Is an AT&T 2500 face plate / bezel removable without breaking anything?

[MaximRecoil]

I don't see how to remove it, nor do I see how it was put in there in the first place. It has two tabs holding it in: a wide one on bottom and a narrow one on top, and they both extend too far outward to be able to flex the plate to get them to clear the opening. The base is a Western Electric 2500DMG, but it has a newer AT&T branded shell and handset.

[Key2871]

On that type you need to carefully push from the inside of the face plate out ward, from the center supporting the bottom on the outside.
And reverse the procedure to install it. Take it slowly don't use exsecive force doing it.
A pain, yes. But possible.

[MaximRecoil]

Thanks. That plate will have to flex a lot before either of those tabs will clear. I think I'll hold off on removing it until I have a replacement one (I don't like it being gray; I'd like to find a black one).

If I find an older face plate that uses a retainer bracket and screw, will it work with my shell? I'm guessing that the bracket would screw into the currently unused boss that I marked with an arrow in the attached picture, is that right?

[tallrick]

On mine the upper tab is metal and spring loaded, It retracts into the housing releasing the face plate

[Jim Stettler]

On mine the upper tab is metal and spring loaded, It retracts into the housing releasing the face plate

That was the old style. You can remove the faceplate with a paperclip

This type of faceplate will work on phones with the old style retainer.

Some of the housings that have" tabbed" plates have a plastic "boss" for using the old style retainer.
Jim S.

[MaximRecoil]

On mine the upper tab is metal and spring loaded, It retracts into the housing releasing the face plate

Is the upper tab screwed to the shell, into that boss that I marked with an arrow in the picture I attached in my previous post?

[Key2871]

The upper tab will clear, then you remove the face plate as usual. It will flex, just do it carefully.

[paul-f]

If I find an older face plate that uses a retainer bracket and screw, will it work with my shell? I'm guessing that the bracket would screw into the currently unused boss that I marked with an arrow in the attached picture, is that right?

That is correct -- although you may need to make a few "minor" adjustments to the housing to provide the spring room to flex.

Check out the photos in the following topics...

     http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=14601.msg151691#msg151691

     http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=3698.0

     http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=17609.msg182177#msg182177

You can modify your faceplate to work with the spring by removing the tab and notching the front surface to match the notches on the earlier 2500 faceplates. Of course, since the faceplates are readily available, it's easier to just replace it.


This was one of the less popular (with collectors) cost saving modifications made to the 2500 sets.

We can imagine the task force of engineers, marketers and accountants working diligently to shave a few cents off the manufacturing cost of each phone. This must have been a gold mine -- eliminate a metal spring and screw, change the faceplate mold and start saving money!

While the described flexing motion to install and remove the faceplate probably worked well during the phone's expected lifetime, decades later the plastic has probably become a lot more brittle. Flexing is now more likely to cause catastrophic failure of the faceplate plastic.

[tallrick]

This is how all of mine are

[MaximRecoil]

That is correct -- although you may need to make a few "minor" adjustments to the housing to provide the spring room to flex.

Check out the photos in the following topics...

     http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=14601.msg151691#msg151691

     http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=3698.0

     http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=17609.msg182177#msg182177

Thanks for the confirmation and the links.

This was one of the less popular (with collectors) cost saving modifications made to the 2500 sets.

We can imagine the task force of engineers, marketers and accountants working diligently to shave a few cents off the manufacturing cost of each phone. This must have been a gold mine -- eliminate a metal spring and screw, change the faceplate mold and start saving money!

Typical bean counters; stepping over dollars to pick up dimes. I noticed that my shell doesn't have threaded metal inserts in the bosses for the two screws that secure it to the base. Instead, they just use coarse-threaded screws that make their own threads in the plastic hole. Since this is the only 2500 I own, I don't know if that has always been the case with 2500s or not. My 500s all have threaded metal inserts in those bosses, which accept fine-threaded machine screws. The threaded inserts are much better in the long term for something that will be taken apart often.

While the described flexing motion to install and remove the faceplate probably worked well during the phone's expected lifetime, decades later the plastic has probably become a lot more brittle. Flexing is now more likely to cause catastrophic failure of the faceplate plastic.

Yeah, and there was no need to make that top tab that long, which requires so much flex to get it to clear the opening. It could be half as long and still do the same job.

[MaximRecoil]

This is how all of mine are

Thanks for the good closeup picture.

[tallrick]

All my phones have threaded inserts where the housing bolts to the base but the Cortelcos and Rolms I have do not