't stand that damn shift knob. I'd always lose races by being stuck in neutral, shift knob in my hand, going "uhh"
 
I relocated mine to the little panel where the fog light switch is on some models. It looks really good and I was thinking of putting a little sticker that said NOS on it but I decided that was too ricey for my tastes.
 
i want to change the switch to something that would be a little easier to mount, is there a special switch that i have to buy, or will any push botton switch work?
 
Yeah, I moved mine up by the fog light. I just bought some crappy switch wit a little red LED at autozone, but I learned the hard way that some switches definetely need to be grounded. We popped a few fuses before we figured out that our ground wire wasn't making good contact.
 
you do have to be careful what switch you use. a normal off/on toggle will not work! the switch has to be a momentary switch and for anyone who doesnt know what that is.. its a switch that only makes contact for a moment. as in when you push it, it makes contact but when you take your finger off it releases contact. The switch only has to suply the relay with power for a second....... the real "switch" is the relay.....

I used my switch from the shift knob but mounted it in the plate in the middle of the dash where the AC thermostat switch was mounted. that panel is 2 pieces and with a little cutting the OD switch was right at home. I used a piece of car stereo mounting adaptor kit to make a new cover to take the place of the thermostat cover (even has the right texture). looks great and is in the middle of the car close to where it should be. I have plans to use some letter punches and heat them and melt an O and a D in the panel then use a tooth pic to paint it white to make a good OEM look to it. by the way my car is a 240 so im not so sure where the 'best" place to put it in a 7 or 9 series car. I did this because I have pulled the shift knob off one to many times and even pulled the wire connectors off once.
 
I istaled a switch above the reverse detent, so when you lift the reverse collar, it makes a contact. I've got my dads Alfa Romeo knob on there.

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I used an '84+ rear defrost switch - it's momentary, so it works. I just popped the light and pictogram out.
 
I got a switch from radio shack for about $2 it has a large black button a looks great next to the a/c contrl. My shifter knob used to land in the back seat. :roll:
 
what sort of aftermarket knob will fit on the volvo shiter? I've never tried.
 
I had a few ocassions long ago when the shift knob pulled off. Then I got a new one - doesn't come off anymore! So replacement is a viable option.

The setup of the 164 w/M410 was pretty cool - a second lever just in front of the wiper stalk for quick flicking in-n-out of OD. Almost like an early paddle shifter!
 
disconnect the reverse lock out and get rid of the chrome tube that sits over the stick that is connected to the tranny and get a nice sparco or momo shift knob with 3 set screws to hold it on to the post. the knob will be slightly lower also
 
Hey, has anybody with a sedan tried using the wiper stalk off a wagon and using the rear washer button for the OD? I'm getting sick of the busted knob thingy too - right now there's no knob and one of the wires broke, so you hafta ground out the switch. Very annoying.
 
I'm just a little worried about downshifting to first gear and accidentally hitting reverse instead! That could be deadly! But wait, I don't have that much longer on my M46 anyways... Hmmm....
 
xshaunx said:
you do have to be careful what switch you use. a normal off/on toggle will not work! the switch has to be a momentary switch...
Click to expand...

Same action as a toggle if you turn it on, then off quickly.

I would go with a defrost rocker switch, as mentioned above. The early 240's had toggle-type switches for the defrost, but most 240s will have the rocker style.

I mounted a Momo knob on my stock M47 shift level by clamping the lever with locking vise grip pliers, then slipping the knob on, then releasing the vise grips. Because the hollow tube is shaped like a 'C' with a gap, it will close up a little, enough to get the knob on, then expand to FIRMLY hold the knob in place. I can't even spin the Momo knob, nor can I remove it easily.
 
can i use the foglight switch itself as the overdrive switch? cuz i dont have foglights, but do have the switch on the panel there. Does that switch work as an on/off switch the kind that doesnt stay on? cuz if it is then i could just use that and not do any modding really. I do dislike the stock shifter, it doesnt shift smoothly at all, compared to my friends sweat subaru legacy gt. his is like butter and mine feels like shit
 
I don't think the foglight switch will work - it needs to be a "momentary" switch, like the later defroster switch. Snag one out of a junk yard, should be a cheap item.
 
i just thought of something, if i were to do all that and get a new shift knob what would i do about the lever for the reverse gear? ive looked around online for sales of knobs and none of them seem to have that. how would i go about incorporating that into an aftermarket shift knob
 
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