The switch shown below popped apart while I was plugging it back in. I'm unsure where to place the 2 ball bearings that fell out. My guess is that they might nest in the dimples on the contact switches encircled in red, but my previous guesses have been mostly wrong! Thanks in advance for any guidance.


Regards,
John
1981 928 Chiffon White over Cashmere A/T (127k)

 

On the ends of the springs i believe. And a bit of dielectric grease or soemthing to keep them in place as you snap it together.


the area circled are the contacts...clean them up with a pen eraser ..deoxit..or a bit of fine sandpaper

 

Thanks Tony!
In the absence of any information to the contrary, I'll try to secure them to the ends of the 2 springs and clean the contacts while the switch is apart.

Regards,
John
1981 928 Chiffon White over Cashmere A/T (127k)

 

Tony is correct - the ***** sit on the springs.
I just replaced the fwd / back switches on my 87 S4. Since the ***** were broken on both seats, I couldn't move the seat to take it out, so I snapped the new switch apart from the new case and popped it into the old case currently in the seat. The problem was getting the ***** to stay in place when turning them horizontal. I was able to get dielectric grease to hold the ***** on the driver's side as I snapped them in, but they wouldn't hold for some reason on the passenger side, so I went a bit further. Both seats are working now.

 

Good old Super Glue....that's what I'll use.
Thanks husker boxster

Regards,
John
1981 928 Chiffon White over Cashmere A/T (127k)

 

Thanks to Tony, husker boxster, and Super Glue, my power seat switch is back together and working perfectly!

Regards,
John
1981 928 Chiffon White over Cashmere A/T (127k)

 

Since you’ve moved on to seat switches, is it safe to assume that you finished your CPS nightmare and that started your car?

 

That would be a NO. I needed a quick win for my sanity so I jumped to fixing the seats. I'm currently working on getting the bolts off the exhaust flanges so I can get to the 2 stupid rear bolts holding the flywheel plate. Of course the exhaust bolts are fused to the flanges.

 

Sorry to hear that. You must own my car’s twin sister as they both seem to have a bad number on them!

I’m wondering if you’ve exhausted every possible way to get the broken CPS out via the top. People have literally ripped / drilled the guts out of their CPS and then pulled what’s left of the shell out via the top.

On the other side, those exhaust bolts will come off. Penetrating fluid and wrenches on either side and a hammer should break the bond. Or two shortish breaker bars on each wrench.

Good luck, you’ll get it either way.

ETA If those exhaust bolts won’t break loose with either technique above, I suppose it is possible that some idiot put LockTite on them at some point in time. Unlikely, but it’s the only thing I can think of that would seize them in place; the bolts on my ‘87 were off in a split second. If it’s LockTite then high heat is the only thing that will work to soften it, or cut them off.

 

Just fixing a duff used switch....the recline wasnt working in one direction.
took the switch apart carefully over a cookie sheet.
took some fine sandpaper and made an L on the end with the abrasive face on both sides..
slide the L under the contact and applied pressure with a small screw driver as i pulled the sandpaper out.

to reassmble.
i used superglue, dipped the end of the spring in a drop on the bench, then added the ballbearing to the top and sprayed insta-set , setting the glue.

to help keep every thing in place i also used wide tounged serving fork and slid it between the toggle and the switch as shown.

Gravity defying ball bearings

serving fork holding tension on rocker


L. Shape sandpaper cleaning contact.

 

Another great use for jackstands. Allows you to get under the seat to work on it easily.
I used may battery charger on a 15 amp setting and some small jumper leads to apply power.