The E1e bezel screws off without tools!

Bare hands are all you need to take it off! Try it!

Hmmm. I did and it didn't.....

Any sign of a lock-tite or other thread sealant/ locking goo?

Is the E1e bezel assembled different from the old E1? If it screws off, where is the separation point?

Yeah, the E1E bezel is totally different. After repeated attempts at breaking the glue bond with a heat gun, I heated the bezel one more time, wrapped tape around the front lens retaining cap and was able to unscrew the bezel. Only one of the chanel lock teeth pased through the tape and nicked the lens retaining cap. UNFORTUNATELY, the pyrex lens ended up with a real nice big chip out of it!

I don't reccomend my method of taking the bezel apart. The bezel is available from Surefire as a complet assy. for under $30.00. You can't buy the seperate components, like the lens; or so I was told. Oh well, I put an Arc SLS head on the body and I have a nice light; not the mod I had intended.

I used a Craftsman strap wrench to remove it without making nicks in it. The one came off without any hassle, but the the first one (of course) I had run through three cycles of freeze/heat before it let loose, and that was after leaving rubber skid marks on the bezel from the strap wrench. The skid marks did wipe off, so I'm happy.

Update on my failure. Lambda, I have a strap wrench but it's way too big. Excellent idea though! I noticed in the lens retaining ring of my E1E head that there are three little spatter balls, two in the thread area and one good sized one right where the lens seats. It is cleat to me no that the one little ball of Al was making contact on the edge of the lens and as soon as I put pressure on the ring, this ball was forced into the lens and caused the chip in the lens. I suspect that a hard knock to the bezel woould have chipped the lens even if I hadn't taken it apart.

I feel somewhat vindicated, even though I still have a busted part.

If there is a next time, I'll wrap the retaining ring better and all should be OK.