KevinL
Flashlight Enthusiast
Vise grip pliers padded with material. Where would I get strap wrenches in Singapore? Haven't had any luck so far.
Fed up with the 4th gen KL1....
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Vise grip pliers padded with material. Where would I get strap wrenches in Singapore? Haven't had any luck so far.
My XP-Es and Gs are on pcbs from Cutter that are almost exactly the same hight as a Luxeon or Seoul so I just fit the Cree in place of the old led:thumbsup:
Padded wrenches should be about as good as strap wrenches.. So if heat and those isn't working then there is very little other advice I can offer
Sverre
KevinL
Flashlight Enthusiast
One of my guys tipped me off to where I can get real strap wrenches, we're headed down this Thursday. Let's see how it goes. More heat treatment, including direct flame where appropriate, then strap wrenches.
Thanks for the tip about the XP-Gs, I will try that instead of the SSC P4. I really like the Crees.. there's just something about the quality of the light that I appreciate.
If heat doesn't work, next stop is to marinade it in barbecue sauce and give it the full grill treatment :devil:
Thanks for the tip about the XP-Gs, I will try that instead of the SSC P4. I really like the Crees.. there's just something about the quality of the light that I appreciate.
If heat doesn't work, next stop is to marinade it in barbecue sauce and give it the full grill treatment :devil:
mudman cj
Flashlight Enthusiast
I can sympathize with you guys. I have modded a few gen 4 KL1s, and they are my least favorite of the E-series heads to open. Like Stillphoto, I found the "upper" section to be the most difficult. I really don't want to work on a KL1 again. :sick2: Best of luck to you, KevinL!
HarryN
Flashlight Enthusiast
Almost everything has a solvent that will dissolve or at least soften it. That doesn't necessarily mean its something that you want to use.:ironic:
KevinL
Flashlight Enthusiast
DONE. At last.
One of my guys managed to find me strap wrenches. Great, I get the outer housing open, the problem is that the threadlocker on the top (LED section) of the pill is far stronger and the bottom section unscrews first, leaving me with nothing to get a grip on.
Removing the top assembly (the 'shroud' that covers half the light) was so difficult, I damaged the bottom threads on the pill.
Stillphoto - you may want to consider opening this electronics assembly a destructive exercise. My backup plan was to actually find a drill and drill two holes in the pill and then use a pin wrench to put some serious torque into it. If you are drilling, use the red and black wires as your cue. If red and black are West and East, drill your two holes North and South so the holes and wires form a + . There is enough alu to drill.
What really happened was that the strap wrench wasn't so helpful so I went back to the vise grips after stripping two of the internal notches. Slip goes the rubber shielding the threads, crunch goes the vise grip and byebye threads. The carnage is pretty nasty looking so I have spared you photos to save your breakfast/lunch/dinner (or whatever previous meal) from coming back up.
The funny thing is that there are still enough threads left to screw back on properly.
I will probably never trust this light again for 'production' use, as its mechanical integrity has been compromised, but it will be fine for wandering around the house and various experiments.
I am a little disappointed in the MANIFESTLY EXCESSIVE use of threadlocking compound here. I'll honestly have to think twice about buying LED heads again. Sure, I acknowledge these were never meant to be user-upgradeable, but I'm making 'user upgradeable' or at least 'advanced tinkerer upgradeable' a priority for future purchases.
Thanks for the encouragement guys. I've won, although not a perfect victory but good enough.
One of my guys managed to find me strap wrenches. Great, I get the outer housing open, the problem is that the threadlocker on the top (LED section) of the pill is far stronger and the bottom section unscrews first, leaving me with nothing to get a grip on.
Removing the top assembly (the 'shroud' that covers half the light) was so difficult, I damaged the bottom threads on the pill.
Stillphoto - you may want to consider opening this electronics assembly a destructive exercise. My backup plan was to actually find a drill and drill two holes in the pill and then use a pin wrench to put some serious torque into it. If you are drilling, use the red and black wires as your cue. If red and black are West and East, drill your two holes North and South so the holes and wires form a + . There is enough alu to drill.
What really happened was that the strap wrench wasn't so helpful so I went back to the vise grips after stripping two of the internal notches. Slip goes the rubber shielding the threads, crunch goes the vise grip and byebye threads. The carnage is pretty nasty looking so I have spared you photos to save your breakfast/lunch/dinner (or whatever previous meal) from coming back up.
