Front Brake light switch removal 80 XJ650

Hi

I am overhauling my Master Cyinder on my 80 Xj650G Maxim and i can not get the front brake light switch out of it's receptacle on the Master Cylinder,The Manual says it it should simply push out but it wont budge, I have pushed and pried and turned and have almost broken it.

Cant believe how hard some of these simple tasks can be sometimes !

So how do I remove this switch ?

Thanks

Alan R

PS:I have now broken the switch into tiny pieces (DOPE)
WANTED:ONE REPLACEMENT FRONT BRAKELIGHT SWITCH

 

I believe I got mine out with a pair of pliers on the wire side, gripping the plastic (not the wire) and tugging and twisting slightly. I may have pried or poked a bit with a screwdriver.

Someone else said in another thread:
"No the front switch is not adjustable. It can be removed by pushing the pin in with a screwdriver then the unit can be removed."
http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=4382/

There is a built in plastic locking tab in there somewhere, and mine slipped past without damage. A bit like a wire trermiination locking into a modular plug.
Just last night I reinstalled it after grinding new slots in the old screws to get them removed with a straight blade screw driver.

FWIW, mine is an 81 XJ550.

Steve

 

Thanks for your reply..I will try again..very frustrating some of these so called simple tasks, with broken parts and stripped out screws etc etc..
makes me want for a new Bike sometimes !

Cheers

Alan R

 

I've broken most of the units I tried to remove using the correct method. They just get brittle with age. Pop for some new ones and get them back in there (by them I mean the clutch and brake switches). I've got to replace both of them on my 82 that I cracked open last night. I hear you can pick them up for a little more than $5 each on Mike's XS page.

 

Thanks for the info