Southern States EV1
Sheared Shaft & Full Rebuild
A BG&E Southern States EV1 disconnect switch arrived with a sheared operating shaft — a part no longer available from the OEM. Southern Switch machined a new arm from billet aluminum, refurbished the complete switch set, and returned both units ready for reinstallation.
No OEM path. Send it to us.
The operating shaft on one phase of a BG&E Southern States EV1 disconnect switch sheared under service load. The EV1 is a well-proven vertical-break disconnect design, but Southern States parts — particularly operating mechanism components — are not stocked by most distributors, and OEM lead times for custom machined parts can stretch to months.
With the switch inoperable, BG&E sent the unit to Southern Switch. The scope grew naturally: if the switch is in the shop, inspect and refurbish the full set rather than return one rebuilt unit alongside untouched hardware of unknown service age.
Full set refurbished.
Southern Switch disassembled the switch, measured the original shaft geometry, and machined a replacement arm from billet aluminum. The new arm was fitted to the existing pivot housing and checked for alignment before final assembly. Both units were fully cleaned, inspected, and rebuilt before going back to BG&E.
- →Full disassembly and inspection
- →Sheared shaft measured and reverse-engineered
- →New operating arm machined from billet aluminum
- →Arm fitted to pivot housing and alignment verified
- →Full clean, rebuild, and reassembly
- →Full disassembly down to components
- →Complete cleaning of all components
- →Inspection and hardware replacement as needed
- →Full rebuild and reassembly
the switch still has to work.
The Southern States EV1 is a reliable disconnect design with decades of service life in the field. But like most legacy transmission equipment, OEM support for individual machined components is inconsistent — lead times are long, some parts are simply unavailable, and waiting weeks for a part that keeps a circuit out of service is not a real option for most utilities.
Southern Switch reverse-engineers and machines replacement components for disconnect switches across manufacturers and voltage classes — Southern States, Clyde Bergemann, S&C, ABB, and others. The work starts with the original part, a drawing if one exists, or a field measurement. The result is a component that fits the existing switch without modification and restores full function.
Operating shafts and arms are precision components — tolerances at the pivot and bushing interfaces determine whether the switch operates correctly. Southern Switch machines these to original geometry, not to generic stock dimensions.
No drawing required. Southern Switch works from the original failed part — even a sheared shaft provides the geometry needed to reproduce the critical fit surfaces. Where the failure destroyed detail, we cross-reference with the mating hardware.
Fabricating one part while leaving the rest of the switch in unknown condition doesn’t make sense. If it’s in the shop, it gets a full disassembly, cleaning, inspection, and rebuild. BG&E got two switches back in consistent condition, not one new and one unknown.
Southern Switch machines components for disconnect switches from Southern States, ABB, Clyde Bergemann, S&C, and other manufacturers. If the switch is in service and a part is unavailable, call us before assuming the equipment is at end of life.
Call (727) 789-0951 or send us the failed part. If it’s a shaft, arm, blade, jaw, or contact assembly, we can most likely machine a replacement. We work from the original part, drawings, or both.