[Bilgemaster]

Is there some sort of retaining clip or something which holds the front brake light switch in place in the lever housing?  Thanks to having removed that "dogbone connector" in the headlamp nacelle which bypasses the handlebar switch to keep the lights always on, I noticed yesterday after a lovely long ride that my brake light was always on. I probably wouldn't have noticed otherwise. Or at least it would not have been so obvious.

A closer examination revealed that the little switch set into the brake lever housing seemed to be starting to make a run for it--being too far out of its recess to close its plunger-type switch against the lever to turn off the light.

Pressed all the way home the switch does not work, but withdrawn just about an eighth of an inch it works just fine. I see no evidence of any broken spring tab or tabs on the switch that might have clicked it into place. There are a couple of square holes in the lever housing above and below notches in the switch, which would seem to hold it properly positioned.  For the time being, I've jury rigged a short little machine screw of about the right diameter screwed into the topmost of those square holes and with a liberal dolloping of Loctite, and that seems to be doing the trick for now. I'm wondering if there may be a more elegant solution, like some sort of exterior spring clip that might clip into both square holes to hold the switch properly in place. A search of these Forum's Archives revealed mention of some sort of "dog eared clip", but my Parts Book shows no such item. Any advice?

[heloego]

   The switch/plunger assembly is held in place by one or two lock tabs.
   My bud's '08 Bullet had a broken tab that allowed the switch to cock at an angle so the lever didn't make the necessary contact to fully depress the plunger.   I safety wired the switch into position and it has held well enough and the wire is hidden well enough he wants to leave it as-is.   A very workable solution if you don't want to order up a new switch assembly.

[Chuck D]

I wrapped a zip tie tight around the switch and then another through that one and the lever perch. That held for a good long time until I got a replacement switch from one of the Indian suppliers. Order two while you're at it.

[Bilgemaster]

Thanks for the tips. I just went ahead and ordered a couple of these ones from India. I think I can just make out those "locking tabs" mentioned, which seem to now be lacking from mine.:

[tooseevee]

Thanks for the tips. I just went ahead and ordered a couple of these ones from India. I think I can just make out those "locking tabs" mentioned, which seem to now be lacking from mine.:

            I used little, tiny Zip-Ties to force mine into total submission and immobility when the switch was still brand new. No problems ever since. That new one you're getting should stay good for a long time if you do summat simple that demands immobility.

              They make a tiny click when you insert them and they seat.

[Bilgemaster]

This followup is just a quick fix tip for the benefit of others who may come along to this thread in future also with a front brake light switch whose flimsy plastic retaining locking tab "ears" have broken off and so no longer hold the switch assembly properly in the brake's hand lever housing such that the spring-loaded switch at its end operates.

As described in an earlier posting to this thread, I did purchase a pair of replacement switch assemblies, and although it has been nearly four months since I received them, I have not even bothered to mount one of them. I may likely never  bother doing so. This is because the simple "temporary" fix I did while awaiting delivery of a replacement from India seems to still be working perfectly and hasn't budged in several thousand miles.

It turns out that one of those little standard screws used in PCs to secure  hard drives and other hardware in the case known as  PC Mounting Computer Screws M3 x 1/4in Long Standoff will hold that brake switch right where it ought to be just fine and keep it there.

I simply lined up the switch assembly inside the front brake lever housing such that operation of the brake lever activated the switch and brake light properly, put a couple of drops of generic Loctite onto the screw's threads and also into the top square hole in the brake lever housing into which one of the two flimsy switch assembly retaining "ears" normally clips from within, screwed the M3 screw down gently until it met and gently held the switch assembly, and Presto! No problem since. These little M3 screws are just about 2.9mm thick at the threads, and will very gently "self-tap" nicely into that square hole. Don't over-torque it! A very light touch indeed is needed here.

If you've got some old PC laying around, you've already got a lifetime supply of these screws. Toss one into your tool pouch now. Those original switch assemblies are really flimsy. Frankly, I think this fix is probably far more secure than that original flakey assembly.

You can get 50 of these at Walmart for less than $4,
or better yet just pull one out of an old PC

If you can't be bothered cannibalizing your dusty old Pentium, and just want one of these M3 screws for your tool pouch, I've got plenty. If you send me a self-addressed stamped envelope containing a note that simply reads "Screw me!", I'll be only too happy to oblige. Just email or PM me for my mailing address.

[heloego]

Maybe move this to the Tech Tips section?Good advice, and substantially cheaper than a new switch assembly.

[Bilgemaster]

Maybe move this to the Tech Tips section?Good advice, and substantially cheaper than a new switch assembly.

Sure! If the mods want to punt it somewhere more appropriate, they have my blessings.

[Chuck D]

That's funny. Before I did the zip ties I tried to use a tiny self tapping screw in the manner you described with the result one might expect after I pierced the plastic switch housing with the tip of the screw. I was sort of on the right track tho...

[mrunderhill1975a]

Great post, thanks much, I have mine wired in place but the screw method seems the way to go. Thanks.

[Bilgemaster]

That's funny. Before I did the zip ties I tried to use a tiny self tapping screw in the manner you described with the result one might expect after I pierced the plastic switch housing with the tip of the screw. I was sort of on the right track tho...

Yup! Had you ground or filed the self-tapping screw's conical "boring tip" flat, I expect it may have worked just fine. Lotta extra bother though.