Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix TK41 or TK60?

[CyberCT]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

I'm very frustrated. I've been trying to get my second LD20 unscrewed and it won't budge. I even put the light head first in boiling water for 5 minutes and it still won't budge. And the rubber between the vice grips has been squeezed so tight the teeth of the wrenches has eaten through them scratching the paint off the flashlight head.

What else should work to get the threadlocker loose?

 

[think2x]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

I had the same problem on my Surefire L1 head, AFTER I put some (minor) teeth marks in it I decided to use a propane torch for just about 10-15 seconds going around the thread area and it came off easily. When I use heat I also switch to a leather belt instead of rubber under the wrench.

BTW: Did you get my E-mail today with the video?

 

[CyberCT]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

I just checked and yes I just got your email think2x. I'm currently searching for a program to view the .thm file.

BTW did that heat from the propane torch mess up the paint any more than before on your Surfire L1 head?

 

[UpstandingCitizen]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

BTW did that heat from the propane torch mess up the paint any more than before on your Surfire L1 head?

Wrapping some aluminum foil around the head should help with that. That's what I did when using this method on a Streamlight Stylus Pro (which are notorious for being difficult to remove) and there was no residue left on the light's head.

 

[CyberCT]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

Awesome! I'm going to go out and buy a propane torch. I guess I could use this torch to reflow too then. Since I don't have anything other than a solder at the moment.

 

[think2x]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

I just checked and yes I just got your email think2x. I'm currently searching for a program to view the .thm file.

BTW did that heat from the propane torch mess up the paint any more than before on your Surfire L1 head?

Resent you the video in mp4 format this time, sorry about the first one. I shot it from my Cybershot H10 and it was a MOV file. No the heat from the torch didn't discolor it or harm it at all because I only heated for 10-15 seconds and kept the flame moving around the head instead of hitting one spot.

 

[CyberCT]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

Hi think2x I got your email with the attached video that I can view. Thanks for that! As soon as I get my XPGs in the mail and my propane torch at Home Depot tomorrow hopefully I'm going to start my modding of my four LD20s.

 

[CyberCT]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

Wrapping some aluminum foil around the head should help with that. That's what I did when using this method on a Streamlight Stylus Pro (which are notorious for being difficult to remove) and there was no residue left on the light's head.

Actually, do you think just using a lighter right under aluminum foil that's wrapping the head of the Fenix light would produce the same results? Would the temperature be hot enough do you think?

 

[UpstandingCitizen]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

Actually, do you think just using a lighter right under aluminum foil that's wrapping the head of the Fenix light would produce the same results? Would the temperature be hot enough do you think?

Well I can't speak specifically about the LD20, but it worked just as well using foil when I was removing a Streamlight head a few months back. I really doubt that the foil would get in the way of things, though.

 

[CyberCT]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

Uggg .. here's what happened tonight. First, I absolutely cannot get the head unscrewed off my other LD20r4. I heated it up for a minute with my lighter, with the flashlight body sideways in the vice with a layer of rubber between the vice grips teeth so the flashlight doesn't get scratched anymore. Well the rubber between the head and the wrench got messed up and the head got more scratched than before with more paint now off of it.

Irritated, I decided to see what I could do with the other LD20 that I got the head off already. First, I got my other neutral XPG-R5s in the mail. Tested them all and they work. So I put one in my vice and used a lighter underneath the new LED on the 16mm star. With tweasers around the LED itself it came off the star after maybe 15 seconds. Good! Now since I decided to finally unsolder the stock LED & star from the LD20, I got it off but the (+) and (-) wires retreated a little into the head. Just the very ends were still out, but I was able to grab them with my plyers. However, for some reason for both wires, the plastic sheath / outer covering came off more, so now more of the wire is exposed. It took me FOREVER to get the LED on the Fenix star. I held my lighter underneath it for a minute, still loose. Then the solder gun underneath for a minute touching the star. Still loose. I held the solder underneath for 2 minutes. Finally got it to where it wouldn't move. Took the star and soldered the stock wires back on from the Fenix. I made sure to try and push the exposed wire part from touching the star or the head.
The Fenix worked, with a much nicer tint color. I put the head back together without the plastic holder LED was still centered which was nice, but wasn't happy because the LED star wasn't secure. I took the head apart and placed the black holder of the star. Centered it and then the LED fell off. I unsoldered everything and did the same procedure to get the LED on, only this time I held the solder right under on the star for 4 minutes. Seemed secure, put it back on, and the LED falls off again. I simply just centerd the black holder and placed the LED in the center. THe light still worked but later it flickered because the LED wasn't secure. I was giving up for the night.

But then the light stopped working and the battery tube got real hot. I took the batteries out and the Eneloops were very hot. I let them sit on the basement floor for a few minutes but still hot. So I put them outside on the concrete. There was a very strange smell coming from the driver. Never smelled anything like it. I guess it was a short?

 

[CyberCT]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

I wonder if freezing the flashlight for a day would make the lock tite brittle enough to brake when I try to unscrew the head again.

 

[think2x]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

MAN, It sounds like you a one rough evening there! The only guess I have for the emitter being stubborn about reflowing back onto the Fenix board is because you removed the original emitter WITHOUT HEAT and possibly also removed the solder from the pad? Sorry to hear but it sounds like you may have fried the driver. I ruined a driver in a Quark once, you can find a 3 volt driver and still save the light (with different mode selection though) When you were reflowing the emitter back on did you see the solder go molten and the emitter "settle" into place? That's what I watch for when I do it.

