Opening a really stuck fenix?

[Jarl]

Got a SS LD01, and want to do an emitter swap to a warm white. However, that thing is stuck.... done a few hot/cold cycles, then realised I'd need to go up a notch or two. Boiling water for 5 minutes... no. Hairdryer until it was too hot to touch? No. I think the limiting factor is currently the mousemat; I have part of the head in a vice with some rubber wrapped round it which isn't going anywhere, the other part I stick an old mousemat around, pliers and try to turn it. The mousemat is currently just disintegrating as I try to turn it because I grip too hard, but if I don't grip so hard, it'll just slip.

Idea's?

second vice/strap wrenches not an option unfortunately :/

 

[waTom]

I've the same problem with a P1, so any suggestions would be great

 

[Nos]

same 4 me, i cant get my Fenix tk11 head opened.......and im good at opening glued flashlights like P1D, T1, and countless cheapies

usually bruce force is enought......but nothing is working on that damn TK11...heating like mad with a torch, strap wrenches..............im about to bore the whole poop head out

 

[datiLED]

I have always had good success using a mug warmer to heat the head for 15 minutes or so, and then using strap wrenches in combination with rubber bands for extra grip.

If the extreme heat and strapwrenches aren't working, then Fenix must be using some new type of high strength threadlocker, or much more of it. Have you tried tightening the head before trying to loosen it?

If that doesn't do it, then it is time to give up and live with the light as is.

 

[Jarl]

I have always had good success using a mug warmer to heat the head for 15 minutes or so, and then using strap wrenches in combination with rubber bands for extra grip.

If the extreme heat and strapwrenches aren't working, then Fenix must be using some new type of high strength threadlocker, or much more of it. Have you tried tightening the head before trying to loosen it?

If that doesn't do it, then it is time to give up and live with the light as is.

Hmm, maybe time has something to do with it? I'll stick the hairdryer on "stun" for ages and see if that makes any difference.

Unfortunately, living with it isn't an option- it's a present for my dad, and if I don't get a warm emitter in there he'll never use it >.<

 

[alphazeta]

I resort to the following when my strap wrenches don't seem to be working so well:

I get a bunch of mid sized rubber bands. I keep wrapping both halves of joint until the rubber bands are at least 1" or more in diameter & then I twist. It has broken apart most fenix joint's I've encountered (except a few P1DCEs, b/c the threads would cut up the band)

Give it a try & let us know how it goes.
Hope that helps,
AZ

 

[HEY HEY ITS HENDO]

.... It doesn`t help that the LD01 is skinny thin ...
i have used handlebar light mount brackets fastened around fatter lights to get them unscrewed,
i know from experience that fenix are heavy handed with the thread lock !
it will have to be too hot to hold, whilst you try unscrew it
good luck, keep us updated if you succeed
Happy holidays

 

[Sgt. LED]

Drop that mousepad!

Try a leather belt or some other sort of leather strap/handle. Worked for me anyway.

 

[Jarl]

I resort to the following when my strap wrenches don't seem to be working so well:

I get a bunch of mid sized rubber bands. I keep wrapping both halves of joint until the rubber bands are at least 1" or more in diameter & then I twist. It has broken apart most fenix joint's I've encountered (except a few P1DCEs, b/c the threads would cut up the band)

Give it a try & let us know how it goes.
Hope that helps,
AZ

:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs


You sir, are amazing. I'd tried absolutely everything else before I tried yours, because, well "how can more elastic bands help?". I'd tried the most ridiculous combinations involving 4' bits of wood, taking the head to 100'C several times for a significant period of time, pliers, EVERYTHING. And then I sat down for 10 minutes, put a load of elastic bands on, stuck one edge in the vice, held the other edge in my hand and twisted (no heating!). It gave a click, I thought I'd just broken something (because there's NO WAY its just undone ) ripped off the elastic bands, and, lo and behold, it's FREEEE!

