Bobcat 225G Current Selector Switch Repair

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Some time back I was pulling various components off a parts Bobcat 225G - one of which was the range selector switch.  Hard as I tried to properly support the switch handle to drive the roll pin out, the pin just wouldn't budge with some reasonable hammer blows to the drift punch.  A few hard wacks later and I had a handle and broken switch shaft in my hand.So today I wanted to get it off the bench, back to usable condition and set aside until needed.Front of switch with broken shaft.Back of switch showing rivet heads that hold shaft to switch wiper body.Rivet heads drilled and remaining shaft flange removed from wiper body.Looked around and the best material I could find was a surplus 7/8" coarse thread 'Cat' bolt.  Hex head point-to-point dimension was equal to the broken shaft flange so off to the lathe it went.Bolt shank turned down to the required 3/8" diameter and switch handle test fitted.Stand by for post #2 . . .MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:. . . showing the new flanged shaft ready for drilling/tapping three #10-32 holes.I then turned my attention to the switch handle and decided I didn't want to have to attempt to drive a roll pin back in - or out at a later time - so I drilled the new shaft to accept a #10-32 machine screw, drilled and tapped one side of the switch handle and drilled and countersunk the other side to recess a #10-32 machine screw that now holds the handle in place.  Future removal will be assured by use of anti-seize compound on the machine screw, handle bore and shaft.Switch all cleaned and reassembled with machine screws and lock nuts in place of original rivets and ready for service.Thanks for looking.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Problem Solved. Nice permanent repair.
Reply:Originally Posted by duaneb55Some time back I was pulling various components off a parts Bobcat 225G - one of which was the range selector switch.  Hard as I tried to properly support the switch handle to drive the roll pin out, the pin just wouldn't budge with some reasonable hammer blows to the drift punch.  A few hard wacks later and I had a handle and broken switch shaft in my hand.So today I wanted to get it off the bench, back to usable condition and set aside until needed.Looked around and the best material I could find was a surplus 7/8" coarse thread 'Cat' bolt.  Hex head point-to-point dimension was equal to the broken shaft flange so off to the lathe it went.Stand by for post #2 . . .
Reply:Nice Job duaneb55,  Amazing what one can do with the proper tools/equipment.Mike
Reply:Nice repair. Now if you can make it, so it comes off easily when repairs are needed, why can't the manufactures?
Reply:That's slick Duane, you saved yourself a hundred bucks and had the pieces needed layin' around. Of course the lathe hasn't paid for itself yet, but that's a pretty good jump towards a rewarding future! Great job!!Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.                                         -Cree Indian ProverbSA 200 LincolnVictor Torches
Reply:But, but, but, where's the weld?      Nice fix.No problems turning that Caterpillar 'special' bolt?  Not too hard for the lathe tooling?  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Thanks for all the comments guys.  My main reason for putting up the thread is to give anyone that finds themselves in the same position and in need of getting a machine up and running just one easy way a fix can be made.Yes MoonRise, that grade 'Cat' bolt pretty much wasted one tip of a carbide cutter by the time it was done.  It was interesting to see the different levels of hardness across the bolt head while trimming it down to its finished 1/8" thickness.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Pretty creative Duane. Was that original shaft & base pot metal? Of course you did mark the leads to the taps right? "The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt
Reply:Pot metal or cast aluminum.  ???No need to mark the leads as I'm stripping what's left of the 'parts' unit.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Originally Posted by duaneb55No need to mark the leads as I'm stripping what's left of the 'parts' unit.
Reply:Posted by duaneb55:Yes MoonRise, that grade 'Cat' bolt pretty much wasted one tip of a carbide cutter by the time it was done. It was interesting to see the different levels of hardness across the bolt head while trimming it down to its finished 1/8" thickness.
Reply:Originally Posted by Oldiron2Would this count as another way to "skin a 'Cat' " ?  Maybe just 'de-haird' it?
Reply:Originally Posted by duaneb55It's my understanding that in order to adequately anneal, the material has to be heated to some level of 'glowing' - not that I haven't been able to do that with certain size bolts in the past with a standard propane torch.  But I will give it a try next time.
Reply:Duane,Like Irish said   , a full anneal is the dang-hot-hold-then-let-cool-slowly dance.  But just tempering it to almost any extent will 'soften' it somewhat.  Get most 'regular' steels up to 500-1000F and you can temper it to some degree (no pun intended).  Obviously that won't work too much for things like M2 alloy steel which is made to keep its hardness at red-hot temperatures, but for the more 'regular' medium/high carbon steels it should help to soften the steel at least a little bit.And I'm all for re-using parts and stuff from one thing to repair/replace on another thing, but wouldn't it maybe have been a little easier to just get a thick washer and a piece of plain steel bar stock scrap, machine them to the desired dimensions, weld them together  , and put the part back together instead of wasting a carbide tip machining down a dang-hard 'special' Cat bolt?    The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...