Replacing the Cable on a pair of GHD 3.1Bs

These instructions come from our forum member tahrey via this thread.

Pic 1:

Forgot to take any pics during the tear-down stage, so this is immediately after swapping the rubber ring over and inserting the new lead into the handle. This is basically the view you get on opening it anyway, at which point you carefully free the plug-socket assembly from the handle, pull the plug out even more carefully, swap the ring and do the rest in reverse.

You will also need to swap the euro-to-UK adaptor over, which involves removing the centre screw from the pin side of the adaptor, popping it open, changing the euro plugs over, snapping back shut and replacing the screw. Simples.

(In fact, what I actually did was to loosen the screw slightly, and found that the "old" euro plug could then just be pulled out and the "new" one pushed right in! (and the screw retightened...))

Pic 2:

Close up of the uncovered handle with new lead in place, showing how it should fit together. Getting the centre pin of the plug to go through the spring-contact thing successfully without causing damage is EASILY the most fiddly part of the whole job. It's still not particularly difficult, though, if you know what to do.

Pic 2a:

Alternative version of the above with the flash turned on. Some bits are clearer, some more obscure. Hopefully, together, it all should become plain.

Pic 3:

Clarification of how to do the spring!

There are small tab-delimited (no, really) channels at the side of the cut-outs in each handle, that the spring legs should fit into and the internal wires should be routed outside of. You'll know them when you see them.

Pic 4:

If you've done it right, it should actually press together quite easily. Your biggest concern may be getting the two arms to fit back together over each other, because with the spring assembly wedged in the middle, there's not a great deal of give available for the inner (switch-side handle) hub tabs to fit inside of the outer (non-switch handle) ones. But they will go if you wiggle them. The spring itself is strong compared to the weight of the arms, or against human fingers pushing the legs directly, but is powerless against a pair of hands squashing it between two lumps of plastic.

Pic 5:

Almost done. Just the screw tightening and trim panel / rubber ring installation to do, then we're back in business!

Good luck!

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