Repairing broken push button shaft...

The Fuxtor

Addicted Member
Anybody successfully repaired a broken push button ( mine is from a 9090, audio muting)??
The spline was snapped off. I tried a small dab of silicone which keeps it in place at least, but it will not be a permanent solution. Is it possible to transplant another spline?
 
Yes sometimes you can transplant if you have a donor switch. Look and see if it the type that has the spring on the front, and the copper plate that holds the locking pin on top. With that type, you need to remove the aluminum C clamp holding the spring, remove the springslide off or lift off the copper, and the locking pin (usually something the diameter of a straight pin, with 90 degree bends on each end). Then the nylon shaft pulls out through the front. Careful of the contacts than sit on the shaft as you slide the replacement Back in, and remember how the locking pin sat in the original.
If its not this kind of switch, shoot out a picture so we can see the type.
 
If that's you spare replacements, I would suggest to try taking one of these smaller switches apart before you work on the one in the unit.
. First remove the spring from the shaft lift the end of the spring to outside of the larger white knob backing plate. Now rotate the spring and it will unthread off of the front of the shaft. That spring is one of the things that hold that white plastic cover on top ot the switch. See if it will now come off the top easily. If not then you need to desolder the contact cleanly using solder wick, so that all contacts are free. Now Bend the metal tabs holding the switch to be removed from the assembly (Near the white plastic top cover). Now that cap should come off. And then I believe the shaft will pull out from the front.

But if you have spare slide switches with the right contact config, just replace the switch (Unsolder, and bend to tabs to allow switch to be removed from the top. You houldn't need to remove the spring, but may need to push it forward to get it off the tab that holds it in place on the metal bar.

Those shafts are made of a nylon type of material, and pretty hard to glue, although JB weld is the best to try with. But I would either use a Dremel drill, very small bit, and drill into both sides making a hole that you can use a length of straight pin as a shaft to hold together, JB weld the pin in, and the broken sides. Another way is to get a pin real hot, use it to make a hole in both sides, and then cut the pin shaft to a length to use to reinforce the shaft, using JB weld as above. Extreme care must be taken with both methods.
 
Thanks! The pin method sounds not bad....
I am gonna see if I can find the same size shaft and desolder it. Never realized that was how they were held in.
One of the two methods should do the trick !
Thanks again.
 
I have a spare switch you can have - the shorter one with two pairs of changeover contacts ie those with two rows of three terminals. They're out of a T80 which I've scrapped for other reasons. PM me if you want one ..
 
I have a spare switch you can have - the shorter one with two pairs of changeover contacts ie those with two rows of three terminals. They're out of a T80 which I've scrapped for other reasons. PM me if you want one ..

Thanks, I'll keep you mind if I find I don't have one!
 
It shouldn't be too hard to find a replacement switch from a donor unit. They are usually just multiple gang double pole switches, DPDT, DP3T, DP4T. Also, super glue would be your best bet for trying to glue it. Silicone or epoxy like JB Weld will make a mess of it.

- Pete
 
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