Help taking a novatac apart

[smopoim86]

I have a 120p that I'm wanting to put a p4 U2SWOI in and would like to know which is the best way to get to the emitter. From the back or the front. The bezel is glued on(I can see the glue) and i cant seem to get the retaining ring in the back to budge.

Anyone taken one apart and could offer some assistance?

 

[scottaw]

If you want to do an emitter swap, it's gotta come out the back. Try first taking off the bezel, I use a rubber glove and twist hard, that should break any airlock holding the LE in the head... Then use a pair of needle nose pliers or scissors in the small grooves and twist out. Good luck, the first time is not going to be easy.

 

[smopoim86]

Hmm, so i need to get the bezel off anyway. Well, i'll try today, but i had 2 pairs of pliars trying last night and couldn't get the bezel to budge. I also tried to get the retaining ring out and had trouble.

I'll try a few more times, but i'm guessing i may not be able to get it apart. Kind of a bummer because there is a smudge on the inside of the window.

 

[datiLED]

I used the sole on a pair of soft bottomed shoes to remove the bezel. It came off with only moderate pressure.

For removing the retaining ring, I use a modified pair of needle nose pliers. I filed them to be much thinner than stock, and pointed them as well. It fits nicely into the opening, and once you break the bond, will twist out. The heatsink will drop (or push) out after that. Unlike the original HDS series lights, the heatsink is not threaded. Only the thin retaining ring is threaded.

You may need to heat the head to get things moving, though.

 

[smopoim86]

great, hopefully i can get it apart and put a new U2 bin in it.

 

[Oddjob]

My Novatac 85p had red Loctite seciring the bezel and it was hell trying to get it off. I tried many of the suggestions I had read about but I finally got it off using heat and pliers. I did scratch up the stock bezel (the only way to get a good enough grip) but I did not care since I was replacing it anyways. Good luck with getting it off and good luck with you mod.

 

[smopoim86]

I'm thinking that's whats on it. I haven't been able to make it budge. I really don't want to have to buy another bezel to get oen not scratched, but from the looks of it, if i want it off i'm gonna have to.

Anyone wanna trade one that comes apart easy for one that's glued beyond reason?

 

[climberkid]

i take mine off on a daily basis. haha if you REALLY wanted to switch we could MAYBE arrange something. lol :shrug:

 

[ejmp]

dont laugh but a lathe ,three jaw chuck, and a piece of rubber, took it off no sweat... one slight tiny mark on the bezel from being in the chuck, other wise no damage... mine was like yours just about welded on, with a ton of red loctite... very tough stuff.... i did read somewhere on this board that there is a wrench made for the bezel, that would be the least painless i would think... hope you get it off without doing any damage!!! I tried heat, the stock plastic lens does not appreciate it, im replacing my lens so i didnt care... good luck and may the force be with you!

 

[toby_pra]

Thats a real good modding idas. I am interested in the results!

 

[smopoim86]

hmm, may have to try the lathe. I'm pretty sure the lense is glass though. I used a razor and removed what i could of the locktite out of the groove. It was quiet a lot. Why cant it be modder friendly?

 

[turbodog]

hmm, may have to try the lathe. I'm pretty sure the lense is glass though. I used a razor and removed what i could of the locktite out of the groove. It was quiet a lot. Why cant it be modder friendly?

Why? Because the original shipment rattled apart before they even arrived at your house.

You should read some of my original posts on the first shipment(s).

 

[scottaw]

Ha, i'm pretty sure mine was a 1st shipment light. I got it cheap on BST and the tailcap was about 10 full turns loose, didn't work for anything, tightened that up...bam no problems since.

 

[ejmp]

umm the stock lens is plastic, and it really hates bic lighters... dont ask me how i know that really there is no need for red loctite , blue would do the trick, heck finger nail polish would even work.. talk about over kill sheesh

 

[ejmp]

hmm, may have to try the lathe. I'm pretty sure the lense is glass though. I used a razor and removed what i could of the locktite out of the groove. It was quiet a lot. Why cant it be modder friendly?

the lathe worked, the size of the machine and the chuck would make you think twice about trying it, i did and proceded anyways , it worked without wrecking anything..... they dont give you that much bezel sticking out, but it was enough to grab with the chuck, grabed the light body with a piece of rubber and unscrewed it by hand, no fuss no muss.. a bit of insanity but it worked

 

[jwl]

I just finished removing the heatsink / LE from my black Novatac. I'm going to replace the emitter with a SSC U2SVOH.

My Novatac did not use loctite to secure the retaining ring. It looked as though there were (8) spots with solder under the ring. I unscrewed the head from the body and used a soldering gun to heat up the retaining ring until the outside of the body was fairly warm and evenly heated. Then using a pair of needle nose pliers I unscrewed the retaining ring with very little effort.

Before I tried this I could not get the ring to budge not matter how hard I tried.

For reference my Novatac serial number is #20430.

 

[toby_pra]

Beamshots!

 

[jwl]

Beamshots!

I should have known somebody would ask. Sorry guys I didn't take any before shots so an after shot isn't going to be much good. I'll see if I can come up with some shots and maybe a comparison with another light.

No luck on the beamshots. I have a Pentax Optio M20 and have tried to turn off the auto adjusting junk and no matter what settings I use it adjusts the intensity.

 

[smopoim86]

I just finished removing the heatsink / LE from my black Novatac. I'm going to replace the emitter with a SSC U2SVOH.

My Novatac did not use loctite to secure the retaining ring. It looked as though there were (8) spots with solder under the ring. I unscrewed the head from the body and used a soldering gun to heat up the retaining ring until the outside of the body was fairly warm and evenly heated. Then using a pair of needle nose pliers I unscrewed the retaining ring with very little effort.

Before I tried this I could not get the ring to budge not matter how hard I tried.

For reference my Novatac serial number is #20430.

Imanaged to get the retaining rig out without too much stress (after fighting with it and coming up with a new plan) I used a couin to keep the pliars i was using locked firly into the demples. The hard part for me was removing the bezel. There was a rub mark on the inside of the window that was bugging me. Mine had half a tube of red locktite on the bezel. Thanks to the help of ppl in this thread, I got the bezel off using the lathe chuck on the bezel and a strap wrench on the body. I put a U2SWOH in it and i'm pretty sure i'm getting a bit more light. Not much, but a bit. The tint is 10 times better so the not so great brightness boost isn't a big deal. It is brighter than my RA Twisty now though.

Thanks to everyone that helped. And uhh, no.... I didn't take any beam shots

 

[ejmp]

Glad you got the bezel worked loose :twothumbs