Stiff Piston for D10/EX10?

I have both the D10 and EX10. I have a good D10 that I'm satisfied with but the EX10 has a really stiff PD. I have searched and some suggested NanoLubes and Deoxit. Problem is some of that stuff is expensive and hard to find. Any suggestions that are cheaper or easier to find? If not, should I get Deoxit or Deoxit Gold? What's the difference? Thanks.

Nanolube is expensive? Not sure about that. Just bought 2 tubes of weight 10 and awaiting shipment to Singapore. DeOxit isn't really a lubricant but it provides a much more fluid alternative to the lube that came with the EX10. I did try it on my EX10 and D10 and see quite an improvement.

Try the light with a smaller O ring on the piston.
Norm

You may also find that it helps to chop half a turn or so off the wide end of the spring at the far end of the battery tube. Pull it out with a pair of long-nosed pliers or something and take a look at it. Many of them have an overlapping turn or so at the wide end, which prevents the spring compressing properly and makes it hard to press the piston. If yours is like this, removing the overlapping part of the spring coil may help.

I went with the aftermarket O-ring. I had to slighty modify (very carefully grind) the piston, but now it fits like a glove and is silky smooth.

I love this light so much I bought another one today.

*EDIT* The new EX10 I bought yesterday has a much smaller O-ring than the first one I bought came with, and is as smooth to operate as the one I modified. I am assuming the first one got the wrong O-ring and hence the super stiff action that I had to rectify. No drama's, love them both.

superlube oil is the best stuff I have ever used...
http://www.super-lube.com/synthetic-oil-with-ptfe-high-viscosity-ez-56.htm

Walmart/RadioShack/etc you can pick up a small tube for $2-4 that will last years...

coat the outside of piston and o-ring, work it inside the body a few times, wipe off excess so just a thin layer remains... (a little bit goes a long way)

I last did mine a year ago on my EDC D10 still works as smooth as the day I did it a year ago.

Tod

Found some WD40 in my garage. Would that be acceptable? If not, looks like I'm going to WalMart today.

I used the lube from radio shack, Precision tip lubricator or something like that I forget, it comes in a pen like applicator. Cleaned and re-lubed my d10 a couple months ago and it is still nice and smooth.

WD 40 is quite abrasive i would recomend some nyogel it has just the right viscosity and protects the o rings.

dont go chopping things unless youve exhausted all other options
smaller o ring is worth a try

thesinmuffin said:

Found some WD40 in my garage. Would that be acceptable? If not, looks like I'm going to WalMart today.

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WD40 is not a lubricant, it's a solvent. You can clean the metal with it and then use a lubricant, but it eats some O-ring chemistries.

I bought the Radioshack brand non-corrosive lubricant since that's the only one they have. It made the tube more smooth in coming out but the switch itself seems stiff. I also changed to a smaller o-ring. Switch lubes or any other ideas?

If all else fails, you can contact Nitecore directly and they will assist you. I have just sent my EX10 back to them to have a look at.

thesinmuffin said:

I bought the Radioshack brand non-corrosive lubricant since that's the only one they have. It made the tube more smooth in coming out but the switch itself seems stiff. I also changed to a smaller o-ring. Switch lubes or any other ideas?

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local auto superstore, pick up a can of superlube, either form is fine. the oil can be applied directly, while the aerosol requires some care... take the piston, remove the O ring and apply the aerosol, THEN let it sit for a few mins to evaporate all the petroleum solvents, then put the O ring back on and actuate the piston a few times. You can also do the same on a piece of paper or plastic, and use that to apply it to the O ring after the petroleum products evaporate.

Neither RadioShack nor WalMart has anything you guys recommended. Any other places to go check? This is getting ridiculous. When I ask for it, I tell them it's for DIY projects and stuff. And then I'd get directed from crafts to home-fix-it. Any other common store that would have it?

thesinmuffin said:

Neither RadioShack nor WalMart has anything you guys recommended. Any other places to go check? This is getting ridiculous. When I ask for it, I tell them it's for DIY projects and stuff. And then I'd get directed from crafts to home-fix-it. Any other common store that would have it?

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I had the same problem I probably went to 10 different stores and found no Superlube only other Silicone lube that I can best describe as "sticky". I had to order some Nyogel from lighthound and it works great on my D10. My favorite lube though is the stuff Eagletac use to include with their lights. It's pure silicone and works great on lights where the head needs to be turned to change output, on all other lights where there is no twisting needed I use Nyogel.

I would love to get the pure silicone Superlube with no additives but have yet to been able to find it online. Is ordering lube online not a option for you?

jhc37013 said:

I had the same problem I probably went to 10 different stores and found no Superlube only other Silicone lube that I can best describe as "sticky". I had to order some Nyogel from lighthound and it works great on my D10. My favorite lube though is the stuff Eagletac use to include with their lights. It's pure silicone and works great on lights where the head needs to be turned to change output, on all other lights where there is no twisting needed I use Nyogel.

I would love to get the pure silicone Superlube with no additives but have yet to been able to find it online. Is ordering lube online not a option for you?

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superlube is teflon based...

Heres the ratshack one... Clean of all the old oil, use a very thin layer of this on the piston and rings. Very thin, dab it on a paper towel or your finger and rub it on the piston thin enough that you can hardly tell its there. If it doesn't make it smooth, you may need to shorten the neg contact spring or maybe your piston tube is out of round..
There are better lubes out there, but I had the same problem and I did exactly what I just wrote and my d10 is perfectly smooth and has been for a while.

Thanks guys! Went to several Radioshacks in my area until one of them had it. Works wonders.

For future reference the best stuff I have come across is called White Lithium Grease. You can either buy it as a straight grease or in aerosol form. This stuff is silicon based and good on everything. It does not wreck o-rings at all. This stuff has a large following in the RC helicopter world because it works so well, and trust me, when you're dealing with blades traveling that fast, putting that many forces on contact points, it's mandatory to have a good grease.