Help needed for space bar repair

[mikeruth]

I bought a Cherry MX SPOS G86-62410 via ebay (didjamatic) and the Cherry brown switches are great.  A pleasure to type on.

My problem is that I dropped a computer book on it last night and I noticed by the light of day this morning that the stabilizer bar is now sitting out of the top of the space bar.  It still works but not very well.

I read all of the posts that I could find here about taking the large keys off but it does not seem to want to come off and I am afraid of breaking it, the switch, or part of the mounting.

I am using a dental pick and wire puller in the shape of a U with very small hooks on each leg.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[mikeruth]

Thanks ripster.  That is the one.  The photo helps immensely.  Now I know what I am working with.

I also know know why the space bar is a little stiffer that the other keys.  Is does not have a brown switch.  Is it safe to replace it with a brown or does it need the stiffer switch to hold up the bar?

[itlnstln]

You can replace it with a brown.  Be sure to replace both the spring and the stem.  I just swapped the spring, and the tactile point "catches" sometimes as the spring is not as strong as the original.  After I swapped the stem, it was fine.

[mikeruth]

Thanks ripster.  The photo helped me know what I doing and it is fixed.  

I think that I have a Cherry clear (or white) in my junk drawer.  If I can find it and it works I will swap it for the Cherry gray.

Thanks again.