Wiper Contact - Replace With ???
 

1980 911SC Steering Column Wiper Contact
911.613.521.00
1980 PET 403-05-23

It's Worn Out~!! Pelican lists - but ordering comes back as NLA

I'm thinking other models likely use this exact piece by a different part number. 911's ? 914's? VW's?

I think it be a safe bet that salvage yard parts from years comparable to mine are also going to be worn out...

Anyone have any ideas on replacing this?

Here's pictures of the worn out - worn thru wiper and the PET page:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18...PERCONTACT.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18...UPPERPARTS.jpg

Looks like a perfect opportunity for a DIY repair: drill out rivet, replace copper strip. With MG's and Fiat's, you've got to be handy!

Howard

Thanks Howard
While I always prefer not spend hours doing this level of reconstruction, it may be necessary on this one.

Copper strip is likely to be too soft to serve as a wiper contact 'spring' - I think - yes? That leaves brass - generic? Or what?

Brass or copper will probably work fine, as long as the temper is hard enough for the "spring" to maintain its shape. Sounds like a fun, low stress winter project.

Howard

Zim's Autotechnik had them made back in 2006 and they still offer them for sale. It is an exact perfect fit!

"bi-metalic" strip, copper backed by spring steel.

would a drop of solder and some sanding work in the meantime?

911.613.521.00 contact
 

Why bother with trying to solder it. Solder is not as hard as Brass and it won't last as long, plus the angle of the contact strip is important and after many years it gets bent and the heat from soldering is going to alter this as well. A brand new one from Zim's is only 13.95. My suggestion is buy the proper part and fix it once, while you have the steering wheel off and be done with it.

BTW, someone made a comment that it is a Bi-metallic strip. This is not correct as a Bi-metallic strip consists of two different metals which expand at a different rates as they are heated, usually like steel and copper and deform or move to make or break a contact such as a switching device.

I was suggesting a strip of copper backed, loosely backed, by a strip of spring steel as a fix.