Weller EC1201P rebuild

[prosodyspeaks]

hi!

i have an ancient Weller EC2000 with EC2001 pencil. they have served me very well. unfortunately i broke the heater trying to remove a stubborn tip, and replacement has opened a whole tin of worms...

Replacement heater EC234 is flared and requires replacement of barrel with BA60, so i got this.
Replacement heater has 2 fixing screws, requires replacement of handle with TC218, so i got this.
Replacement handle TC218 has black insulator and pushfit pins, legacy part has ceramic board and soldered wires. i read i need AMP/TYCO/TE 207437-3 sockets to connect to heater, delivery is 3 times the price of the parts, and i'm concerned i still wont end up with a working iron....

my temperature sensor differs from the ones i see in pictures - they have solder tabs while mine has integral wires that terminate inside a sealed plastic or maybe ceramic base... i can't mate it with the black plastic insulator from handle TC218 in a way that inspires conifdence re: the wires not getting quickly shredded...

does anyone know if the temperature sensor pictured can even be used with the new TC218 handle also pictured? how do i assemble it - do i keep the ceramic board as something for the sensor spring to push against?

i really want to save this machine, but i'm losing patience... please help!
to push against?

 

[PETERDECO]

Welcome to the forum. I gave up on Weller years ago. The cost of replacement parts are more expensive than a cheap soldering station. If it needs more than a new tip or an internal fuse, I'll throw it away and buy another. The one I have now is many years old.