hey, I'm going to be swapping an AW4 auto tranny and I'm going to control it manually with the electronics rather than messing with all the TCU stuff.

I want to find a 3 or 4 button switch that when one is pressed on, any other ones pop out and are turned off. I know I've see ones like this but I've searched Grainger and McMaster-Carr and everything else I can think of.

I'm thinking of one that looks kinda like this, but with 3 or 4 buttons:

http://www.grainger.com/images/products/2EK13.JPG


If I can't locate one of these for a decent price, I'll use a rotary switch, but I would really like to do it this way

thanks for the help

here's one at McMaster Carr that is pretty close to what I'm looking for, does anyone know of any better/different/cheaper?

http://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/109/gfx/large/6748kp4l.gif

I don't have anything to contribute as far as your search goes, but you do realize that the last box you showed will only really have two buttons for gear selections. The stop button is like "park" I would guess. Just disables everything.

I've got my grainger and fastenal catalogs right here, I'll see what I can find.

Ary

Edit: I found this in fastenal, but it's just the housing, no actual switches. http://www.fastenal.com/images/products/703748.gif

Here's the linkSearch results for pushbutton enclosures at fastenal.com (http://www.fastenal.com/shoponline/search/Searching.asp?mA=DSC&tV=pushbutton+enclosure&mC=EC&bS=&iC=4426&bC=Off)

Edit #2: Apparently Grainger won't let me link to a certain product, so just go to www.grainger.com and www.fastenal.com and search for push button or find your way there through the electrical department. I'm going back to sleep now, I'm sick....I think I did a decent amount of research for someone I don't know purely 'cause I was bored :flipoff2: Now get to work, I wanna see pics of this button controlled Aw4 :D

I dont have any suggestion on switches but I do have a question about what you are doing. I have a carbed toyota and want to swap in an auto that is controlled electornically. I think I am wanting to do the same thing you are wanting to do, wire the trans to shift via a switch or switches. Any information on how you tap into the cluster of wires or any tech help/advice would be huge. Thanks

Originally posted by Arya Ebrahimi
I don't have anything to contribute as far as your search goes, but you do realize that the last box you showed will only really have two buttons for gear selections. The stop button is like "park" I would guess. Just disables everything.


I would guess the same, that it would disable everything, which actually would put it in 4th. there are 2 solenoids for the AW4 that control gear selection when the shifter is placed in "D".

#1 on #2 off = 1st gear
#1 on #2 on = 2nd gear
#1 off #2 on = 3rd gear
#1 off #2 off = 4th gear

there is also a 3rd solenoid that controls the torque convertor lockup.

Originally posted by TellicoToy
I dont have any suggestion on switches but I do have a question about what you are doing. I have a carbed toyota and want to swap in an auto that is controlled electornically. I think I am wanting to do the same thing you are wanting to do, wire the trans to shift via a switch or switches. Any information on how you tap into the cluster of wires or any tech help/advice would be huge. Thanks


every tranny is different, and I have no clue how Toy trannys work. if you want to do it to an AW4 from a Jeep XJ/MJ, I could give you details.

Originally posted by Arya Ebrahimi


Edit: I found this in fastenal, but it's just the housing, no actual switches. http://www.fastenal.com/images/products/703748.gif

Here's the linkSearch results for pushbutton enclosures at fastenal.com (http://www.fastenal.com/shoponline/search/Searching.asp?mA=DSC&tV=pushbutton+enclosure&mC=EC&bS=&iC=4426&bC=Off)

Edit #2: Apparently Grainger won't let me link to a certain product, so just go to www.grainger.com and www.fastenal.com and search for push button or find your way there through the electrical department. I'm going back to sleep now, I'm sick....I think I did a decent amount of research for someone I don't know purely 'cause I was bored :flipoff2: Now get to work, I wanna see pics of this button controlled Aw4 :D

I appreciate the effort, but that enclosure isn't what I'm looking for because I need it to deactivate all other buttons when one is activated. In other words, if I have the first one pushed in, then I push the second one, I need it to automatically pop the first one back out.

