Renewing Your XJ Ignition Switch

I bought a new ignition switch without keys from a member.
It arrived in the mail today and since I already had the old switch off, I decided to do a write up for those of you that don't know much about the internals of an ignition switch.

Most of these steps will also help those that just need to tear apart the switch for cleaning.

The new switch is on the left, the old nasty looking one on the right is what we are replacing.

Since the new switch didn't come with keys, and I wanted to keep my original key because all my locks are still the same, it will be a little more complicated than unplug the old and plug in the new.





We'll start with the ignition off the bike, but for those that need to take the original off, there are two 10mm hex head bolts that need to be removed from the bottom side of the switch.


To remove the ignition from the handlebar lock and get at the internals you need to remove the two phillips head screws holding the two units together.





After the handlebar lock is removed turn the switch upside-down. You will see the contact bar. Remove this, then remove the locating ring underneath the contact bar.





You will then need to remove the two small phillips head screws and pull out the retaining plate, contact turning post (for lack of a better term), and the spring underneath them.





With everything out of the way you can see the exposed pin, which is 6th in the line of the 6 pin lock. I highlighted this pin yellow to make it easier to see in the pic.





This is the same tab when the tumbler is out of the housing.





And a close up of the tab (yellow arrow). You need to find something small to slide this pin into the tumbler so you can push the lock out of the housing. I used a small allen wrench. With the housing upside down, push down so the lock slides out from the top of the housing.

CAUTION: It is best to remove this with key in place. If you don't have the key, as I didn't for the new lock, REMOVE VERY SLOWLY. If you don't you will have 6 pins and 6 very tiny springs flying about.





Here you have all of the components out of the housing.





As you could see in the second pic, my original lock takes an "E" blank. The new ignition isn't an "E", so I will just be replacing the entire tumbler into the new housing.


If the new lock was an "E", I would be replacing the pins themselves so that the only part of the old lock that I would be reusing would be the pins. Just replace them in order and you'll be fine.





As you can see the old lock is quite filthy. Time to pull out the sandpaper, or in my case, the Dremel.





A light touch with the polishing stone in the Dremel works wonders to go from dull to shiny. The pins probably didn't need to be polished, but I'm kinda anal, so they got shined up along with the lock tumbler.





Locking mechanism all shined up and reassembled, ready for install.





When inserting the lock back into the housing, you may need to depress the 6th pin in with your tool of choice. When the lock is seated properly you will hear a small "click".





Turn the housing over to check for proper positioning of the pin.





And check the top of the housing to see that the tumbler fits flush into the housing.





Then we start the reassembly of the rest of the switch with the spring...





the turning post and retaining plate....





and the locating ring. Note that the raised side is out when looking at the ring from the bottom of the lock.





At this point, if you are just doing a cleaning of the switch, you can use a pencil eraser, sandpaper, or a buffing wheel in the Dremel to clean up the contacts.





Then a light smearing of dielectric grease on the face of the wiring pad.





And install the contact bar, then join the housing to the handlebar lock. Note the location of the red and green tabs. The locating ring and wiring pad need to be installed with these notches lined up. The good news is that it is the only way the parts will seat, so it's pretty much idiot proof.





Once reassembled with the final two phillips screws installed, turn the key from the "ON" position...





to the "Parking" position to ensure that everything rotates properly and the key stops at all the proper points.





Ready to reinstall on the bike. Notice how much nicer the new lock looks when compared to the old housing.




Now for that handlebar locking mechanism. I wanted to show this part seperately so as not to confuse anyone with the lock install.


Whether you are replacing the lock, replacing the entire switch, or just pulling your old switch apart for a cleaning, you should do these steps.

I will be using the old parts for these pics. The new parts were much cleaner looking than these when I installed them.





With the plastic engagement cog removed, you can see the spring and pin that are the handlebar lock. Clean all old grease out of there...





and off of the plastic cog.





I found that the easiest way to reinstall the plastic piece is to hold the pin with a pair of pliers while you grease the channel where the triangle rests. I use marine reel grease. It's waterproof, doesn't break down, and will not freeze.





Then install the plastic cog, and remove the pliers.





Note the position of the larger part of the plastic piece. If you do this step and it is on the right side instead of the left, your switch will not work.




And that is how you replace the internals of an ignition switch so that you can still have the same key for all of your locks on the bike.

 

TSKAZ! That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!!!

DUDE.

Way to rock the photo how-to, big time! A+++ on the retrofit, photos, and clarity of text.

Nice job.

I don't feel so alone anymore. Thank you.

***edit*** you're as bad as me. Invest $9 in a box of blue latex shop gloves. Then the only thing the troops will make fun of is your watch (or your shop attire.) The hard part is remembering to grab a couple.

 

Thanks Fitz. Good to know my thoughts were as clear as I thought they were.

I have a feeling there will be more to come with all that I have on my list for this winter.

 

My 650R has 13K on it and a long way to go before it can even be test-ridden. (GREAT compression numbers though.) You're way ahead at this point. So far I've rebuilt the petcock and replaced the gas tank, but it pees gas all over if I try to even start it. Lots of work to do.

 

I already have the MC and one of the calipers off. And the valve cover. And the speedo cable. And all of the tins for repaint. Seat. Mirrors. Gauges.

Oil is next on the list so I can pull the clutch cover and take a look in there.

Actually, a heater is next on the list. Starting to get a little cold out in the shed.

 

Nothing like duplicating effort, eh what?

Clean and lube the ignition switch (4shared.com)

Another link to the same file (Fileden.com)

 

Hi schmuckaholic

I agree that for the most part it is a duplicate of your file. And if I had been able to see your file back in February when I originally tore my switch apart to clean it I would have had a much easier time the first go-round.

