I gave in early as my switch was riveted and therefore the innards were inaccessible. A trip to my nearby Home Depot produced a Westinghouse identical replacement so now we're working. Westinghouse part number 77023. The SKU numbers on Home Depot's web site were a mismatch to what was in the store, so be careful ordering from the internet. Go to the store and look on the back of the package for Westinghouse's part number.

I got mine put back together. Thanks for the directions. I wound the string, put it on the spring, pushed it down, then I could pull the string and it would retract. I pulled the chain a little bit, and put the next part on. The string will pulled and retracts. Then put the part on where the wires attach. All good.

Almost 6 years later to the day the same thing happened to me. The chain wrapped once was the trick! It took a little patience and dexterity, but I now have my fan functioning again and not just in plane take-off speed!