Motorcycle Repair: flh handlebar starter switch, thin metal plate, brake light switch

Question
ALOHA MIKE,  THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR CONTINUED HELP.  ON MY 1976 FLH I HAD TO OPEN UP THE STARTER BUTTON HOUSING TO CHECK AND SOLDER TWO CONNECTIONS.  FIRST I CANNOT REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH BECAUSE THE DRAG SPECIALTIES REPLACEMENT SWITCH HAS A DIFFERENT THREAD THAN THE HOUSING.  DO I NEED TO TRY A HARLEY SWITCH TO MATCH THREADS, OR IS THIS AN AFTERMARKET SWITCH HOUSING THAT HAS A DIFFERENT THREAD THAN THE ORIGINAL?  ALSO, MY BIGGEST PROBLEM IS TRYING TO STUFF ALL THOSE WIRES BACK INTO THE HOUSING WITHOUT BREAKING THE FRAGILE SOLDER JOINTS ON THE INTERIOR WIRE CONNECTIONS.  I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO SHORT OUT INSIDE THE SWITCH,OR HAVE SOME CONNECTION PART AGAIN.  ANY SUGGESTIONS TO HELP WITH THIS PROCEDURE?  STARTER STUFF AGAIN:  NEW SOLENOID, RELAY IS WIRED PROPERLY AND SENDS POWER TO THE SOLENOID AT THE RIGHT TIME.  NOW, IF THE STARTER CONTINUES TO RUN ON AFTER THE SWITCH IS RELEASED (AND ONLY STOPS WHEN I DISCONNECT THE GROUND WIRE ON MY BATTERY-I HAVE THIS HOOKED UP WITH A VISE GRIP SO I CAN DISCONNECT IT QUICKLY).  I THINK THE NEXT PROBLEM IS TO ASSUME THAT THE BENDIX SPRING IS NOT RETRACTING THE STARTER DRIVE BUSHING IN OUTER PRIMARY CASE, AND THIS ALSO LOOKS GOOD. THERE IS A THIN METAL PLATE WITH AN "O" RING THAT SITS WHERE THE STARTER BOLTS UP.  THERE IS ALSO A PAPER GASKET THAT IS PART OF THIS ASSEMBLY. CURRENTLY, THE HOLE IN THE "O" RING PLATE IS DISTORTED, AND THERE IS NO GASKET.  I HAVE THE NEW PARTS AND WILL BE REPLACING THEM AS A MATTER OF COURSE.  MY QUESTION IS:  COULD THAT WORN AND DISTORTED HOLE IN THIS PLATE CAUSE ENOUGH BINDING OR DRAG TO CAUSE THE STARTER TO NOT DISENGAGE?  THANKS,  CHRIS  

Answer
If you have a aftermarket switch housing it might be a different thread pattern. the drag specialities should be the same as harley. When putting the wires in the housing, you should not have to push the wires in. The slack should be outside the housing. just be careful.
the problem of the starter not disingaging it with the solenoid. If you have a weak battery that will happen and if the spring in the solenoid is weak this will happen
Good luck and happy riding
Mike