1970 TCS Relay

[Allen N.]

I found a thread from September 22, 2005, by Dave Strickland which stated the following:

"My 70 has the single "573" relay. It is mounted vertically on the firewall just a bit away from the wiper motor on the drivers side. The leads that plug into it are very close to the motor. One of the leads is actually bent to accommodate the plug in lead from interfering with the wiper motor itself. The relay is held in by 2 black dish head hex screws w/ integral washers. The screws go through a large oval dish shaped washer with "goop" around it and into something like a nut plate inside the firewall. (I can't see it). I hope I didn't confuse anyone to much."

My car SN 2664 has the TCS relay mounted exactly the same way (horizontally.) My screws are #10-24 X 5/8" indented shouldered hex head screws. This mounting is different from the AIM which shows it mounted vertically with #14 X 1/2" screws directly into the firewall with no large oval dish shaped washer and no nut plate inside the firewall.

I am looking for more cars with the same mounting system. And I need the finish of the large oval shaped washer and the screws. Mine have been painted black, but I think I am seeing zinc plating where the paint is chipped and under the screws.

Thanks,
Allen

[Bill B.]

Re: 1970 TCS Relay

Allen,

This is what my installation looks like (mid July 1970 5552 car):
TCS Relay.jpg

(photo is rotated 90 degrees - left side of the pic is the top)

The AIM does depict it mounted horizontally (not vertically like mine is).

I have never seen it mounted horizontally from all the 1970's I have looked at over the years ...

The finish of the mounting screws is not correct, as they were corroded and were subject to sandblasting to remove the rust.

Bill B.

[Mark E.]

Re: 1970 TCS Relay

Hi Allen,

It's good to hear your '70 is coming along. When you say "My car SN 2664 has the TCS relay mounted exactly the same way (horizontally.)", did you mean vertically (as Strickland states)?

My '70 #12931 is also mounted vertically and looks similar to Bill's photo except the fasteners have a patina finish. I didn't have the chance to post a photo but let me know if this would help.

[Allen N.]

Re: 1970 TCS Relay

Hi Allen,

It's good to hear your '70 is coming along. When you say "My car SN 2664 has the TCS relay mounted exactly the same way (horizontally.)", did you mean vertically (as Strickland states)?

My '70 #12931 is also mounted vertically and looks similar to Bill's photo except the fasteners have a patina finish. I didn't have the chance to post a photo but let me know if this would help.

Good catch Mark. Yes I meant to say mine is mounted vertically.

Do you know what the original finish was for the large washer and the screws?

Thanks,
Allen

[Allen N.]

Re: 1970 TCS Relay

Anyone looking for this in the 1970 AIM, it is UPC 7 sheet B6.

[Mark E.]

Re: 1970 TCS Relay

Good catch Mark. Yes I meant to say mine is mounted vertically.

Do you know what the original finish was for the large washer and the screws?

Thanks,
Allen

Mine are black oxide or some sort of dark phosphate. I believe they're original to the car.

[Bob I.]

Re: 1970 TCS Relay

Allen,
Part of your questions are addressed in the TIMJ 6th edition page 190.
Bob

[Bill B.]

Re: 1970 TCS Relay

Hmmmmm, begs the question, when did the TCS relay mounting location change? It appears that the AIM and the TIM&JG page 190 depicts a wiper door mounting plate without the TCS relay in that location, however, it looks like the relay is mounted horizontally to the right side in the pic.

Hmmmmmm!

Edit - the TIM&JG on pg. 173 shows the horizontally mounted TCS relay about where the W/S wiper vacuum relay would be mounted.

According to the TIM&JG pg. 189, the vacuum relays were mounted near the master cyl on 1970 and some 71s, where it then moved to the right -side fender apron in some '71 and all '72s.

Sooooo ... my '70 AIM (with a Rev Record date of 2-18-70) depicts horizontal mounting of the TCS ... so I assume the actual production incorporation of the horizontal mounting (and move for the vacuum relay to the inner fender) occurred sometime during the '71 production run?

Seems odd that the AIM sheet would be "incorrect" during the production run of that year's model ...

[Gary B.]

Re: 1970 TCS Relay

Attached is Terry McManmons 70 LT-1. Vin 2161.
Gary Bosselman


20220118_150715.jpg

[Gary B.]

Re: 1970 TCS Relay

Attached is a photo of my 70 LT-1,Vin 14544. The stamped steel cup was painted a semi-gloss black. I think, the screws were a black phosphate, or a darker gray Phosphate.
Hope this helps.
Gary Bosselman



20220118_152139.jpg

[Allen N.]

Re: 1970 TCS Relay

Thank you very much for all the responses.

It is interesting the screw head sizes seem to have changed in the model year. Terry McManmon's VIN 2161 screw heads look smaller than Gary Bosselman's VIN 14544 screw heads. My car VIN 2664 has small screw heads that look like Terry's. My screws are #10-24 X 5/8" with a 5/16" hex head, and they appear to have a black phosphate finish,

Thanks again,
Allen