HELP: Corroded Battery in Beloved Maratac AAA Flashlight (Pictures)

Hi All,

I've been a long time browser of the forums, on and off over the years. Thanks in advance for your collective help.

I got this beloved Maratac AAA (Natural Finish) Pocket Flashlight in February 2010. It's been a trusty companion for years. I've taken to multiple music festivals, camping trips, and vacations with it and it can't be bought anymore. I'd love to save it, especially since the head is seemingly entirely undamaged.

The title is self-explanatory but I'll share more details and what I've tried so far.

I made the mistake of putting a cheap IKEA AAA battery into this light about half a year ago. I hadn't really used it much lately as we haven't traveled much this year yet. I'll never use an IKEA battery again!

Here's what it looks like assembled and seemingly ready for use.


Here's what the inside actually looks like!


I searched the forums and this is what I've tried, in order.

1) Soak in vinegar for 20 minutes.
2) Soak in vinegar, followed by baking soda, for 20 minutes.
3) Took needle nose pliers to the positive end and pulled as hard as I could. The positive tip started to break down.
4) Drilled a small hole in the top. Screwed in a thick wood screw. Pulled as hard as I could with pliers. Wood screw came out even after screwing it in a good 3/4".
5) Took a thick nail and hammered between the battery and the inner wall of the body. Collapsed the battery in on itself and gave myself a good hunk of metal to grab and pull with needle nose pliers. Battery started coming apart in my plier grips. Bits of metal, sand like substance, paper all coming out in the grips but not moving the body of the battery.
6) Put in freezer for an hour.
7) Filled with CLR for 30 min.
8) Going to try soaking in Coke tonight after I get some from the supermarket.

I'd really like to save this flashlight. I've looked online and I can't find a replacement body on eBay or CountyComm. I supposed I could buy a new Maratac with a different color body and save the head but I'd like to keep this body if I could.

I imagine it got stuck sometime between the end of April and now, which is when I last changed the battery. Somebody here mentioned a kinetic bullet puller but no details on how to use it and I don't have one.

Any helpful thoughts or anyone want to take a crack at removing the battery?

Apologies if I've missed a method or not read enough threads.

Thanks!

"He's dead Jim."

I don't think you're getting that out, so I'd save the head and look for another one, chalking it up to 'life lesson 2,379.

Chris

Id be drilling it. And if the tail is non removable, measure the depth and tape the drill bit. Once you get close to the bottom, you can get in there and scrape and clean out the rest. Just be careful drilling.

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Ya drill it out a little to get the big stuff out then grab some needle nose pliers and start pulling. If you take your time you should be able to get it all out.

Don't think kinetic bullet puller will work. It's a hammer looking thing that is used to pull bullets out of a case. I see where he's going with that but don't think it's got enough energy to dislodge that mess.

thermal guy said:

Ya drill it out a little to get the big stuff out then grab some needle nose pliers and start pulling. If you take your time you should be able to get it all out.

Don't think kinetic bullet puller will work. It's a hammer looking thing that is used to pull bullets out of a case. I see where he's going with that but don't think it's got enough energy to dislodge that mess.

Click to expand...

Wouldn't fit in my Midway K.P., as I stuck a 338LM in that thing one day and had to wrench it out, killing my beloved Lapua case.

Chris

I agree, drill out most of the bulk, then grab the metal shell and twist it, so it collapses in and pulls away from the light body. The idea is to pull the battery shell away from the light body before trying to pull it out of the body.

I did this with a 3-D Mag a while back, and it worked fine.

I appreciate everyone's thoughts but I'm a little confused. I wonder if some replies missed the text below the pictures, which I've included again below at the very bottom.

So I did drill to about 3/4 of the way down and put in a wood screw and try to pull the battery out. The wood screw wouldn't stay in and ripped the middle of the battery body. It doesn't look it but it's a bit hollow in the middle.
The metal body of the battery has started to come apart and when I try to grip what's left, little bits of metal tear away in my needle nose pliers.
I did soak it in Pepsi for 12 hours last night and then try a kinetic bullet puller. That didn't work at all.

So am I to understand that everyone is recommending that I use a drill bit that's thick enough to drill out the mass of battery body and then pry the outside of the battery from the flashlight wall?

The outside of the battery is damn near bonded with the inside of the body. I had to take a nail to the side of the battery and the inside of the flashlight wall and hammer four or five holes just to try to collapse the battery into itself a little bit. Even with a bunch of the battery collapsed, there's not enough mass to use needle nose pliers to pull it out. One of the problems I also have now is that about half the battery has been ripped out now and so needle nose pliers can only get so far. I kept trying to twist the battery body into itself but it would just end up tearing bits of metal away. Is there anything that would help de-bond the battery from the flashlight wall?







