Fed up with the 4th gen KL1....

KevinL

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Just can't get the damned thing open. This is the fin-less 40 lumen generation immediately after the finned ones, which were damn easy to open - just heat gently and turn and arm power alone will get it open.

This one got baked by a ROP (you'd be surprised: those 40 watts WILL heat things up pretty fierce), arm-twisted with vise clamp pliers, all I succeeded is in damaging the KL1's finish to no avail. Being forced to give up really sucks.

What would you recommend I do? :(
 

RyanA

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I think I remember reading something about members here boiling their lights in plastic bags to break the loc-tite.
 

KevinL

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Already tried cooking mine with the ROP.... temperature can get burning hot if you leave it on for a few minutes!
 

KevinL

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If anybody is up to helping me crack this nut open, let me know. Feel free to quote a price for your time and effort too!
 

alantch

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I think I remember reading something about members here boiling their lights in plastic bags to break the loc-tite.
Also squeeze all the air out before sealing, then gently boil for 10 min. Let cool. For better grip, I cut 2 strips of tyre inner lining, then tension wrap the opposing parts of the head. Arm twisting it will sometimes be enough to separate the parts. If not, 2 rubber strap wrenches (in addition to the tyre inner linings) will normally take care of it.
 
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darkzero

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If anybody is up to helping me crack this nut open, let me know. Feel free to quote a price for your time and effort too!

Where are you located?

Try using a torch, that's what I use to get them open.
 

tx101

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The amount of time required to soften the loctite with heat
depends on how much loctite was used to assemble the head
in the first place.

I have had a E1e unscrew with hand pressure alone but on the
other side, my KT-4 head took a total of around 40 minutes
of boiling.
What I did was place the head in a ziploc bag, place the bag in a
pan of boiling water and let it simmer for 10 minutes, remove the
head from the bag and attempt to unscrew it while it was still hot,
I used rubber coated thermal gloves (I use these at work) to handle
the head. If the head didnt budge, place the head back in the bag
then in the boiling water and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.
I just kept repeating until the head finally loosened.
 

KevinL

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I suppose I was lucky, I had an old 3rd Gen (3G) KL1 in satin gray unscrew with a couple of minutes of cooking from the ROP, which is my 'heat gun' of choice.

Another 3G KL1 that was carried by me and heated daily (people produce heat, around 30+ degrees at the surface generally :p) opened by itself.

Thanks for the suggestions, I am gonna boil this one for a while.

I put so much 'arm power' into it yesterday that I tweaked something in my wrist to the point where my thumb doesn't have enough strength to push a clicky all the way in till it latches. It'll pass, but that's trying.....
 

KevinL

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20 minutes of boiling and no go. Still status quo.

I'm getting frustrated to the point where I wonder if I should just beat the $#@ out of the damn thing with a hammer, it's impossible to get open.

Thanks SF, for making things needlessly difficult. I liked the old KL1's much better.
 

Stillphoto

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Kev don't worry. I've got one half taken apart that I gave up on a long time ago...

I got the bottom ring / driver out, snipped the wires to the led and never was able to separate the insert part that holds the led and optic. Vise grips and pieces of rubber, various heating via boiling and torches... There are even 4 perfect little notches in the bottom of the "insert" for some snap ring pliers and I've managed to nearly strip those notches in the process. Frustrating like you can't believe. I may have to take another stab at it now that you have me thinking about it...
 

KevinL

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Kev don't worry. I've got one half taken apart that I gave up on a long time ago...

I got the bottom ring / driver out, snipped the wires to the led and never was able to separate the insert part that holds the led and optic. Vise grips and pieces of rubber, various heating via boiling and torches... There are even 4 perfect little notches in the bottom of the "insert" for some snap ring pliers and I've managed to nearly strip those notches in the process. Frustrating like you can't believe. I may have to take another stab at it now that you have me thinking about it...

Thanks dude. I know how you feel, I think the annoyance is reaching fever pitch here too. Part of being the go-getter anything-is-possible let's-get-this-done kind of person is having to deal with far more frustration than normal :(

Steve's gonna be making a (well deserved) fortune off me for E-series drop in modules if all else fails!! Those are brilliant little devices.
 

lewong

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I had a KX2 head that was very difficult to open. Boiling it for 10 minutes didn't work. Remember when you boil it, it is only getting to 100 C.

I used a heat gun on mine and it eventually loosened. There was thread locking compound completely covering the threads, which was why it was very difficult to disassemble.

My heat gun gets over 300 C and it took about about 90 seconds in that stream of hot air until it started to loosen. If you don't have a heat gun, maybe you could hold it 15 cm over a gas flame for a few seconds and then keep repeating until it loosens. Just don't heat it TOO long.

Good luck.
 

NoFair

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I used a heat gun and gloves on my 4th Gen KL1. Was a bit stiff, but not too bad. It is wonderful with a neutral white xp-e (stock optic) so it is well worth the trouble imho.

Sverre
 

KevinL

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I had a KX2 head that was very difficult to open. Boiling it for 10 minutes didn't work. Remember when you boil it, it is only getting to 100 C.

I used a heat gun on mine and it eventually loosened. There was thread locking compound completely covering the threads, which was why it was very difficult to disassemble.

My heat gun gets over 300 C and it took about about 90 seconds in that stream of hot air until it started to loosen. If you don't have a heat gun, maybe you could hold it 15 cm over a gas flame for a few seconds and then keep repeating until it loosens. Just don't heat it TOO long.

Good luck.

I hoped the ROP would stand in for a heat gun, but looks like a stronger heat source is necessary. Hmm - I was thinking of wrapping it in aluminium foil and letting it have it. 30 seconds over a cooking stove blue gas flame!!

I used a heat gun and gloves on my 4th Gen KL1. Was a bit stiff, but not too bad. It is wonderful with a neutral white xp-e (stock optic) so it is well worth the trouble imho.

Sverre

Nice! How did you mount the XP-E inside it? Did you have to shim it or did you just install it in place of the existing LED?

I'd be going with a Cree XP-G given a chance.
 

KevinL

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Done and failed yet again.....

Cooking stove flame, first round wrapped in aluminium foil. Next round I applied direct flame to the joint (after shielding the contacts in foil). Back to the vise clamp pliers for the grand opening.

What next, lightly saute with onions and black bean sauce for 15 minutes? :ohgeez::mad::sigh:

This is going nowhere.....
 
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alantch

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Are you using rubber strap wrenches or pure arm power? Those wrenches do make a big difference in terms of twisting power.
 

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