Installing a switch panel to eliminate my birds nest

[Douglasdzaster]

Dog gone it! I need a little advice again please. I replaced a switch in the panel I’m installing with a nav light switch so both bow and stern will be on the same two way switch. I purchased a nice waterproof bilge pump rocker switch again two way for manual or automatic. I didn’t want to make another hole for it in the boat and had room on the panel for it as well. I had a heck of a time getting it out of the plate it was in. Those tabs where stiff. But a little at the time and I worked it out along with the gasket that sealed it. Didn’t have any trouble popping it in the switch panel but it’s stopping on the first notch on each tab and is loose fitting because of it. Is there something I can remove the switch and run a small bead of that will adhere and seal it as well? I’ll test the switch first of course. And I realize I may regret it down the road if I have to replace it. I have the usual stuff. Silicone , 5200 etc. But don’t want to use anything that will harm the plastic. If I’m going to seal it with something I could omit the rubber gasket I suppose. That may give me another notch or so to click it in tighter. After testing all the switches i have some liquid electrical tape for all the spade connectors where they plug in. Other than that everything else is done with marine heat shrink. And thought about using it around the other rocker switches to seal around them to keep water out of the electrical compartment. I still have two banks left I’m not using. I also took out the wiring that made the switches stay lit up all down drawing juice. I can find those switches with a head lamp if I have to at night and they’ll light up when turned on. I should’ve done that first thing to make room for my fat fingers while wiring the rest of it. Lol:

 

[Douglasdzaster]

Dog gone it! I need a little advice again please. I replaced a switch in the panel I’m installing with a nav light switch so both bow and stern will be on the same two way switch. I purchased a nice waterproof bilge pump rocker switch again two way for manual or automatic. I didn’t want to make another hole for it in the boat and had room on the panel for it as well. I had a heck of a time getting it out of the plate it was in. Those tabs where stiff. But a little at the time and I worked it out along with the gasket that sealed it. Didn’t have any trouble popping it in the switch panel but it’s stopping on the first notch on each tab and is loose fitting because of it. Is there something I can remove the switch and run a small bead of that will adhere and seal it as well? I’ll test the switch first of course. And I realize I may regret it down the road if I have to replace it. I have the usual stuff. Silicone , 5200 etc. But don’t want to use anything that will harm the plastic. If I’m going to seal it with something I could omit the rubber gasket I suppose. That may give me another notch or so to click it in tighter. After testing all the switches i have some liquid electrical tape for all the spade connectors where they plug in. Other than that everything else is done with marine heat shrink. And thought about using it around the other rocker switches to seal around them to keep water out of the electrical compartment. I still have two banks left I’m not using. I also took out the wiring that made the switches stay lit up all down drawing juice. I can find those switches with a head lamp if I have to at night and they’ll light up when turned on. I should’ve done that first thing to make room for my fat fingers while wiring the rest of it. Lol:

I got it in there today and sealed the sucker. I had an extra rocker switch so instead of the power ports and voltage read out being on all the time I just stuck it on the extra switch. Now the panel doesn’t draw any extra power unless I turn it on.