Torsion level switch - broken wire repair

Posted by Peter Packard On 2007/3/26 6:13:12

Hi all , I have a 56 Patrician and recently it sat down at the rear and would not come back to normal height. I switched off the system, put the vehicle on a hoist and discovered that the UP limit switch was open circuited. Immediately adjacent to the up switch (beside the tailshaft) the plastic was ok but it felt a bit soft and sure enought the copper underneath was broken. I checked out the availability of NOS switches and they are about $175 which is OK except that they are also 50 plus YO. I decided to repair and cut the remaining wire about 4 inch from the switch. I put the switch in a lathe and spun the swage off the end to allow the switch to come out. What a well made and solid switch! I soldered new wires onto the contacts, roughed up the interior of the casing with 180 grit, mixed up some 5 minute Araldite which I coated the switch block internals with. Pulled the new wires and block into the housing and left it for 24 hours to set. I fitted snap connecters to the wires and did not have to disconnect anything from the torsion switch box. It works extremely well and I would do it again anyday. i hope that this has been of some help Peter Toet