My last resort will be a rotary switch, which would mean I would pull the shifter to "D" then spin a dial 1,2,3,4 to change gears and have a button to lock the TC. Not an entirely bad idea, but I would prefer buttons.

You mentioned that you searched Grainger, McMaster Carr and more. Did you try hunting through the millions of results at Thomas Register? http://www.thomasregister.com/ I'm not sure there's enough time in a day to sort through all their switch offerings etc. But, it might be worth a try if you are patient. I was bored at work one day and found out the hard way that you can really find almost any goofy thingamajig you can think of in there.

I wasn't familiar with that site, thanks

I've only searched Grainger, McMasterCarr, RadioShack, and just a general Google search.

if anyone knows just of other industrial supply type catalogs, I can do the diggin on my own.

thanks
brett

I would look in the phone book under "Electronic Surplus" & then go to the places & see what you can find.

On grainger's site there was a yellow plastic control box that looked like it was for an overhead hoise system. It had 4 buttons, but I don't know if that sort of thing would require deactivation of one activity to start another, so I don't know if it would accomplish what you wanted. Just another thing I saw.

Ary

How about stripping down a blender or something? Those blender speed control switches are exactly what you're describing.

just do it with relays...it would be simple to do;)

I have pulled several of the switch panels you are describing out of conversion vans in junkyards.
you could also use a 4 position turn knob

JTK, I wouldn't say that it's simple, but I spent a few minutes hacking this out. This is based on the logic table that BrettM gave and assuming that solenoids are active when positive voltage is applied to them.

The buttons should be momentary and the relays are shown as standard Bosch with numbering. They are connected to latch so that tapping a button selects that gear specifically.

I don't have any clue how much current those solenoids pull, but the thicker lines show the wires which carry that current, other wires can be whatever size is convenient. The diodes can be whatever, commonly available are 1N4001/2/3's.

With another relay or two I could add lighted indicators showing which "gear" is currently selected (using lighted pushbuttons would be cool.)

CP8071
http://home.adelphia.net/~conorperry/ManualAuto.jpg

wow, thanks guys, I appreciate the wiring diagram, but that seems like a little more than what I want to deal with.

I like the blender idea!! that could be perfect... I'll have to go get one at Goodwill and tear it apart.

what is the switch from a conversion van for?

if all else fails, a turn knob will be easy...

Originally posted by BrettM
I like the blender idea!! that could be perfect... I'll have to go get one at Goodwill and tear it apart.


"I don't know how fast I was going officer, I was at ice crushing speed." :D

CP8071's pushbutton idea looks the coolest. But if your still interested in in an interlocking style switch:

http://www.meci.com/default.asp?mode=getitems&category=288

That's a 6 position but I bet if you call them they could find a 4 position. They have more stuff than they could possibly list.

http://www.meci.com

I like the blender idea also. After 4 buttons for drive, you still have a few to make frozen drinks.

Leave the blender intact mounted on the tranny hump (Or whatever you have).

Originally posted by shadetreezj

Leave the blender intact mounted on the tranny hump (Or whatever you have).

now that would be funny :D

find a 60s dodge dart or plymouth valiant or maybe a desoto :D

http://www.maxwedge.com/pix/60dartpbauto.jpg

Originally posted by Dan-H
find a 60s dodge dart or plymouth valiant or maybe a desoto :D

http://www.maxwedge.com/pix/60dartpbauto.jpg

that's a good thought, but I need 1,2,3,4 and no need for N or R. I will still have the stock shifter for nuetral and reverse, but when I put it in D (drive) the buttons will be used for shifting through the 4 forward gears.

i went to Goodwill today and they didn't have a blender, I'll check the Salvation Army tommorow...

You might want to look at some of the newer automatic motor homes, I know one that came into the shop I used to work at had a buttons instead of a shifter.

Originally posted by BrettM


that's a good thought, but I need 1,2,3,4 and no need for N or R.

so put different labels on it.

how will you put it in neutral and reverse and park??

Originally posted by Dan-H


so put different labels on it.