The funny thing is that there are still enough threads left to screw back on properly.
I will probably never trust this light again for 'production' use, as its mechanical integrity has been compromised, but it will be fine for wandering around the house and various experiments.
I am a little disappointed in the MANIFESTLY EXCESSIVE use of threadlocking compound here. I'll honestly have to think twice about buying LED heads again. Sure, I acknowledge these were never meant to be user-upgradeable, but I'm making 'user upgradeable' or at least 'advanced tinkerer upgradeable' a priority for future purchases.
Thanks for the encouragement guys. I've won, although not a perfect victory but good enough.
Congrats with the opening, sorry it didn't' go smoothly.
If you put some teflon tape on the threads after the mod to keep it waterproof and it should be ok. Epoxy is a more permanent solution
I've seen a lot of variation in the amount of threadlock used in Surefires; had a U2 open by accident (very little locktite) and had to use a heatgun on my KL1s
Sverre
If you put some teflon tape on the threads after the mod to keep it waterproof and it should be ok. Epoxy is a more permanent solution
I've seen a lot of variation in the amount of threadlock used in Surefires; had a U2 open by accident (very little locktite) and had to use a heatgun on my KL1s
Sverre
Stillphoto
Flashlight Enthusiast
That's a good idea about drilling some holes off-axis from the wire holes... Even if I drill too far and nail the optic, I'm planning on using a reflector for the mod anyways.
40 mins boiling, 20 mins freezing, etc. Wow you guys are patient!
I would go crazy doing that. I just use a torch, a lot quicker, direct flame won't damage the the HAIII. Just have to becareful not to melt the optic & it will also get too hot to handle without gloves. After a couple times you'll get used to how much heat is needed & melting an optic is not a risk.
Good to hear you got it open. But as you said SF didn't not intend them to be user upgradeable. Their intention is was to make it so it can take a beating & be reliable for the LEO & Military market so one should not be disappointed with them. One of the reason why the top half is harder to open is because of the oring. It's a tight fit. even without the threadlocker that they put on, that top half is hard to screw on & off unless you lube the oring.
To make it easier I use a spanner wrench or round nose pliers to unsrew the heatsink module from the top half.
I would go crazy doing that. I just use a torch, a lot quicker, direct flame won't damage the the HAIII. Just have to becareful not to melt the optic & it will also get too hot to handle without gloves. After a couple times you'll get used to how much heat is needed & melting an optic is not a risk.
Good to hear you got it open. But as you said SF didn't not intend them to be user upgradeable. Their intention is was to make it so it can take a beating & be reliable for the LEO & Military market so one should not be disappointed with them. One of the reason why the top half is harder to open is because of the oring. It's a tight fit. even without the threadlocker that they put on, that top half is hard to screw on & off unless you lube the oring.
To make it easier I use a spanner wrench or round nose pliers to unsrew the heatsink module from the top half.
KevinL
Flashlight Enthusiast
Good idea on the teflon tape, that should be interesting. Yeah, I did think of epoxy too but now that it's something I can tinker with
You should actually have a few mm of aluminium to drill thru. It's pretty thick.
Actually now that I think of it, I should probably have tried direct flame again to the back of the electronics module after removing the driver. Well, wish I had thought of that last night but now it's a bit late....
I will probably be changing my buying policy, which is to say buy and keep one or two SF's for 'mission critical' use and don't mod them (because that compromises them anyway), but for everything else I'd like to tinker with, it has to be open-able at the very least
You should actually have a few mm of aluminium to drill thru. It's pretty thick.
Actually now that I think of it, I should probably have tried direct flame again to the back of the electronics module after removing the driver. Well, wish I had thought of that last night but now it's a bit late....
I will probably be changing my buying policy, which is to say buy and keep one or two SF's for 'mission critical' use and don't mod them (because that compromises them anyway), but for everything else I'd like to tinker with, it has to be open-able at the very least
Hi all, sorry I couldn't join the fun earlier.
I realize its probly a bit too late for this KL1, but I am going to throw in my 2 cents in case OP wants to try another or someone else is reading this who has not tried this already.
I have opened several E series heads including older and newer KL1s 4s KX2s etc.
I know the tools I am going to list are not available to every person, but the closer you get the easier it will be.
