rechroming SWB indicator/Wiper stalks

[67Porsche911S]

The chrome on these are usually of poor quality (like the horn push ring). Did someone ever try to rechrome them? They seem to be riveted to their axis in the stalk housing.
I have a spare set and would try to dismantle them. Has anyone experience with this?

[66S]

I did it with a 356B, same as early 911 as far as I can tell. Drill rivet and replace with small bolt and nut[s]. There is a small rod with 2 ball ends that goes between lever and switch to transmit movement. Dont lose it when it falls out after lever is removed. I did this years ago but it turned out nice.

[67Porsche911S]

The stalks are finished now:

There are some adjustments necessary. The new chrome is much thicker than the original one (and far better quality) so it needs the chrome and copper layer to be removed from the tip end to get the black top back on and at the other end to get the stalk back into the housing. It is the best to carefully cut off the riveted end of the pin with a Dremel so it can be reused. I just locked the pin head with special glue.

[304065]

The stalks are finished now:

There are some adjustments necessary. The new chrome is much thicker than the original one (and far better quality) so it needs the chrome and copper layer to be removed from the tip end to get the black top back on and at the other end to get the stalk back into the housing. It is the best to carefully cut off the riveted end of the pin with a Dremel so it can be reused. I just locked the pin head with special glue.

WOW! Beautiful job.

Micahel, How exactly did you get the black plastic off? I have two sets and they are both pitted and need to go out for plating. I think I can figure out the inboard end.

[67Porsche911S]

John, that's not easy. They are glued on. Warm them up slowly with a heat gun, not too much otherwise they start melting or getting out of shape in your hands. Then try carefully to turn and/or pull them, they tend to crack on the stalk end. Use WD40 or similar. Before you pull the pins check carefully how everything is located. The indicator housing has this tiny rod between the white plastic block and a switch inside the housing, don't loose this. It's a pain to get it back in place later anyway. The wiper stalk has a long spring underneath. It is held on the housing side by the pin and on the other side it sits inside the stalk. If it is mounted improperly you loose the load on the spring to actuate the washer pump. Try to make a close up picture how it goes along. I made a small wooden wedge to press and keep the things in place while I pushed the spring end upwards with a small srew driver to get the pin through all these bits.

[Alan.uk]

Great job!

Alan

[304065]

Ok, I used the dremel tool to take out the pin. Pretty easy. The pin just slides out with a punch and then it takes some fiddling to get the handle off.

Michael, you aren't kidding. LIGHT heat from heat gun is all it takes, if you can't hold the stalk in your bare hand, it's too hot. Some twisting side to side for about ten minutes and you're clear.

[merbesfield]

The rubbers are not available or reproduced?

[304065]

You can buy a new reproduction 356 B/C switch. . . for $449. . . and you would have to change the wires because the 356 uses bullet connectors, instead of cannon plugs. (Well, the SWB 911 uses bullets embedded in gray rubber, I guess you could call that a cannon plug. )

You can buy the 68- soft rubber handles for these switches, 901 552 853 00, about $37 from Stoddard. The earlier ones are hard plastic.

[304065]

I did it with a 356B, same as early 911 as far as I can tell. Drill rivet and replace with small bolt and nut[s]. There is a small rod with 2 ball ends that goes between lever and switch to transmit movement. Dont lose it when it falls out after lever is removed. I did this years ago but it turned out nice.

A little more detail on this. When you look at the switch BEFORE you take it apart, you will notice that on the turn signal switch (the one with the high/low flasher) there is a white plastic block attached to the chrome part. When you pull the chrome part off, you have to remove this block.

The block, in turn, has a cylindrical recess with a spring and a little plunger in it. The end of the plunger has a cup-shaped recess in it. The body of the switch also has a block with a cup-shaped recess with a little coil spring in it. In between these little cup-shaped recesses, there goes a steel pin about 1/4" of an inch long, with balls on both ends. This pin is maybe 1mm in diameter. You must insert the pin between the two cups when you reassemble. The way to do that is put some grease in the cups, that will hold the pin in the switch side, then position the block so the cup goes on the pin. Then you slide on the chrome piece-- it has a rectangular tang that engages a rectangular hole in the block. Use a vise to compress the chrome stalk into the white plastic block.

Do not drop the pin, the spring, the plunger or the block. They are very hard to find.

You will know it's done right when you hear a nice little SNAP when you push the lever forward.

Scratch that project off the list, 91 to go! (not kidding!)