Air step mercury switches

[Don Bradner]

The light which indicates that my step is extended began staying on last week. A
bit of investigation shows that the part which should contact the mercury
switches has broken off. It is attached to the end of the air piston rod, and a
small piece of it remains on the other side.

I don't think it should be too hard to fabricate, but I don't know at all what
it looked like - flat piece of metal, z-pattern, or whatever.

After studying the air step wiring diagram until my eyes want to cross I think
it looks like, with neither switch working, I may be having continous power to
the step solenoid in both extended and retracted positions. Not a good thing.

I put in a call to Earl, but didn't get a callback. Anybody have any idea what
that part looks like?

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
Eureka, CA

[Don Bradner]

I guess nobody has any thoughts on this one? Earl got back to me this morning
and said it wasn't a part he would have, but he would try to come up with
drawings. Didn't sound too hopeful.

On 3/29/2007 at 2:59 PM Don Bradner wrote:

>The light which indicates that my step is extended began staying on last
>week. A bit of investigation shows that the part which should contact the
>mercury switches has broken off. It is attached to the end of the air
>piston rod, and a small piece of it remains on the other side.
>
>I don't think it should be too hard to fabricate, but I don't know at all
>what it looked like - flat piece of metal, z-pattern, or whatever.
>
>After studying the air step wiring diagram until my eyes want to cross I
>think it looks like, with neither switch working, I may be having
>continous power to the step solenoid in both extended and retracted
>positions. Not a good thing.
>
>I put in a call to Earl, but didn't get a callback. Anybody have any idea
>what that part looks like?

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
Eureka, CA

[jim riordan]

Don,

I quite can't picture what you are talking about. Are you talking about the
mini cherry switch?
If so I beleive that it is a flat sheet of metal held by two nuts on the
piston rod on either side, which makes contact with the cherry switch.

Jim Riordan
88 WBWL XXV
Stuart, Fl

Don Bradner wrote:
I guess nobody has any thoughts on this one? Earl got back to me this
morning and said it wasn't a part he would have, but he would try to come up
with drawings. Didn't sound too hopeful.

On 3/29/2007 at 2:59 PM Don Bradner wrote:

>The light which indicates that my step is extended began staying on last
>week. A bit of investigation shows that the part which should contact the
>mercury switches has broken off. It is attached to the end of the air
>piston rod, and a small piece of it remains on the other side.
>
>I don't think it should be too hard to fabricate, but I don't know at all
>what it looked like - flat piece of metal, z-pattern, or whatever.
>
>After studying the air step wiring diagram until my eyes want to cross I
>think it looks like, with neither switch working, I may be having
>continous power to the step solenoid in both extended and retracted
>positions. Not a good thing.
>
>I put in a call to Earl, but didn't get a callback. Anybody have any idea
>what that part looks like?

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
Eureka, CA






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[Don Bradner]

Yes. On the drawings they are referred to as Mercury switches. There are two of
them, one at each end of travel. A flat piece of metal of course should be easy,
but looking at it, it appeared to me that the retracted position ended up behind
the back switch, while the forward position was even with the switch. I couldn't
visualize a metal shape that would make that work. The switches are moveable, so
it may not matter - just go flat and adjust the switches to match.

On 3/30/2007 at 10:11 AM jim riordan wrote:

>Don,
>
> I quite can't picture what you are talking about. Are you talking about
>the mini cherry switch?
> If so I beleive that it is a flat sheet of metal held by two nuts on the
>piston rod on either side, which makes contact with the cherry switch.
>
> Jim Riordan
> 88 WBWL XXV
> Stuart, Fl
>
>Don Bradner wrote:
> I guess nobody has any thoughts on this one? Earl got back to me
>this morning and said it wasn't a part he would have, but he would try to
>come up with drawings. Didn't sound too hopeful.
>
>On 3/29/2007 at 2:59 PM Don Bradner wrote:
>
>>The light which indicates that my step is extended began staying on last
>>week. A bit of investigation shows that the part which should contact the
>>mercury switches has broken off. It is attached to the end of the air
>>piston rod, and a small piece of it remains on the other side.
>>
>>I don't think it should be too hard to fabricate, but I don't know at all
>>what it looked like - flat piece of metal, z-pattern, or whatever.
>>
>>After studying the air step wiring diagram until my eyes want to cross I
>>think it looks like, with neither switch working, I may be having
>>continous power to the step solenoid in both extended and retracted
>>positions. Not a good thing.
>>
>>I put in a call to Earl, but didn't get a callback. Anybody have any idea
>>what that part looks like?
>
>Don Bradner
>90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
>Eureka, CA
>
>
>
>
>
>
>---------------------------------
>It's here! Your new message!
>Get new email alerts with the free Yahoo! Toolbar.
>
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
Eureka, CA

[Leroy Eckert]

Don: I'll be at my coach this weekend. I have had a couple of gremlins in my
step but have not looked closely at the mercury switch set up. I'll do so this
weekend and let you know how mine works, and what the brackets look like.

Leroy Eckert
1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
Niceville. FL



----- Original Message -----
From: Don Bradner
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 10:38 AM
Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Air step mercury switches


I guess nobody has any thoughts on this one? Earl got back to me this morning
and said it wasn't a part he would have, but he would try to come up with
drawings. Didn't sound too hopeful.

On 3/29/2007 at 2:59 PM Don Bradner wrote:

>The light which indicates that my step is extended began staying on last
>week. A bit of investigation shows that the part which should contact the
>mercury switches has broken off. It is attached to the end of the air
>piston rod, and a small piece of it remains on the other side.
>
>I don't think it should be too hard to fabricate, but I don't know at all
>what it looked like - flat piece of metal, z-pattern, or whatever.
>
>After studying the air step wiring diagram until my eyes want to cross I
>think it looks like, with neither switch working, I may be having
>continous power to the step solenoid in both extended and retracted
>positions. Not a good thing.
>
>I put in a call to Earl, but didn't get a callback. Anybody have any idea
>what that part looks like?

