fenix' expanding o-rings

I got a Fenix L0P-SE a while ago. I really like it so far, though the flickering during turning on/off can be somewhat annyoing, especially when it causes unintended brightness level changes.
So I tried using some lube in order to make turning easier. I always thought silicon-based lubricants would be safe for this, so i was fairly shocked when, as soon as I had applied a small amount to the threads, the o-ring quickly expanded to a size that was obviously way too large for it work correctly anymore.
So now I'm wondering what went wrong... is this common for Fenix o-rings? Thankfully there was a spare included that I'm using now, but what should I use to lube it? Do these o-rings come in standardised sizes, so I could get some that will survive my choice of lubricant (I never had any problems like this before)?

Here's a thread on lubing o-rings and threads. I use Nyogel and have not had any problems like you describe.

http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=95888&highlight=nygel

O-rings can be made of a variety of materials: rubber, neoprene, buna-n, viton.

some of these materials will react to the chemistry of some lubricants that we would consider benign such as silicone. Of the above materials (not an exhaustive list) viton - usually an orangelike color - is probably the most resistant to chemical attack. Where to get? start searching the web ...

What lubricant did you use?

I picked up some silicon grease and it works very well on threads and O rings.

I used a silicone-based lubrication spray, which may be different from a silicone-based grease. I have however used this very same spray on a couple old maglights, a cheap Ultrafire, and quite a few non-flashlight products and have never had any problems with it.
Does anyone know what material Fenix uses for its o-rings (I got my L0P-SE about a month ago from fenix-store.com)? I only have this one o-ring left now, so I'm fairly hestitant to just try something else and see if it decides to magically expand, too...
Also, if these o-rings are standardized in some way (so I could get some that are sure to fit my L0P-SE) I would prefer to get some that will resist silicone-based sprays, as that appears to be the most available lubricant around here (apart from oil-based ones, which I heard are not so great for flashlights).

I'm currently using my L0P-SE without o-rings because it's just too stiff to operate one-handed with the o-rings that came with it... But, now I'm wondering if this is 'self-inflicted' as I put some silicone grease on it (hoping to help).

BTW - David Chow at Fenix is working very hard to assist me with this - he's going to send me some new o-rings.

Ironically, if the O-ring is made of silicone, silicone based products will swell it. This could mean that fenix uses silicone O-rings. I praise the use of silicone O-rings, but if you don't know what your rings are made of, you run the risk of swelling. Nyogel, Krytox are safe for use on all O-rings to the best of my knowledge. If you have well-lubricated O-rings, you may not need to lube your threads. This will obviously depend on the quality of machining. It is counterintuitive, but I have found that some threads wear out quicker if you lube them. I would welcome thoughts on this.

Bernie

*

Urethane o-rings would be better but they cost more. Fenix probably uses whatever cheapo o-rings they can buy for the best price.

If you wanted you can go to mcmaster-carr or some other online store and buy orings the same size in a different material, urethane for example, or for fun you could try teflon or something That would definitely be slicker and easier to adjust the light...

zottel said:

I used a silicone-based lubrication spray, which may be different from a silicone-based grease.

Click to expand...

Not "may" but "is," I'll bet. There is probably a solvent that has affected whatever the o-ring is made of. Plumber's "silicone grease" should be fine. There is a totally pure silicone spray that IIRC has no solvents or carriers but it's pretty hard to find and even that I wouldn't use on a rubber/plastic product...

Again, silicone lubricant will ruin silicone O-rings. Silicone O-rings are uncommon. Somebody PM 4sevens and ask him if Fenix uses silicone rings.

Anyway, Krytox 50/50, and Nyogel are great for all O-rings. Everybody should have one of these.

Bernie