You did a much better job than I of explaining how to clean and lubricate the switch, which was not the reason I decided to do this write up.

The reason I did this write up the way I did it was to explain to others how they could replace their switch and keep the same key, even if they weren't keyed with the same blank.

That way they would be able to retrofit a brand new switch and still have only one key for all the locks.

 

You raise a good point, and it's one I didn't address (it wasn't really the point of the writeup to begin with, but still a good point).

I also must confess to being slightly jealous at your first shot of the retaining latch for the lock plug. Yours is much more visible than mine was, even with the lighting -- how did you pull that one off?

Also, I'm idly curious as to what camera you used. First couple of files I did, I used a camera with little to no optical zoom (Canon Elph SD30). After that, I got Len to dig me up a Nikon Coolpix 4800 with 8.4x optical zoom -- given proper lighting, I can get down to about 1/2" from my target if need be. The Nikon has a lower pixel count (4MP vs 5MP for the Canon) but since I have to size the pictures down to fit them in the file anyway, it doesn't matter.

 

Thanks for the kind words Schmuck.

That was the only drawback of my picture files when I uploaded them to photobucket, the files were around 2.5MB each, so it took a little while to upload them all.

I was surprised at the quality of pics I got with my crappy (yes it's a technical term) lighting.

The camera I use is a Kodak easyshare something something something (I'll repost what it actually is when I get home) that is 12 Megapixels. It has 4X optical and again, I'll have to repost when I get home...I don't remember how high the digital zoom is.

The camera was set on "flower"...LMAO...it's the setting for objects closer than 28". Actually, that one picture is the only one I used that setting for. The other pics could probably have been better had I chose to use that setting initially. Something I will file in the mental Rolodex for next time.

I didn't have to use the zoom at all.

I'm amazed at the clarity I get from a $80 camera.

 

Oops

 

ide say you should put them up in the forums, but they would probably (if not already) disappear and rot in the faq suggestion limbo.

 

I've got a few external light sources, but I don't use them very much -- the color temperature of the light is off from what's in the room (standard 4ft fluorescent).

Digital zoom sucks -- I don't use it. That's why I was so hot on having a large optical zoom.

"Scene" mode, or at least that's what it's called on this camera. When it's set there, however, two little tulips show up on the rear display.

Looks like you, Fitz and I might have to sit down and talk shop about taking pictures. You know, there's still that Xat chatroom still sitting out there doing nothing...

I did.

 

Ahh, I thought I saw that topic somewhere

 

The camera is a 12MP Kodak Easyshare C182 with 3X optical zoom

 

I use a Canon PowerShot SX110IS, it was the "zootiest" digital point-n-shoot I could find without getting into "real" cameras, I have no idea what the specs are except it kicks butt and takes names. Plus it has a nice "macro" (tulip) mode. I can even take good pics of my 1/72 scale model airplanes. The only drawback I have, even when switched to manual, is to get the damn thing to focus on what I want it to, not what it thinks is best.

I'm a mechanic, historian and a computer guy; I'll freely admit to knowing SQUAT about photography. (Or high-end audio, or women, after 4 ex-wives.) My free-lance photojournalist daughter on the other hand, knows her stuff. And uses the same camera for "rushed" pics. (She also took most of the pics in my early articles, but she's since moved out.)

I like the Canon. It's nearly "old fart proof."

 

10x optical zoom? <drool>

Given what some people are asking for them, I think I would consider it a "real camera". Unless you're talking about DSLRs and being able to change lenses and whatnot.

On the Nikon I'm using, before taking the picture, one lightly presses on the shutter button. The lens tries to focus; if it can't, a red dot next to the letters "AF" pop up on the screen. If it can Auto Focus, the dot is green.

While I can tell the camera to focus on one of five spots in the visible target area, if the lighting isn't right, the lens won't focus. Solution: point an external light at the object and lightly hold down the button. The lens focuses, I get my green dot, I move the external light away from the object, the lens stays focused, and I press the button the rest of the way to get my picture. A $20 tripod comes in REAL handy here.

What's that, you say? The picture is too dark now? That's what the photo editing program is for...

 

Yep, I've used the "external light source" trick, it was the only way to get any sort of a pic of that stupid little filter in the suction tube inside the 550 Seca airbox. I musta taken 30 pictures to finally get 2 good ones to choose from.

Overall, the Canon is ideal for a complete photo-idiot such as myself. A quick run through Photoshop to resize (default size is 3456 X 2592) and an occasional "auto adjust" for contrast or "levels" and I'm good.

And I do use a tripod, and I also have a bench-top "mini-tripod" plus I fire up auxiliary lighting in the garage when shooting with no aid from the sun. My garage is only a "one-car" (one very small car) and it has 3 X 4' dual-lamp flourecscents, 4 X 100 watt bare bulbs and my dual-lamp flourescent draftsman's lamp on the workbench. Then I'll add a couple of 150W floodlights in those cheap aluminum clamp-reflectors and use them to "backfill" the overall brightness.

Honestly, you guys have no idea how much effort goes into this stuff. Well, actually, Schmuck probably does.

 

My 2c, I have a Fuji S5500, had it for years, it has a macro setting for closer than 1 mt. (example, here's a PMScrew that I soldered on a broken tip)

 

I'm more of a point-and-shoot-and-if-it-doesn't-turn-out-add-more-light-and-snap-it-again kind of guy.

I took the close up standing under the dinning room light and holding the part with one hand and snapping the pic with the other about 8" away on around an 80* angle to the switch.

 

I replaced my switch and opted to use the stock housing. The after market one is too vertical which makes operating the difficult. But the problem I have is the housing shorts out when it touches the frame. Any ideas on that? The switch operates ok until it touches the frame.