S-140-26 coil balancers won't uncoil

Quick Learner from San Francisco

Aug 13, 2023 12:10 am

Hi,

I just received my 4-pack of S-140-26 coil balancers. They almost perfectly replace the old balancers I'm replacing them with (came uncoiled). I'm unable to figure out how to pull the shoe apart from the coil assembly, nor can I rotate the shoe cam to allow it to glide freely within the channel. Is there something special I need to do to get these to work? I put them into place, but couldn't rotate the shoe cams to receive the pivot bars.

Please help with next steps?thanks!

Tony

6 Replies

Casey from SWISCO

Aug 14, 2023 2:51 pm

Hello,

You should be able to rotate the shoe cam with a slotted screwdriver. As for pulling the shoe down from the coil springs, you would need to push down on the screwdriver while the cam is in the unlocked position until the show is in the correct position to install the sash. See the videos related on this page to assist you. Thanks for posting.

Quick Learner from San Francisco

Aug 14, 2023 3:39 pm

Hi Casey,

Thank you for your reply. It sounds like rotating the shoe cam is the root of correcting my issue. However, the cam is not rotating within the shoe, even with a bit of force. I tried this with the balancers installed in my windows, and also just holding the assembly in my hand. My old shoes (non-Swisco brand) rotate freely with little effort when twisting with a screwdriver.

Are those cams supposed to be particularly resistant to rotating, or is there some trick to doing this easily? If they are supposed to rotate freely, and since they do not, is it possible the shoe/cam assembly is somehow defective? I tried to rotate the cams on 3 of the 4 assemblies I ordered, with no luck.

Please let me know if I'm missing something.

Thanks,

Tony

Quick Learner from San Francisco

Aug 14, 2023 4:01 pm

Hello,

I'm adding photos of what I received. All coils appear to attach independently from each other on the top of the shoe. I can't tell how this arrangement works since in the related video for the S-140-26, the coils daisy-chained onto each other and only the coil closest to the shoe attached to it. Does this assembly need to be rebuilt to resemble the configuration in the video? If so, I don't see any slots on each coil that permit another coil to attach.

I hope this better explains my exact question.

Thank you!

Tony

4 user uploaded images

Casey from SWISCO

Aug 15, 2023 8:42 am

The S140 is a different kind of assembly than the ones shown in our videos. We only relate them for installation purposes. They appear to be assembled correctly and I'm honestly not sure why you are having a hard time rotating the cam using a slotted screwdriver. I'm going to consult with our senior experts to see if they have any idea as to why you might be having problems. We'll get back to you as soon as they have a chance to troubleshoot this for you.

Paul from SWISCO

Aug 15, 2023 1:45 pm

I tested a few of the S140-26 balances that we have in stock and I didn't have any problems rotating the cam. Are you using a large enough slotted screwdriver to turn the cams? The coil springs lock together in the pivot shoe. To install the Series 140, the center cam should be in the horizontal position to pull in the side brakes. Then, place the balance system in the track, slide the balance down to line it up to the installation holes in the track, and screw the balance in. Next, you'll place the screwdriver in the cam and bring down the pivot shoe a few inches and turn the cam up to lock the shoe. Repeat this process on the other side. Lastly, carefully place the sash back in the track by lining up the pivot bars to the pivot shoe cams.