master switch replace

[mcems]

I would like to hear from anybody that has replaced their master switch on the panel. It appears it should be simple.

Mine doesn't want to come out . I have cleared the plastic retainer clips that holds it in the panel,but it will not come out of the circuit board that it plugs into. Are they soldered in??? I was told they are not. I do not want to force it and break the circuit board.

How did you change yours ??


Thanks

Brad Stiefvater
Salem SD

[DHeal]

I changed out one of the two ignition switches on my RV-12 -- it was easy to do. The ignition switches (and perhaps the Master switch?) just plug into their respective bases in the module. The key removal part for me was to just rip off the two little plastic retainers on the side of the bad switch so that the bad switch could more easily be removed from its mounting. Of course, best to ask Van's.

[MMiller]

Brad, on the D180 all the switches are soldered. Here is a screenshot of the back of the PCB at the mater switch.

[mcems]

Thanks guys. I was hoping they were not soldered in place.

Now that changes everything.


Brad

[Piper J3]

Just use Solder-Wick to pull the solder away from the switch tabs and the circuit board foil. Once most of the solder is removed, a little heat at each tab and some wiggling will free the switch.

[Keldog]

Originally Posted by MMiller

Brad, on the D180 all the switches are soldered. Here is a screenshot of the back of the PCB at the mater switch.

MMiller,

Have you had any experience with or success in removing a faulty K1 ignition switch from a legacy RV12 equipped with a D180? If I'm reading the model number correctly in your picture, that same switch is available from Van's Aircraft on their website.

I bought my plane flying, so I am not a builder and I'm not sure how I'd proceed with removal/replacement of an errant switch.

[rvbuilder2002]

Originally Posted by Piper J3

Just use Solder-Wick to pull the solder away from the switch tabs and the circuit board foil. Once most of the solder is removed, a little heat at each tab and some wiggling will free the switch.

I have replaced a few of these and haven't found using any process similar to this to work.

The terminal tabs are large enough that they prevent any movement of the switch if you are heating just one. Heating all of them at once would be the ideal technique, but with the amount of combined thermal mass in the terminals and the copper on the PCB, this is rather difficult without some very specialized tools.

The best way I have found to replace one is to dissect the switch in place. Basically cut it up with a dremal cutter until it can be broken down to just the individual terminals remaining and then remove them one at a time.
A second method (but very tedious) is to cut through all of the terminal with a hand held fine tooth hack saw blade to release the switch body and then remove the terminals individually.

Because of the removal difficulty I suggest some very careful test and being very sure a switch is actually bad before attempting it (Quite a few have been replaced on RV-12 modules over the years only to find that it did nothing to solve the problem).

[MMiller]

Originally Posted by Keldog

MMiller,

Have you had any experience with or success in removing a faulty K1 ignition switch from a legacy RV12 equipped with a D180? If I'm reading the model number correctly in your picture, that same switch is available from Van's Aircraft on their website.

I bought my plane flying, so I am not a builder and I'm not sure how I'd proceed with removal/replacement of an errant switch.

I haven’t needed to replace any switches yet. Scott offers excellent advice, that’s my preferred procedure to remove a multi pin device on a double sided PCB. The goal is to not damage the PCB. The part being replaced has no value so don’t try to salvage it, the excessive heat required will delaminate the copper traces from the fiberglass board. Cut the pins at the switch body or break apart the switch, then heat the tabs one at a time and pull them out from the front (the pins may have stepped tabs). To clean out the slots in the PCB, heat the solder (and add more solder if necessary), once it’s liquid use a desolder pump, something like this;
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/...0-030/10488038

On a side note you mentioned a K1 switch, these are only used for ignition switches. A list of the switch names and Otto part numbers is below.

[Mich48041]

I agree with Mike Miller and Scott. I converted Mike's picture to text:
LP3-F1G121R Spar Pin Indicator/Button
K2ABNPCCFA Master Sw DPDT
K2ABHPCABA Avionics, Nav/Strobc. A/P Sw's (spare)
K2ABMAAAAA Trim Sw
K2ABNPCCFA Landing Light Sw
KIABBPCADA Ign A, Ign B (opt Fuel Pump)

[Keldog]

Thanks for the info. I guess I sort of "hijacked" this thread by the original poster, which was master switch related; not ignition switch. After reading the responses here in this thread, I think I better solve for all other possible causes of my particular issue first before even thinking about the possibility of replacing an ignition switch at the board.


https://vansairforce.net/community/s...d.php?t=189305