Help? - Fixing/gluing torn silicone keyboard key-press spring (pix)

Question

Okay, I know this is probably new territory for a lot of folks, but I wanted to clean up the Space Bar's 'action' (I was having to hit it dead center to get it to activate} so I pried the key cap off (not a huge issue) and in the cleaning process found grime on the little, translucent/clear keypress 'nipple' spring. I pinched it it with thumb and forefinger to pick up the grime, and accidentally tore off part of the silicone spring.
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Of course I need the top back on to make the contacts work right when pressing the key.
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Does anyone know of a way to either buy a whole, intact replacement nipple/spring and glue it back in place, or what kind of flexible glue I could use to join these parts again and still have it flex?

Answer 1

I couldn't stand it... I had to try it. It dried for a couple hours, I guess...
First, re-install "scissors" (the white plastic parts). (Please note, this shot was from before the glue-job). There are two things to note, here. The first thing to make sure of is that the metal tab hooks over the bottom of the scissors and fits into the associated notch (see the long, white rectangle at the lower left scissors assembly). Once that is in place, get the pins on the sides of the upper arms into the holes in the metal tabs at the upper part of the assembly. (Red circles)
Being careful to keep the bottom tab in place, angle one of the side pins into its hole, then flex the other inward and pop it into its hole.
Below, preparing to re-install the key-cap for the space bar:
Its orientation is flipped head over heels, toward the trackpad, and that will be reversed to reassemble. The red arrow shows the direction of the flip I am about to do. The metal bar with "C" shaped ends will end up closer to the LCD display, the bar with "L" shaped ends will end up closer to the trackpad. Get the legs up like a cockroach on its back.
Note: The "Xs" are to show you where NOT to put the metal bar with "C" ends, if you take it off temporarily. Those "grippers" will grab the "scissors" at the right time.
Now, flip it over, and make sure the "C" shaped ends go under the metal tabs as shown, below:
Next, orient the bar with the "L" shaped ends so that as you tap the bar-ends in-and-under the space-bar key-cap, the "L" ends will insert themselves into the holes (see the one that the red arrow points to). Tug toward yourself a little to keep the "C" ends under the tabs.
If everything has gone well, all you will need to do is press down hard at the two ends and the middle of the plastic key-cap until you hear a faint snap-on sound or two at each position -- that's the "grippers" (see the Xs above) grabbing hold of the pins on the scissors.
When you are done, your Space bar will be pressed high up by the silicon spring, at the same level as the other keys.
(Aside: I just got this last week at a very good price, but the space bar really sucked big-time. It now works perfectly at both ends and the middle. If it fails on me, I will look for this thread and post again, the day it happens).