Removing the retaining split ring on a Fenix LD12

[bon1]

So I was "plugging in" a Fenix light diffuser when...

Issue: Fenix LD12 flashlight flickering a lot to the point of being unusable.
Point of problem: I traced it down to a dirty (greasy?) switch.

Accessing the switch
Now, the switch on the LD12 is retained using a split ring. Said split ring didn't budge from one end so that helped the pliers slip up a few times. The force of the split ring retainer hitting the threaded part in the tailcap area has been enough to remove some of the anodizing.

Cleaning the switch
I found some dirt and grease that I've cleaned thoroughly. That was easy, and easy was putting the tailcap back together with all its parts. It may be psychological, but I feel that the flashlight not only doesn't flicker anymore but it may actually be somewhat brighter now. What a wonderful bonus!

Aftereffects
All is good and working well... but the inside of the tailcap looks a bit of a mess now since some of the anodizing came of the threaded part. The only force hitting that anodizing was the split ring itself when it slipped off the pliers. I don't care for tailcap lockup but I fear that the reciprocating threaded area on the main LD12 body may get damaged after replacing the battery a few times. I do appreciate anodized parts because they're (supposedly) tougher and last longer.

Has anyone else on here replaced the split ring on their LD12 / LD22? How easy or difficult was it for you? I had to buy a pair of pliers for this task... maybe the guy at the store advised me the wrong type of pliers... I don't know... what tools do you guys use for this task and how do you do it? I don't feel like doing any cleaning procedure on my own in an LD12-type of tailcap ever again!

Eventually, I applied some silicon grease on the rubber boot hoping for a better tight seal. But should I have left the rubber boot dry as it was before disassembly?

Thanks for reading!

 

[bon1]

I just came across this old thread http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?246768-Fenix-Anodizing-Pic where it seems that anodizing applied to "sharp areas" (like threads) can be easily chipped off. Maybe that explains what happened to me before? If so, I wonder if replacing the aluminum part of the tailcap every time it needs to be cleaned is also standard procedure?

 

[Flashlight Dave]

same thing happened to me. I took the tail apart on my LD 12 and chipped the anodizing of the threads. just like you it slipped off my pliers.

 

[bon1]

I'm somehow relieved to know that I'm not the only one to whom this happened. The instructional video on the Fenix website makes it look like it's no big deal though.

 

[smokinbasser]

This might or might not help but BassPro sells split ring pliers that do work.

 

[bon1]

This might or might not help but BassPro sells split ring pliers that do work.

I've used a pair of standard split ring pliers for this task. It should have been an easy job, but for some reason it wasn't.

One end of the split ring wouldn't get out of its groove, then the other end came out of the groove at the same time that it slipped out of the pliers. Then the split ring released its force against the threaded portion of the tailcap chipping some anodizing in the process. The split ring sits flush against the board supporting the switch so it's somewhat difficult to get a good grip. Also, when compressing the split ring, one side didn't budge from the groove while the other tip was the only one getting compressed out of the groove.

On the other hand, replacing the split ring was very easy and fast.