Bay rotary switch

[cleaning up mud]

that's why I bought a battery powered dremil tool to grind the knob off.

 

[cleaning up mud]

that doesn't help

 

[copperglobe]

A little off subject to this thread.... I have been having what seems to be a major problem with my 8 position Electroswitch actually seizing up. The back side of the switch is fine, it is where the rotary knob connects to the switch. There is some grease from the factory that seems to collect dirt and soap that causes the problem. Once I take off this portion of the switch, the internals spin fine. I have been using this brand switch for over 25 years and never had this problem until about four years ago. The only change I made was removing my heat tape from inside the coin box. The switches give me no indication that they are going to seize right up to the point of seizing. I have replaced at least 20 different switches over the past 4 years. Before this, I replaced only 3 or 4 over 20 years. Is there a manufacturing problem, or do you think it could actually have something to do with the heat tape removal?

I have the same problem with the switches seizing up. However, this is what I do and I've been doing it for years. The only time I replace these switches is when they wear out in the contacts.

What I do: Take off the black knob (or whatever knob you use). Drill a hole that is slightly larger than the straw of a WD-40 can (don't know the size). Drill this hole as close as you can to the nut that is used to secure the switch to your door- right into the threads and drill it all the way through the threads until you penetrate and touch the shaft- drill it at an angle back into the shaft. Drill the hole at the "12 o'clock" position; right on top.

With this hole, whenever the switch stiffens up, take off the black knob. Take WD-40 and spray into the hole and rotate the shaft around and around, back and forth. Do this a couple of times and you'll see liquid and rust coming out of the thread section. Then, after the WD-40 put a couple of drops of good machine oil into the hole and do the same thing again with the shaft; rotating it around and around.

You'll notice that the shaft rotates much easier but you'll notice that the shaft rotates easier still the next day after it sits overnight soaking. I do this about every year or so and this extends the life of the switches for years and years.

Hope this helps.

 

[2Biz]

I dont mess with taking them off, I use the same time-honored technique as many of us use for replacing vac brushes. Crush it off with channel-lock pliers and replace it with a new one.

The knobs I use have a brass insert. So even after crushing the plastic part with vise grips, you still have this nice little brass peice to get off. And because I'm at this point anyway (The allen set screws are stripped), I just cut the shaft off with a cutoff tool and replace the whole switch.

The last post about drilling a hole at 12 o'clock in the shaft housing has me thinking...Will the hole allow more water to get in to the shaft? I'm wondering if putting the hole in at 6 o'clock would work better? You can still get the WD 40 hose in it, but may be a little harder to get the oil in. Maybe a little oil pump like this would work?

http://www.harborfreight.com/4-oz-flexible-spout-oil-can-1106.html

 

[I.B. Washincars]

That sounds like a bunch of trouble for a $20-30 switch that needs to be replaced once every few years. Also, when I replace one, if the knob doesn't come off easily I just crush it with vise-grips and break the shaft off at the same time.

 

[mjc3333]

Thanks for the reply. I will try this drilling technique the next time a switch seizes. There has to be a different way they manufacture the switches from years ago. Up until about 4 or 5 years ago I NEVER replaced a switch... not once in 20 years. The problem I have with the switch seizing up is the switch gives no indication that it is about to seize until it actually does, which by then, the customers get angry that it is "stuck" on one option.

 

[2Biz]

I'm wondering, has anybody ever experimented with putting a few 1/4" I.D. O-rings between the knob and housing to help keep water out? Its not a huge deal to change a switch out, just trying to come up with options to make them last longer. I had a switch seize once and it spun in the face plate that wadded all the wires up inside the box. Could have been a real mess if I wasn't there when it happened.

 

[MEP001]

I'm wondering, has anybody ever experimented with putting a few 1/4" I.D. O-rings between the knob and housing to help keep water out? Its not a huge deal to change a switch out, just trying to come up with options to make them last longer. I had a switch seize once and it spun in the face plate that wadded all the wires up inside the box. Could have been a real mess if I wasn't there when it happened.

Etowah Valley sells a retainer nut with a rubber seal that should work better than o-rings.

I've also seen the result of the switch seizing up, then an idiot customer grabbed vice-grips to twist the whole switch until every wire was twisted off inside.