Intermittant L4, what to do?

This is my second L4 to go intermittent, needs a good smack off something solid to turn on. I love the L4, it has been good to me over the years and I don't know what to do.
I am hesitant about sending it in for warranty, customs hammers me about $70 to come across due to Surefires need to use UPS.
So I would like to fix it myself, how do I take this thing apart?
Or, who makes them brighter? I would be happy with a brighter light only if it can provide the flood the L4 is know for.

Do it yourself take apart? How is it done? I have every tool from dentist picks to sledge hammers.

If you've replaced the SF123A's with fresh ones then perhaps you're not screwing the KL4 bezel down tight enough? It has to be pretty tight. Sometimes the PocketClip can be protruding a fraction too much preventing the bezel to be tightened sufficiently. Could this be the cause?

I wish it were that simple.
I swap the head back and fourth between a single cell body and the original that came with the Lumamax and back again using the KL1 with both too.
In this heads defence I have had it for a long time, it is "on" close to 3 hours a day and has been abused beyond what an average guy can do to a light.
I can feel the black insert inside it move when it is not attached to a battery tube(heat issue?), something is loose and I have no doubt it is in that KL4 somewhere. If there is a home brew way of taking it apart I am confident I can find the contacts that are skipping, I just don't want to apply brute force to the internals after years of applying brute force to the outside. It will be a simple fix if I can get it apart.
OR.. Have it upgraded, I made sure Surefire kept the same beautiful white tint I was afraid of losing the first time I sent it in for this same reason, they did good by me, it was the border that put the screws to the shipping bill.

That is a bit of a dilemma...

Perhaps this is an opportunity to try something new?

Pydpiper said:

...
I can feel the black insert inside it move when it is not attached to a battery tube(heat issue?), something is loose and I have no doubt it is in that KL4 somewhere....

Click to expand...

That sounds like a warranty issue, which is not something you wanted to hear, I'm sure.

There's countless threads on how to take the KL4 apart. DeFabricata is been on a KL4 modding spree recently; might as him.

Thanks Al, I did, I got a shiny new Olight M20 in the mail today. It more than filled the shoes of my L4.
I love this light though, the L4 I mean. If I am going to retire it to my flashlight shelf I would sleep better knowing it was retired in working condition.

Size15's said:

Perhaps this is an opportunity to try something new?

Click to expand...

The Inova T1-MP has a similar beam pattern to the L4, but with a lower price and much longer runtime.

greenLED said:

That sounds like a warranty issue, which is not something you wanted to hear, I'm sure.

There's countless threads on how to take the KL4 apart. DeFabricata is been on a KL4 modding spree recently; might as him.

Click to expand...

Thanks Green, any chance of getting a link to just one thread on taking the L4 apart? Seems to be 1001 ways a guy can word that in a search, none are getting me any results.

Well then you appear to have an opportunity to have your L4 sent away for repair

Pydpiper said:

Thanks Green, any chance of getting a link to just one thread on taking the L4 apart? Seems to be 1001 ways a guy can word that in a search, none are getting me any results.

Click to expand...

Sure, Pyd. Here you go; kinda old, but should work:
Link 1
Link 2

It kinda opens the way a KL1 does, so searching for threads started by grnamin will give you more hints (and pics, IIRC).

Good luck!

...and it seems like you found your old thread from a couple of years back. Coincidentally, Greg posted a tutorial there as well. (Chop faded away after Katrina, BTW.)