 

[think2x]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

I wonder if freezing the flashlight for a day would make the lock tite brittle enough to brake when I try to unscrew the head again.

I've never had to freeze one yet, but then again I haven't done a Fenix yet either. I have a V10R Ti coming sometime for a XM-L swap, we'll see how that one goes, I hear they are harder to open than the aluminum.

 

[CyberCT]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

Well unlike last night, tonight WAS a success.

I went to Lowes after work and got some good quality solder with rosin (unlike the crap solder that came with my $15 soldering iron), and got a set of good needle nose pliers, and good wrenches. I bought a better soldering iron too but it doesn't heat up enough (?) so I'll be returning it tomorrow.

Anyway, using the cut rubber strips from the strap wrench I bought last weekend, and my NEW bettery wrench, I was able to get the head off my 2nd LD20, and then my PD31, without putting any more scratches to the paint. I bought a batch of four neutral white XPG-R5s so I grabbed another one. I unsoldered the (+) and (-) from the 2nd LD20 PCB and this time brought two of my new plyers, neutral white LED on PCB, and Fenix cool white XPG on PCB upstairs. I have an electric stove and decided to try it. Well it worked great, I got the LED off withing 15 or so seconds, and reflowed the new one on in the same time. Installed everything and all is good! So the LD20 is done, and the color is much better. Cool white is starting to look ugly, UNLESS it's being driven at 2.8 amps like my TK41 lol.

I took the PD31 apart and was surprised to see the Fenix PCB was actually not a circle or star. It was like 3/4 moon (whatever you call it). It was also made of copper which was surprising. There was no black plastic holder but now a clear circle with a square cut in the center for the LED to be centerd I guess. I reinstalled everything and the LED might have been like 2% off center after the reinstall (though still perfect beam pattern) but that plastic piece would not line up with the bottom of the reflector which I guess is supposed to fit in the outer circular part of that clear plastic piece. The stock PCB is flush against the inner diameter of the head walls so I couldn't maneuver it. I ended up not installing the plastic piece. THe head screwed on fine. I hope though that the bottom of the reflector is not touching the PCB and won't create a short.

I also noticed that for both the LD20 and PD31, there was enough thermal epoxy between the bottom of the PCB and flashlight head for contact, but both PCBs came off very easily. I probably should have added my Arctic SIlver thermal epoxy after reinstallation but I didn't. THe LD20 still got warm after being on for 20 minutes on turbo though, so it is making contact.

 

[think2x]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

That's great news! I'm glad you had a successful evening. It would be nice if you could get the isolation disk to fit back in the PD31 but at the very least I would use something. I use Avery Binder Reinforcement Labels sometimes as isolators and they work very well, you don't want the reflector shorting out the emitter board contacts.

 

[CyberCT]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

I ended up filing down that small clear round plastic piece that fits over the square LED board itself to almost nothing. Now I can screw the top of the PD31 on without a problem. I really like the new color temperature. I can't stand cool white anymore. I thought ignorance was bliss from reading posts of other people claiming cool white was unacceptable lol.

Tomorrow I'm going to attempt to mod one more of my LD20s and hopefully this time I don't scratch any paint off of it because of my new tools and better methods of getting the thread-locked head off.

 

[CyberCT]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

I haven't had much time lately but I was able to take the head off my 3rd LD20 (R5) without scratching any paint at all. Also used thermal epoxy to epoxy the Fenix heatsink to the head. The LD20 R4 that wasn't fried has a ring on the way outside of the beam but it's actually no big deal.

 

[CyberCT]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

I haven't had much time lately but I was able to take the head off my 3rd LD20 (R5) without scratching any paint at all. Also used thermal epoxy to epoxy the Fenix heatsink to the head. The LD20 R4 that wasn't fried has a ring on the way outside of the beam but it's actually no big deal.

 

[CyberCT]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

OK I ran into another snag. The I was trying to get the stock cool white XPG-R5 LED off the PCB that was in the Fenix and it wouldn't budge. I held it on the stove for two minutes and still couldn't even move the LED. For the Fenix LD20 R4s it took maybe 15 seconds to get the LEDs off the stock PCB with the same method. Then I left the star flat on the stove for 20 seconds and the top part of the PCB browned. However, the LED STILL would not budge. I can't even pry it loose with an exacto knife. I'm going to assume the postive and negative pathways on the PCB are no good anymore so I guess this PCB is no good.

Is there any place I can buy a new PCB only that's the same size as the Fenix one? what is it 10mm?

 

[CyberCT]

Re: Anyone Successfully Mod a Fenix LD20, TK40, or TK45?

OK I ran into another snag. The I was trying to get the stock cool white XPG-R5 LED off the PCB that was in the Fenix and it wouldn't budge. I held it on the stove for two minutes and still couldn't even move the LED. For the Fenix LD20 R4s it took maybe 15 seconds to get the LEDs off the stock PCB with the same method. Then I left the star flat on the stove for 20 seconds and the top part of the PCB browned. However, the LED STILL would not budge. I can't even pry it loose with an exacto knife. I'm going to assume the postive and negative pathways on the PCB are no good anymore so I guess this PCB is no good.

Is there any place I can buy a new PCB only that's the same size as the Fenix one? what is it 10mm?