Now just a bit of soldering work, which is going to be the easiest thing I've ever done in comparison

 

[alphazeta]

:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs


You sir, are amazing. I'd tried absolutely everything else before I tried yours, because, well "how can more elastic bands help?". I'd tried the most ridiculous combinations involving 4' bits of wood, taking the head to 100'C several times for a significant period of time, pliers, EVERYTHING. And then I sat down for 10 minutes, put a load of elastic bands on, stuck one edge in the vice, held the other edge in my hand and twisted (no heating!). It gave a click, I thought I'd just broken something (because there's NO WAY its just undone ) ripped off the elastic bands, and, lo and behold, it's FREEEE!

Now just a bit of soldering work, which is going to be the easiest thing I've ever done in comparison

SS LD01, say hello to a warm fluxed cree...
Good taste my friend :thumbsup:
AZ

 

[Nos]

Finally success -.- with lots of heat heat and heat.

im smarter now...at least at how to open a TK11

 

[spencer]

Can you get some pictures of the inside and post them please?

If pictures are not an option then how is the LED mounted? Just a straight emitter? Thermal glue or paste underneath?

I'm really interested in modding one with a warm white Cree as well.

Thanks,
Spencer

 

[Jarl]

It's a bare emitter on a circular pedestal. There's something (I think a resistor) soldered between the positive wire and the edge of the light... I don't know what function it serves, but I resoldered it to make sure the light still worked. Not breaking the solder joint in the first place is the clever thing to do! Sorry about the blurred picture. I'd say the LED is mounted with a cross between thermal paste and glue- not strong enough to be glue, not really pasty enough to be paste. It's not hard to remove it. SAK FTW

 

[Nake]

I wonder if the "resistor" has something to do with the SS body. I've opened up an L0D and there was just the two wires soldered to the emitter. :thinking:

 

[datiLED]

...There's something (I think a resistor) soldered between the positive wire and the edge of the light... I don't know what function it serves, but I resoldered it to make sure the light still worked.

That sounds like a capacitor. It may be there to keep the light from giving you a "flash" when turning the light on, or helping to reduce the PWM effect. I have opened quite a few L0D CE's, and have never seen it before. That is an interesting find.

 

[Jarl]

Oh yeah, the circuit *seems* to have open circuit protection, as whilst I was tightening down the head after everything was resoldered, it went out when I overtightened it (guessing the reflector bridged my soldering). A quick loosen bought it back... bit of a "heart in your mouth" moment when it turns off!

 

[Blindasabat]

...I'll stick the hairdryer on "stun" ...

Glad it worked out in the end.

Interesting about that capacitor. I may have to try that sometime.

 

[bluecrow76]

I've had an L1P sitting around for a while waiting to have its head opened up. My wife got me a mug warmer for Christmas :twothumbs for this specific purpose, but I haven't attempted the lobotomy yet, not for any particular reason... just haven't gotten around to it.

I'm curious about the amount of force required once heated. I'm sure MMV, but any feedback at what ya'll have experienced would be great. With the L1P I have to use ring pliers on the pill to back it out, so no strap wrenches here.

 

[Hondo]

I got my L1P (actually an old silver L1, non-P) light engine out for a Seoul mod. I used a hobby heat gun for heat source, and a specifically purchased pair of Craftsman needle nose pliers to engage the engine. When I was not hot enough, it was no-go. But even when I hit the magic melting point, it took quite a bit of force to turn, and for quite a while I was only getting one good budge, and I would need to re-heat to get it moving again. It is important to resist the temptation to keep turning with more force when it gets too cool, or you will risk slipping and create a deadly ramp on the notch in the pill. I used some rubber bands around the head for traction and a leather glove to keep from burning my hand when holding it. Now I can spin it out with a toothpick after breaking the initial torque. Good luck!

BTW, I saw a recent post by a member who soldered a piece of copper pipe to the back of the light engine, then just put a screwdriver through a pair of holes in the end of the pipe and turned it with that. Important to be able to DE-solder the pipe from the back of the light engine, though. A very good option for one that has been buggered during a conventional attack.