Did I ruin my Solarforce L2?

[Deegle]

Well, I received my Solarforce L2 in the mail yesterday. I dropped in my DX P60 drop-in and fired it up. Very bright, loved it. It throws better than my Nitecore Extreme. However, I noticed that the bulb shook a bit. So I stuck the larger spring that came with the DX drop-in in the the bezel and tightened it up. That fixed the problem.

So after playing with it a bit more, I thought I'd better take out the drop-in and wrap it in foil to prevent over heating. But uh oh - the big spring was wedged up inside the bezel. It wouldn't come out, nor would the drop-in. They are in there pretty good. I think I'd need to destroy the drop-in to get everything out.

Do you think the large spring itself, wedged up in there, will be enough of a heatsink to preven my drop-in from frying? Thanks guys.

 

[R@ndom]

The dropin should be around 10 bucks... Run it till it frys (will be a while if it is making contact.) then get a malkoff. :devil:. If you are really cheap then a big dollap of aa should help heatsink it well.

 

[Deegle]

Thanks. What is aa? I am a bit new to all of this.

 

[tx101]

aa is Arctic Alumina, a heat transferring paste

With your L2 have you tried taking the battery out and pushing the dropin out from the tail end ?

 

[Norm]

I'm trying to imagine how the spring could be stuck, can't quite picture it.
I would just grab the large spring (not the smaller spring that contacts the positive nipple on the battery) with a pair of pliers and yank in out, the spring will more than likely be very stretched, new springs are very common I have about a dozen spares and would send you one but it isn't worth the post from Australia. There are some very generous people her on CPF I'm sure a U.S. member will be happy to send you a new spring.
I'd like to see a picture of the stuck module.
Good luck with it Norm

PS I always use the large spring with my Solarforce L2's

 

[nailbender]

If you mess up the spring PM me and I will send you a new one, no cost.

Dave

 

[pmoore]

another thought remove the bezel ring. Try to get it out the front of the light.

 

[Norm]

another thought remove the bezel ring. Try to get it out the front of the light.

It won't come out the front, the drop in sits up against a ridge not against the lens.
Norm

 

[lightmyway]

Could you mean the spring is stuck in the flashlight body.?

 

[kramer5150]

can you post some pics?... we need to see exactly whats jammed in there.:thumbsup:

 

[Deegle]

I will try to take some pics tomorrow and post them. Crazy night tonight, so no time. It is stuck in the bezel - jammed way up in there, so much so that I can barely see it. It is certainly too far in to reach with a needle nose. I may end up just leaving it like that and hoping that the spring is a sufficient heat sink - it is definately touching both the bezel interior wall and the drop-in. Thanks for all your help guys!

 

[Norm]

Just to make sure were all on the same page here is a of pictures of the back of an SS L2 bezel, I can't understand how the spring could be jammed. Or are we talking about a different item?
Norm

 

[pmoore]

I think he is saying, he put the spring in front of the reflector. to lessen the rattle. Now it is stuck in the head and around the reflector.

 

[Black Rose]

Not sure if I'm reading this right, but it sounds like there is a spring on each end of the drop-in.

If it's stuck the way I think it is (and you have a crenelated bezel) you can unscrew the bezel ring, remove the o-ring and glass and probably get the spring out that way.

 

[old4570]

Just unscrew the head off ...


This should allow you to gently push the P60 pill out .... From behind , with something soft , maybe some rolled up paper , leave a hole for the positive spring .

Do you need pictures ?

 

[Deegle]

Well, thank you everyone. I am an idiot. The head was stuck on. I finally got that off and got the spring unstuck. My apologies. Unrelated - do they sell tactical clicky switches for these L2s?

 

[JSO123]

You might try a Surefire Z-59 or z-41 tailcap. Howener i think they cost about $40.00. Thats what I'm planning.

http://www.opticsplanet.net/surefire-miscellaneous-z41.html