Pelican M6 Twisty won't power Malkoff M61

CanAm

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I'm troubleshooting an issue I'm having with an older Pelican M6, a 2320 with the screw in lamp module and twisty switch. I've been loving the quality of light from the incan, and having a focusable beam in a pocket-sized light, but the cost of batteries is a downer.
So, I ordered a Malkoff M61 Neutral Low-low. It showed up earlier this week.

I dropped it in, everything went together just fine. Screwed the head down a little further than it goes with the bulb module and pressed the button...

Nothing.

My first thought was, maybe the module's not getting a good enough ground to the frame of the light. Busted out some copper tape, gave the drop-in and the threads a quick layer (careful to keep it far away from the spring and battery terminals) and put it back together.

Nothing.

Tried to bypass the switch -

Light.

So, there's some kind of issue in the switch. Which doesn't surprise me, as I've noticed that different levels of pressure cause different light levels with the xenon bulb, which suggests dirty contacts.

I'm trying to clean up the switch assemble and I cannot get this f°°°ing brown plastic washer out. Won't pry loose (and I'm wary of destroying it), can't pierce it with a hot tack (to get a pin spanner into the brass nut below). The nut below it is holding the switch plunger beneath the rubber boot in place, so I can't get at all the contacts in the switch without removing it. So, I'm looking for suggestions on how to remove this washer without destroying it OR what a suitable replacement material might be. (My guess is anything non-conductive, yes?)



I have a small electronics toolkit on-hand but my full kit is in storage and we're moving house, so this is a kitchen-table job right now.

Down the road I may order the sandwich shoppe PM6 module and try to piece together a drop-in that would allow me to keep the stock reflector. The Malkoff is nice, but it is a noticeable smaller fixed reflector.

Update - I have punched two holes in the washer but still can't get it or the unit underneath to turn.
 
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CanAm

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If anyone is wondering about this/stumbles onto this thread down the line -

I installed a new switch picked up from everyone's favorite auction site this afternoon. It's a custom sleeve holding a kroll switch. I believe the seller is a CPF guy but not sure of that. He has pre- and post- 2014 versions of the switch sleeve, which screws in on the tailcap.
It went in very easily and the light will now power a Malkoff M61 and a LumensFactory 3-mode P60 LED. So if you have a twisty PM6 and want to upgrade it....
LumensFactory does also have a replacement Peli switch, and I may try that on a PM3 down the road to see if there's any noticeable difference in function or feel.
This switch is smooth but a little heavier and longer-travel than the mcclicky on one of my LF e series lights. Not bad, but definitely different.

So, although the early, early, threaded lamp unit, twisty-switch M6 will take P60s, for some reason the switch won't power them. My guess is that it's due to excessive resistance or poor conductivity in the switch. Change the switch (or put a Malkoff tailcap on) and... :rock:
 

bykfixer

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John 3:16
Wish I had seen this sooner. I would've reccomended the kit you bought from CPFr YazKaz and shared how I got a glued in disk out of a clicky tailcap.

I drilled two small holes on opposite sides and used a hobby size set of needle nose pliers as a spanner wrench. It took a little while since once the cement was busted loose the threads clogged as you twist the disk out. So you twist a half turn loose, the back tight and clean the crumbled cement from the threads with a right angle dental pick. Repeat and eventually the disk was out. In some of their tailcaps there were already two holes in the disk, which is where I got the idea from.

Once upon a time the Kroll was used as a fix for the busted Peli twisty or just make it a clicky because. Later it was used to fix busted Peli clicky. Their switches had a high failure rate back then. Enough where there were 3 people making adapter sleeves similar to what you bought.
The Kroll was also used to turn minimag's into a clicky, and……Gene Malkoff used them in his early lights.

Here's a thread YazKaz played a large role in. How to Kroll your M6
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?447997-How-to-Kroll-your-Pelican-M6-2320
 

CanAm

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The disc was a PITA. That cement is STRONG. It seems like we ended up drawing the same conclusions though. I ended up superheating a framing nail and punching two holes in it that way. Once I started removing the brass retaining ring below the disc I was actually worried tailcap might be slightly ovalized - it kept sticking at one particular point and I couldn't seem to get anything else out of the threads. I soaked the entire cap in rubbing alcohol for an afternoon and came back to it, and although it was still sticky managed to get it past that point.

All the parts are now carefully bagged up in case I ever want to undo the mod.
 
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