One tough Arc LS upgrade

OK, I know I'm a newbie at upgrades, having only done my KL1s and an Arc LS, but this LSH-P 2nd really had me going, since my other LSL was a cinch. This one had so much Loctite gooped around the retaining ring and sandwich that my ring pliers bent and it still wouldn't budge, even with multiple hits with the hot air gun. I fabricated a tool with some 3/4" steel plates bolted together and 2 .04" pins. This went in the vise, with the Arc head on top, which I grabbed with my hands and turned as hard as I could. It would not unscrew, but it DID tighten a bit. I got a few mm movement both ways, and had to work it for an hour before it gave way. I got blisters on my hand. I was afraid the ring would collapse, or the tube flatten. The anode lead of the LED sheared off, I guess during the twisting while it was in the optic since the sandwich was glued to the ring. I have now discovered that both the short tabs and regular leads on a Luxeon seem to be the same - where you might think the short tabs are extensions of the other side. Then I discovered this Arc had one of the thin plastic rings between the optic and the plastic retainer rings, which deforms around the notch. I just set it aside, since my other LS didn't have that ring, just one between the lens and the optic. I cleaned everything up, chipped off all the Loctite, installed a Fraen and a new 1W QXOH and all is fine now. Of course, centering the LED takes me about 50 tries as I tighten it down. I think I may still have to get a round pin tool machined up on a friend's lathe.