________
I searched the forums and this is what I've tried, in order.

1) Soak in vinegar for 20 minutes.
2) Soak in vinegar, followed by baking soda, for 20 minutes.
3) Took needle nose pliers to the positive end and pulled as hard as I could. The positive tip started to break down.
4) Drilled a small hole in the top. Screwed in a thick wood screw. Pulled as hard as I could with pliers. Wood screw came out even after screwing it in a good 3/4".
5) Took a thick nail and hammered between the battery and the inner wall of the body. Collapsed the battery in on itself and gave myself a good hunk of metal to grab and pull with needle nose pliers. Battery started coming apart in my plier grips. Bits of metal, sand like substance, paper all coming out in the grips but not moving the body of the battery.
6) Put in freezer for an hour.
7) Filled with CLR for 30 min.
8) Going to try soaking in Coke tonight after I get some from the supermarket.

I'd really like to save this flashlight. I've looked online and I can't find a replacement body on eBay or CountyComm. I supposed I could buy a new Maratac with a different color body and save the head but I'd like to keep this body if I could.

I imagine it got stuck sometime between the end of April and now, which is when I last changed the battery. Somebody here mentioned a kinetic bullet puller but no details on how to use it and I don't have one.

Any helpful thoughts or anyone want to take a crack at removing the battery?

Apologies if I've missed a method or not read enough threads.

Thanks!

If it's welded itself that hard to the body it's going to be dang near impossible to remove which I'm guessing you probably know that by now after trying everything possible. I'd cut my losses. Sorry.

I'd just try to find a replacement and stay away from the alkaleaks. Get a pack of Eneloops that come with the charger. At the very least stick with the major brands of alkaline batteries but I've seen Energizers fuse them to the battery holder packs before. Maybe ask the company if they got your favorite color in stock.

I would be willing to take a crack at removing the battery. PM sent!

Yes, you need a drill bit as close to the ID of the body as possible. And drill as close to the bottom as possible. Careful depth measurements.

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Following

That's an incredibly generous offer, PM reply sent!

I see. That's a pretty thick drill bit then, the width of a AAA battery.

Then the question arises too as to what to do when I get to the bottom and if the battery is welded to that. The drill bit isn't flat so how to make the bottom of the body flat once I've drilled to the bottom?

Yes, I've been thinking of moving exclusively to Eneloop or Eneloop Pros following this incident. For the moment, I've at least switched to these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RGQ4V1J/?tag=cpf0b6-20, which claim to be leak-proof but I'm not sure I think that can be definitively true of alkalines after this.

A quick photo of the inside of the head. It's clean.

Yep.. and you won't know until you drill it. Maybe you can get in there with a small flat blade screwdriver and picks and clean it out sufficiently to use again. You got nothing to lose at this point

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Is there a spring in the bottom of the battery tube? If you do try the large drill method, you would probably notice if you hit the spring, saving you from going too far down - but probably destroying the spring. I'd use a drill press if I could, with everything firmly clamped. But like they said, you have little to lose. Curved wood chisels?

Use a drill press and set the stop just short of the length of the battery going to want to get one about the same size as the battery closer the better your gonna bore out the insides ideally just shy of the flashlight insides. The bit you are looking for is a milling bit they can be flat and even if you destroy a spring that can be replaced easier. You will probably need to end up running a dowel covered in sandpaper on the inside to clean up.

also the only non rechargeable i trust are lithium primary otherwise rechargeable.

Nitroz has offered to take a crack at it with his lathe when I mail the body to him. I just tested the head on another Maratac body and confirmed that the head is still good.

This is a spring at the bottom of the Maratac. I fear a drill bit/press or the lathe will destroy the spring. How does one replace the spring?

I'm not clear exactly how a flashlight like this works. The spring contacts the - end of the battery while the head touches the + top. Does the spring carry current along the inside of the body back to the head and cause the head to light up? Do I have to have a spring or is there another way to carry current to cause it to light up when I twist it? I assume (since it's a twisty) that when I twist it tighter, enough of the spring touches the - end to create a circuit? Apologies for my ignorance on how a flashlight actually works.

If Nitroz takes the lathe to it and destroys or damages the spring, will the flashlight still work? Do I need the spring?

The spring is there to make a connection between the battery - and the body. The body itself carries that connection to the outer portion of the head, while the inner portion contacts the battery +.

The spring also keeps the battery pushed against the head, so yes you need it.

Fortunately, if Nitroz is careful, he should be able to bore out enough of the battery that the very last little bit comes loose, as it is typically slightly smaller diameter. Even if he does damage the spring (or if corrosion has already damaged it), it should be easy to replace, provided that you can get a new one the right size. I'd guess you could get one from Maratec.

DIWdiver said:

The spring is there to make a connection between the battery - and the body. The body itself carries that connection to the outer portion of the head, while the inner portion contacts the battery +.

The spring also keeps the battery pushed against the head, so yes you need it.

Fortunately, if Nitroz is careful, he should be able to bore out enough of the battery that the very last little bit comes loose, as it is typically slightly smaller diameter. Even if he does damage the spring (or if corrosion has already damaged it), it should be easy to replace, provided that you can get a new one the right size. I'd guess you could get one from Maratec.

Click to expand...

I don't have the light yet, but if I do wreck the spring I have some that should work.