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
Eureka, CA





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Don Bradner]

Where I'm parked, I had trouble getting in to see the backside, so just now I
used a camera to give me a view:
http://www.arcatapet.net/travel/bluebird...tended.jpg

It looks like the metal may have been forked, with two different pieces to hit
the switches, since they are not in line with each other. That would allow
separate bends to match up.

On 3/30/2007 at 11:55 AM Leroy Eckert wrote:

>Don: I'll be at my coach this weekend. I have had a couple of gremlins
>in my step but have not looked closely at the mercury switch set up. I'll
>do so this weekend and let you know how mine works, and what the brackets
>look like.

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
Eureka, CA

[Don Bradner]

Or maybe I'm wrong. Judging by the scrape marks, it may arc down enough that a
single piece would contact both switches.

On 3/30/2007 at 11:30 AM Don Bradner wrote:

>Where I'm parked, I had trouble getting in to see the backside, so just
>now I used a camera to give me a view:
>http://www.arcatapet.net/travel/bluebird...tended.jpg
>
>It looks like the metal may have been forked, with two different pieces to
>hit the switches, since they are not in line with each other. That would
>allow separate bends to match up.
>
>On 3/30/2007 at 11:55 AM Leroy Eckert wrote:
>
>>Don: I'll be at my coach this weekend. I have had a couple of gremlins
>>in my step but have not looked closely at the mercury switch set up. I'll
>>do so this weekend and let you know how mine works, and what the brackets
>>look like.
>
>Don Bradner
>90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
>Eureka, CA
>
>
>
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
Eureka, CA

[one_dusty_hoot]

Don, Great picture, lots of detail.
Those don't apprear to be mercury switches to
me but might be? There is a small protrusion
in the center of the one on the left, this I
believe must accuates the switch and in turn
the air solenoids?, my guess of course. One
thing I see about both switches, that is the
switch itself appears to be at the end of the
adjustment, there is a lot of slot on both
right and left switches. Could the switches
gotten out of adjustment left sliding left or
right sliding right? Careful under there, not
a good place to be with air up and messing with
the switch placement.
bob janes, 87fc35, greenville, sc

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Don Bradner"
wrote:
>
> Where I'm parked, I had trouble getting in to see the backside, so
just now I used a camera to give me a view:
> http://www.arcatapet.net/travel/bluebird...tended.jpg
>
> It looks like the metal may have been forked, with two different
pieces to hit the switches, since they are not in line with each
other. That would allow separate bends to match up.
>
> On 3/30/2007 at 11:55 AM Leroy Eckert wrote:
>
> >Don: I'll be at my coach this weekend. I have had a couple of
gremlins
> >in my step but have not looked closely at the mercury switch set
up. I'll
> >do so this weekend and let you know how mine works, and what the
brackets
> >look like.
>
> Don Bradner
> 90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
> Eureka, CA
>

[one_dusty_hoot]

Don, I had to lighten the picture to see
this as it is in the shadows bottom left.
There appears to be a button switch (like
a starter button) on the left with wires
attached and seems like an adjustment stud
hex head on the right. This would do switch
something when the cylinder is all the way
in. The other two I would think limit the
in and out travel.
bob janes, 87fc35, greenville, sc


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Don Bradner"
wrote:
>
> Or maybe I'm wrong. Judging by the scrape marks, it may arc down
enough that a single piece would contact both switches.
>
> On 3/30/2007 at 11:30 AM Don Bradner wrote:
>
> >Where I'm parked, I had trouble getting in to see the backside, so
just
> >now I used a camera to give me a view:
> >http://www.arcatapet.net/travel/bluebird...tended.jpg
> >
> >It looks like the metal may have been forked, with two different
pieces to
> >hit the switches, since they are not in line with each other. That
would
> >allow separate bends to match up.
> >
> >On 3/30/2007 at 11:55 AM Leroy Eckert wrote:
> >
> >>Don: I'll be at my coach this weekend. I have had a couple of
gremlins
> >>in my step but have not looked closely at the mercury switch set
up. I'll
> >>do so this weekend and let you know how mine works, and what the
brackets
> >>look like.
> >
> >Don Bradner
> >90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
> >Eureka, CA
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
>
> Don Bradner
> 90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
> Eureka, CA
>

[Leroy Eckert]

I printed off the picture. I honestly do not remember seeing that kind of set
up on mine but I will tell you for sure tomorrow night. Those look more like
travel limit switches than mercury switches to me. The drawing on my system is
difficult to understand, for me anyway.

Leroy Eckert
1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
Niceville, FL


----- Original Message -----
From: Don Bradner
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2007 12:36 PM
Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Air step mercury switches


Or maybe I'm wrong. Judging by the scrape marks, it may arc down enough that a
single piece would contact both switches.

On 3/30/2007 at 11:30 AM Don Bradner wrote:

>Where I'm parked, I had trouble getting in to see the backside, so just
>now I used a camera to give me a view:
>http://www.arcatapet.net/travel/bluebird...tended.jpg
>
>It looks like the metal may have been forked, with two different pieces to
>hit the switches, since they are not in line with each other. That would
>allow separate bends to match up.
>
>On 3/30/2007 at 11:55 AM Leroy Eckert wrote:
>
>>Don: I'll be at my coach this weekend. I have had a couple of gremlins
>>in my step but have not looked closely at the mercury switch set up. I'll
>>do so this weekend and let you know how mine works, and what the brackets
>>look like.
>
>Don Bradner
>90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
>Eureka, CA
>
>
>
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
Eureka, CA





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]