need help with mcE2S / Z57 / L4 switch

[go_to_the_light]

I recently purchased a McE2S assembled switch from the Sandwich Shoppe and an extra boot. I can't seem to get it to work in my L4 Z57 switch. The switch came with a threaded nut that snaps over the end of the switch.

On my Z57, I took the swtich off my light, and unscrewed the retaining screw from around the rubber boot on the swtich. I then removed the normal guts of the switch.

The was somewhat unsure which way to insert the black nut that came with the switch. It will screw into the part of the Z57 switch housing that normally screws onto the light - battery side. Then I replace the boot from the other side. Then insert the McE2S swtich from the battery side, snapping it in. Then put the switch on the light. The light comes on high, but the swtich does not work. It will not push in to swtich between high and low. Also, overall tailcap doesn't screw on far enough.

If I put the black nut that came with the McE2s in from the non battery side, it doesn't screw in, but then put in the boot and Mce2s, the light comes on, but still won't swtich.

I have seen some posts that say you need to file down the black nut that comes with the McE2S, and others that say you don't need to file it.

Can someone give me a a few steps to get this to work?

 

[labrat]

You need to take the retaining-ring off your z57, remove the rubber-boot and switch.
You can install the new, black, plastic retainer in without doing any modification to it, put it in where the original switch was installed, on the outside/away from the batteries, but as you have already noticed it does not function very well.
I found that first sanding the plastic-retainer down so that it's thickness matches the thickness of the "ledge" around the original switch, then install the sanded down, plastic,retainer ring, the rubber boot (use the new one, not the original one) and the original screw-in metal retainer ring from the outside of the tailcap..
Then push the assembled McE2S-kit in from the inside/battery side of the tail-cap.
Now it works smoother, a push-to-low first, then a push-harder-to-high, or screw-in-for-low, screw-all-in-for high.
This is mentioned somewhere on the original info about this switch, and it worked for me.
But I found the the new McTc-tail was better, made it easier to work with one hand, so I got this and replaced the z57-tail.

 

[go_to_the_light]

Mine still doesn't seem to be working. When you push on the switch button, is it supposed to pop in and out of the black retaining ring? Mine sanps in there pretty hard, and when I get the light assembled, i can't push the button of the swtich at all. The button is immobile. The only that works is screwing the tailcap in and out. I had read in some other posts that you need to drill out the new black retaining ring, and then had seen in other posts that the new retaining ring works as is.

 

[labrat]

The hole in the retaining-ring, which the assembled switch is pushed through, is there mostly to prevent the switch from falling out when the tail-cap is not installed on the body.
But used in a z57 the ring might be a little bit too thick, so that the assembled switch can get stuck in the opening/the hole.
That is why I adviced that the plastic retaining-ring should be thinned down a little bit before installed in the tail-cap.
Note that in the McTc-tailcap the retaining-ring is installed from the battery-side, whilst in the Surefire z57-tailcap the retaining-ring is installed from the other side, the rear of the tailcap.

 

[Braddah_Bill]

Take a look at the following 2 web pages.........

The retaining ring *drops*(will not screw) into the non-battery side (top).

I would also double check the switch assembly to make sure the PBC board is not upside down......the little resistors should face toward the batteries or front of the flashlight.

http://www.obaq.tv/cpf/?page=McE2S#Installation_Z57

http://dmcleish.com/CPF/McE2S/index.html



Braddah_Bill

 

[go_to_the_light]

Thanks. That FAQ was very helpful. The problem seems to be that I needed to back off / unscrew the switch button a 1/2 turn. Now its working fine.

 

[cy]

best to start with a Z52 LOTC cap for two stage switch