First I use a vice with a couple pieces of wood to clamp the base of the head. By clamping the bottom of the head with it facing up you will be able to remove the top portion without cracking the lens. ( I would show pics but I just lost about 5 years worth of pics due to an incident with my computer :shakehead). Next using a propane torch heat the head on one side for about 3-4 seconds and then the other for the same. Yes get it that hot! I have only ever had one dammaged by heat and I had to get it very very hot to do so. After waiting a few seconds I remove the top portion with a strap wrench. This works very well. Do not use pliers for this or you risk damage to the finish and also high risk of caking the lens if its KX2.
Now depending on which head you are hacking you may have to clam the heat sink portion of the head where the threads are showing in the wood with the vice, reheat had proceed with unscrewing the base with the strap wrench again. This would be so for some KL1s an KX2, but KL4 is just screws in the base.
As I said this works well for me. The key is getting it hot enough. Most of the time doing it this way I can have a SF head apart and in tact in just a few minutes.
Just FYI if you do happen to crack a lens the appropriate size can be obtained at flashlightlens.com but they are only 2MM thick rather than 3 so an O ring is needed.
Above all have fun
I realize its probly a bit too late for this KL1, but I am going to throw in my 2 cents in case OP wants to try another or someone else is reading this who has not tried this already.
I have opened several E series heads including older and newer KL1s 4s KX2s etc.
I know the tools I am going to list are not available to every person, but the closer you get the easier it will be.
First I use a vice with a couple pieces of wood to clamp the base of the head. By clamping the bottom of the head with it facing up you will be able to remove the top portion without cracking the lens. ( I would show pics but I just lost about 5 years worth of pics due to an incident with my computer :shakehead). Next using a propane torch heat the head on one side for about 3-4 seconds and then the other for the same. Yes get it that hot! I have only ever had one dammaged by heat and I had to get it very very hot to do so. After waiting a few seconds I remove the top portion with a strap wrench. This works very well. Do not use pliers for this or you risk damage to the finish and also high risk of caking the lens if its KX2.
Now depending on which head you are hacking you may have to clam the heat sink portion of the head where the threads are showing in the wood with the vice, reheat had proceed with unscrewing the base with the strap wrench again. This would be so for some KL1s an KX2, but KL4 is just screws in the base.
As I said this works well for me. The key is getting it hot enough. Most of the time doing it this way I can have a SF head apart and in tact in just a few minutes.
Just FYI if you do happen to crack a lens the appropriate size can be obtained at flashlightlens.com but they are only 2MM thick rather than 3 so an O ring is needed.
Above all have fun
KevinL
Flashlight Enthusiast
No worries.. good to share. I myself have learned much from searches and reading of the past experience of others.
I didn't think of using something firmer like wood, and the rubber I was using to protect the threads kept slipping off (hence the destruction of the threads).
The middle O-ring is a gigantic pain indeed, I may remove it and replace it with a thinner one now that absolute pressure resistance is no longer such a necessity. In fact it makes it very difficult to even get the head back together. I think that was the source of all my problems......
I didn't think of using something firmer like wood, and the rubber I was using to protect the threads kept slipping off (hence the destruction of the threads).
The middle O-ring is a gigantic pain indeed, I may remove it and replace it with a thinner one now that absolute pressure resistance is no longer such a necessity. In fact it makes it very difficult to even get the head back together. I think that was the source of all my problems......
KevinL
Flashlight Enthusiast
40 mins boiling, 20 mins freezing, etc. Wow you guys are patient!
I would go crazy doing that. I just use a torch, a lot quicker, direct flame won't damage the the HAIII. Just have to becareful not to melt the optic & it will also get too hot to handle without gloves. After a couple times you'll get used to how much heat is needed & melting an optic is not a risk.
Good to hear you got it open. But as you said SF didn't not intend them to be user upgradeable. Their intention is was to make it so it can take a beating & be reliable for the LEO & Military market so one should not be disappointed with them. One of the reason why the top half is harder to open is because of the oring. It's a tight fit. even without the threadlocker that they put on, that top half is hard to screw on & off unless you lube the oring.
To make it easier I use a spanner wrench or round nose pliers to unsrew the heatsink module from the top half.
I admit to being a little annoyed that day...
I love SF LED heads for what they are, but I guess I shouldn't have expected to upgrade one so easily. The pro's here on CPF make it look TOO easy
There's still a happy ending to the story though, I just bought an E2DL, LED head and threadlocker and all and I'm probably not going to tinker too much with it - though I might need to take the fangs off...
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