How do I get this spring back in Maglite Switch?

[LuxLuthor]

I pulled on this spring a bit to stretch it out for better battery contact, and it pulled out of the center hole. For the life of me, I cannot find a way to get it seated back inside. What's the trick, or should I just try to soldier it to where it came from in the base?

 

[lrw2]

It appears to be press fit by a crimped ring. If you stretched the ring when removing the spring, and the spring keeps falling out, crimp the ring down to hold it in. If the spring is too large to fit in the ring, and it's not actually going all the way in, you might try "screwing" (like a lanyard attachment) the open end of the spring through the ring until it seats.

 

[tebore]

I'd like to know this too... I tried to stretch mine when I finished my Mag85 but popped out and never went back in so I just soldered in a metal tab.

 

[dw51]

I'm glad I refreshed this page. I was in the process of removing one of my switches to take a look and someone already chimed in. Saved me the hassle of removing my switch (not so easy when batteries have corroded in the tube once upon a time).

 

[Sway]

Lux,

It should press right back in, you can try to work it back in the pocket with a small screw driver. If that doesn't work you can punch out the pocket or + contact slug as I call it by removing the blue switch core and pushing it out from the inside, this really works best when the switch is gutted and you can stick a screw driver/punch through the switch from the bulb post end and just whack it down on you work bench and that should push the slug out. It will be easier to work with like this.......

Later
Kelly

 

[LuxLuthor]

Lux,

It should press right back in, you can try to work it back in the pocket with a small screw driver. If that doesn't work you can punch out the pocket or + contact slug as I call it by removing the blue switch core and pushing it out from the inside, this really works best when the switch is gutted and you can stick a screw driver/punch through the switch from the bulb post end and just whack it down on you work bench and that should push the slug out. It will be easier to work with like this.......

Later
Kelly

That was the answer for me, and given that I screwed around for at least an hour trying to press it it with ever tool, pen barrel known to mankind....this was very fast pushing out the plug. Thanks Kelly...You Rock! It's these small things in life!

 

[LuxLuthor]

Plus another nice thing about popping that little disc out is I soldiered that stupid spring into the base before pushing it back into the switch and reassembling. Now I can stretch the spring out to my heart's content.

 

[65535]

You can bend the large end 90's the trailing end of it. and use 2 pleiers to twist it tighter then push it in while compressed radial and release carefully and it should be seated.

 

[LuxLuthor]

I kind of did that, and once about half of the bottom coil was inside, I used a small blade screwdriver to walk around the rest of the coil to work it down inside. Then I soldiered that stupid spring into the holder....not gonna deal with this again!!! You need a decent soldiering iron to get that cap/holder hot enough to take the soldier though.

 

[ch33sehead]

Thanks for the thread folks. One of my light's tail clickies went bad on me, and I tried to fix the spring, but I ended up doing the same exact thing Lux did. I've been pretty frustrated trying to put the darn spring back into the switch. I tried the "screwing" method like lrw2 suggested, and it stretched the spring a bit, but other than that it worked like a charm. I did a pretty craptacular job aesthetically, but now there's no more intermittent flickering/dimming.

I didn't bother to solder it down though, but that option's definitely on the table if it happens again.

 

[pertinax]

Needlenose pliers. Twist. Twist and push. If you deform it so what-- you ARE about to put a piece of solder wick across it anyway, right? : )

God, I wish AW would hurry up with the regulated switch replacements. The stock switch is irritating for a lot of reasons.