Replacing Blue Sea toggle breakers?

[HeadedToTexas]

Thought this would be easier than this. Rather than push it and risk breaking something or marring the panel, I am here posting a question. What holds the standard A Frame Blue Sea Toggle Breaker to the front panel?

I took out the two small Phillips screws and the breaker did not budge. I took off the screw holding the supply terminal to the solid bus bar on the back side and the breaker did not budge. What am I missing?

 

[psneeld]

I don't think anything...I think it is just wedged in there and the hole/breaker fit is tight from close tolerances.

You have to pull back at an angle away from the buss bar in my experience.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

Mine didn't budge, but I did not put much pressure on it because it felt like there was something I had not loosened or removed. Could just be tension. Thanks PS.

 

[C lectric]

There is a common buss bar running as a +V supply to all the breakers. Then I would expect those connections to be secured by a screw which it looks like they are. That's what your picture shows and you asked about so yes, at least the screw on the buss bar will need to be removed.

Does the buss cover the end of the breaker? Hopefully not.

They may also be tight together which will make the job more interesting

 

[sean9c]

There are 2 little screws on the face of the panel that hold each breaker in place
The Retained Nuts shown in your picture are just screws and nuts filling the holes that the breaker screws go into.
You have to to remove enough screws that are from the breakers to that bus bar so you can move the bus bar out of the way and the breaker will pull out

 

[Comodave]

Agree it is likely the bus bar on the other breakers that is holding it in. Loosen up the other screws on the bus bar and the bus bar should slide up freeing the breaker in question. The bus bar probably has slots so you don’t need to remove all of the other breaker screws. Just loosen them and then lever the bus bar up. The only problem is when you go to reinstall the bus bar all the screws probably have lock washers that have to be correctly aligned so the bus bar will drop in place with the lock washers next to the screw head and not on the breaker side of the bus bar.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

It's an awkward angle (to say the least) which not only complicates visualizing and photographing, but also unscrewing. Upon further reflection, it is almost certain that the V+ screw is holding the breaker to the bus bar and that, along with some friction from the neighboring breakers, is preventing it from moving. The boat is two hours away, so I'll find out next weekend. Thanks folks.

 

[Comodave]

I have used Blue Seas panels in multiple boats, great equipment. I found this ratchet invaluable in removing screws in the bus bars. I got it on Amazon.

NEIKO 03044A 1/4-Inch Drive Mini Ratcheting Screwdriver and Bit Set | 8-Piece Set | Cr-V Steel | Pocket Size | 90 Degree Screwdriver | Low Profile | Close Quarter | Right Angle Offset Screwdriver | Phillips, Slotted, and Torx Star

 

[jimdavi]

Kind of a pain. Just replaced a breaker and it forces lots of disassembly. I had to remove the whole bus bar to get just one breaker free.

 

[Comodave]

Kind of a pain. Just replaced a breaker and it forces lots of disassembly. I had to remove the whole bus bar to get just one breaker free.

That is what sometimes has to be done.

 

[sean9c]

No unfortunately the busbar doesn't have slots just screw holes. It's a nuisance. You probably have to remove the screws from 3-4 neighboring breakers then loosen the screws to a few more. All depends on how hard you want to pull on the busbar to get it out of the way. Obviously a bigger pita when the breaker you want out is in the middle of the panel

 

[twistedtree]

Yes, they are very difficult to get out, and you typically need to loosen a lot of adjoining stuff.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

Well all that explains it. Thanks all.