Hey all. Rebuilt my switch yesterday and wanted to add on to Alans great post:
http://www.e9coupe.com/forum/threads/ac-blower-switch-repair.23382/
Without Alan's post I wouldn't know how to reassemble the switch. This is prob far too long of a post for this switch but thought it would be helpful to someone down the road.
Here's what happened with mine.
1. The switch was not moving well and the threads had been cross/threaded in it's past.
2. I tried to reset the threads, but in doing so the threaded rod came lose ... was already lose but fully came off.
3. The long copper tubes were lose and there was cracks all over the plastic frame.
4. When I opened up the top of the switch all sorts of springs and bearings popped out and went all over my workbench. I was lucky to find all the components.
Tap the tubes out or pry out.
While open, clean out the contacts.
Rebuild:
Step 1:
Rebuild the threaded rod. For this I went to the hardware store and bought a house lamp threaded rod for about $.40. I set it in my drill as a makeshift lathe and milled it down a portion to a very thin amount of material. Key is this threaded rod needs to be pressed into the steel cover and not interfere with the ball bearing movement.
(under the cover you can see the ball bearing paths.)
(threaded rod in the drill for machining)
(Top: threaded rod, machined threaded rod, original threaded rod)
Tap it in
Opposite side ... hammered into place with large screwdriver and then blended down with file. Clears all bearing paths.
Step 2:
Reassemble the pivot switch thingy. There is a spring with a plug and a copper cover that go into the bottom of the switch. You have to hold the whole thing together and down when you place it back into the switch housing. From there you hold it down, add the two longer springs and ball bearings. Close the top of the case and clamp to keep it all together. Be careful clamping this switch, it cracks very easily.
Top image shows the copper piece. Bottom image shows smaller spring and cap on left and two longer/equal length springs and bearings. Insert the small spring and cap into the bottom of the switch and then place the copper piece over it. Hold together and place into switch housing.
Keep a finger on this thing while you place the springs and bearings on top.
Step 3: Place the cover back on and secure w copper tubes or in my case M3x45 screws. These screws are just long enough to get through the housing and accept a nut on the other side.
You may need to drill out the tube paths a bit to accept the M3. Be extremely careful!!! This is plastic and ceramic! The only reason I went this path is my copper tubes couldnt really hold and I wanted to be able to open and close the switch in the future if I had done something wrong in assembly. Essentially making it more fixable.
http://www.e9coupe.com/forum/threads/ac-blower-switch-repair.23382/
Without Alan's post I wouldn't know how to reassemble the switch. This is prob far too long of a post for this switch but thought it would be helpful to someone down the road.
Here's what happened with mine.
1. The switch was not moving well and the threads had been cross/threaded in it's past.
2. I tried to reset the threads, but in doing so the threaded rod came lose ... was already lose but fully came off.
3. The long copper tubes were lose and there was cracks all over the plastic frame.
4. When I opened up the top of the switch all sorts of springs and bearings popped out and went all over my workbench. I was lucky to find all the components.
Tap the tubes out or pry out.
While open, clean out the contacts.
Rebuild:
Step 1:
Rebuild the threaded rod. For this I went to the hardware store and bought a house lamp threaded rod for about $.40. I set it in my drill as a makeshift lathe and milled it down a portion to a very thin amount of material. Key is this threaded rod needs to be pressed into the steel cover and not interfere with the ball bearing movement.
(under the cover you can see the ball bearing paths.)
(threaded rod in the drill for machining)
(Top: threaded rod, machined threaded rod, original threaded rod)
Tap it in
Opposite side ... hammered into place with large screwdriver and then blended down with file. Clears all bearing paths.
Step 2:
Reassemble the pivot switch thingy. There is a spring with a plug and a copper cover that go into the bottom of the switch. You have to hold the whole thing together and down when you place it back into the switch housing. From there you hold it down, add the two longer springs and ball bearings. Close the top of the case and clamp to keep it all together. Be careful clamping this switch, it cracks very easily.
Top image shows the copper piece. Bottom image shows smaller spring and cap on left and two longer/equal length springs and bearings. Insert the small spring and cap into the bottom of the switch and then place the copper piece over it. Hold together and place into switch housing.
Keep a finger on this thing while you place the springs and bearings on top.
Step 3: Place the cover back on and secure w copper tubes or in my case M3x45 screws. These screws are just long enough to get through the housing and accept a nut on the other side.
You may need to drill out the tube paths a bit to accept the M3. Be extremely careful!!! This is plastic and ceramic! The only reason I went this path is my copper tubes couldnt really hold and I wanted to be able to open and close the switch in the future if I had done something wrong in assembly. Essentially making it more fixable.
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