Today I replaced the failing turn signal switch; the plastic pivot inside has been getting worse and worse till yesterday it refused to give any left turn signals unless I pressed in on it with my thumb whiel it was switched over to the left signal. :/
I've got a box of switches that IIRC my dad had saved from some piece of mainframe computer equipment decades back, and gave me in a box maybe 20 years ago? Not sure anymore, but I've used a fair number of them for things over the years.
Most are On-Off-On DP3T center-off types, a few are On-On-On DP3T, a few more are On-Off-On DPDT and 4PDT types that only toggle to two positions, not to center. Most of the above are toggles, a few are rockers. There's also some momentary NO switches with built in bulbs, and some assorted other types. All of them are about as old as I am, from the late 1960s.
For turn signals, the On-Off-On DP3T CO works best; in toggle form, so I can switch it with my thumb. It's a little metal stick-toggle type, with a rubber cover over it (not waterproof, but will work for my purposes).
First up was removing the control unit from the bars,
View attachment 9
which meant removing the grip, throttle, and one of the brake levers on the left side (the brake light), to get the unit off and remove the defective switch from the control unit, without breaking any of the rest of the unit's switches/etc...which I almost managed. I did damage the one on top that switches all the downlighting; now it only engages if in-between the on and off positions, and I can't see anything wrong with it's contacts or mechanism. :/ At least it does still work and it will stay in that position, but if it fails I'll have to replace that, too (or just wire around it, as I don't turn the downlighting off very often).
Then removed the old switch bits
View attachment 7
View attachment 5
Had to scrape out a bit of material here and there to fit the new turnsignal switch body fully into the unit.
Then I soldered in the wires with it in-place, because I couldn't hold the switch, the wires, and the soldering iron and solder, so with the unit mounted on the end of the bar, and the switch mounted in the unit, it was much easier with only three things to juggle.
Reinstalled the control unit, brakelight lever, and throttle,
View attachment 1
but I put new grips on as the ones I had before were mismatched, and the crappy rubber one on the right side has always slipped slowly off over a ride and had to be moved back up each time. :/ The one on the left was actually a good grip, with finger-indents/ridges, by Schwinn, and is teh same as the ones on CrazyBike2; all three are from the late 1960s or early 70s--but I don't have a fourth, and don't want to move one from CB2. So I just put a new matched pair on there, from a box of throttles/grips I got some time back. They aren't the greatest, but they'll do, since I don't rest my weight on them at all due to the handlebar and seat configuration.
I also did a bit of work on the left front turn signal housing, which has been broken apart between the housing and the mount for a long time, and held together with electrical tape. Until I get a replacment (or make something), I'll use it as it is; for now I used an old soldering iron and melted the plastic housing to the plastic mounting. I think it's ABS plastic, but it doesnt' work well with the solvent-based glues I have, so none of them I've tried ahve fully bonded the parts together. Melting, however, worked. Might still break off again; we'll see. STill better than it was.
I almost got to mounting the car horns on there, but it got too hot and humid for me, and I had to go in for a while, then I dozed off sitting here typing this up. Now there's a storm moving in, so dunno if I'll get to the rest of the stuff tonight.
EDIT: with the high gusty winds I didn't get antyhing else done on the trike out there last couple of hours; but teh storms are just passing us to south and north and east but nothing over the main part of the valley itself except tempe/mesa/southeast of there. Winds are died down, no rain, not even sprinkles, here.
I've got a box of switches that IIRC my dad had saved from some piece of mainframe computer equipment decades back, and gave me in a box maybe 20 years ago? Not sure anymore, but I've used a fair number of them for things over the years.
Most are On-Off-On DP3T center-off types, a few are On-On-On DP3T, a few more are On-Off-On DPDT and 4PDT types that only toggle to two positions, not to center. Most of the above are toggles, a few are rockers. There's also some momentary NO switches with built in bulbs, and some assorted other types. All of them are about as old as I am, from the late 1960s.
For turn signals, the On-Off-On DP3T CO works best; in toggle form, so I can switch it with my thumb. It's a little metal stick-toggle type, with a rubber cover over it (not waterproof, but will work for my purposes).
First up was removing the control unit from the bars,
View attachment 9
which meant removing the grip, throttle, and one of the brake levers on the left side (the brake light), to get the unit off and remove the defective switch from the control unit, without breaking any of the rest of the unit's switches/etc...which I almost managed. I did damage the one on top that switches all the downlighting; now it only engages if in-between the on and off positions, and I can't see anything wrong with it's contacts or mechanism. :/ At least it does still work and it will stay in that position, but if it fails I'll have to replace that, too (or just wire around it, as I don't turn the downlighting off very often).
Then removed the old switch bits
View attachment 7
View attachment 5
Had to scrape out a bit of material here and there to fit the new turnsignal switch body fully into the unit.
Then I soldered in the wires with it in-place, because I couldn't hold the switch, the wires, and the soldering iron and solder, so with the unit mounted on the end of the bar, and the switch mounted in the unit, it was much easier with only three things to juggle.
Reinstalled the control unit, brakelight lever, and throttle,
View attachment 1
but I put new grips on as the ones I had before were mismatched, and the crappy rubber one on the right side has always slipped slowly off over a ride and had to be moved back up each time. :/ The one on the left was actually a good grip, with finger-indents/ridges, by Schwinn, and is teh same as the ones on CrazyBike2; all three are from the late 1960s or early 70s--but I don't have a fourth, and don't want to move one from CB2. So I just put a new matched pair on there, from a box of throttles/grips I got some time back. They aren't the greatest, but they'll do, since I don't rest my weight on them at all due to the handlebar and seat configuration.
I also did a bit of work on the left front turn signal housing, which has been broken apart between the housing and the mount for a long time, and held together with electrical tape. Until I get a replacment (or make something), I'll use it as it is; for now I used an old soldering iron and melted the plastic housing to the plastic mounting. I think it's ABS plastic, but it doesnt' work well with the solvent-based glues I have, so none of them I've tried ahve fully bonded the parts together. Melting, however, worked. Might still break off again; we'll see. STill better than it was.
I almost got to mounting the car horns on there, but it got too hot and humid for me, and I had to go in for a while, then I dozed off sitting here typing this up. Now there's a storm moving in, so dunno if I'll get to the rest of the stuff tonight.
EDIT: with the high gusty winds I didn't get antyhing else done on the trike out there last couple of hours; but teh storms are just passing us to south and north and east but nothing over the main part of the valley itself except tempe/mesa/southeast of there. Winds are died down, no rain, not even sprinkles, here.