UCL in Surefire G2

mrandychen

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jun 8, 2004
Messages
61
Location
San Diego, CA
nevermind, figured out how to get it out. for anyone that wants to know, I loosened the glue by squishing the bezel a little bit and then I used a knife (i know, I was desperate) and pressed it over the retention ring and used the fact that a little bit of the knife was dug into the ring to twist the ring out. So I basically pressed the knife into the ring and twisted...not much damage at all.
 

KevinL

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 10, 2004
Messages
5,866
Location
At World's End
Cool. Which size of UCL did you buy for the G2? It sounds like a good idea, a cheap upgrade for the Lexan window without shelling out for a G2Z bezel. I'd like a G2, but unfortunately I belong to the glass-or-nothing crew /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 

flashlightlens

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 12, 2002
Messages
134
Location
flashlightlens.com
It's a really tight fit. Since the threads are made from the Nitrolon also, they should "flex" a little and let the lens by with a little effort. You can use a little file to take the tops off of the threads to help it out also. This shouldn't affect the holding strength of the retaining ring any.
 

SSW

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jul 8, 2004
Messages
5
Location
San Francisco
Cool, I'll try the thread trick. Thanks, The UCL in my 01160 super mag makes a heck of a differance
 

AK

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 26, 2004
Messages
103
Location
Colorado
Anybody know what the "proper" tool is for removing the retaining ring on a G2? I'm a little reluctant to try mrandychen's knife method. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

Joseph

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 10, 2004
Messages
213
Location
RoK
Is it possible to remove the retaining ring? I thought that's glued on the bezel.. even if it's possible to unthread the ring, how to put the retaining ring back and hold it tight? glue it again?

I really wanna try UCL though.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon6.gif
 

Gene

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 19, 2000
Messages
1,707
Location
Dunsmuir, Ca.
AK,
I used a small pair of angled needle nose pliers but you can also use a small pair of snap ring pliers. I got a pair at Harbor freight Tools for $2.00.

Joseph,
It is very lightly glued to the bezel but slightly deforming the bezel, (as mrandychen found out), in a small vise will break it. ANY vise will work just pad the jaws and don't tighten too much. No need to re-glue after you screw the retaining ring back down and be careful when screwing it back in as not to strip the threads.
 

flashlightlens

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 12, 2002
Messages
134
Location
flashlightlens.com
What Gene said.....

In the bundle of G2's I've replaced lenses in, I found that I could simply smush the bezel with my hand and break the glue loose. I ended up making a tool to remove the ring.
 

pjandyho

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 29, 2003
Messages
5,500
Location
Singapore
I know there is an increase in brightness if one compares the UCL to a Lexan lens but is there any difference when comparing to a Pyrex?

Sorry, off topic a little. One more thing that puzzled me. When I fitted the P61 onto my G2Z it seemed brighter and whiter than when it is on my M2 which are both using Pyrex, test was done many times and both lights are always equipped with fresh batteries. Why is this so?
 

brightnorm

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 13, 2001
Messages
7,160
[ QUOTE ]
pjandyho said:
...One more thing that puzzled me. When I fitted the P61 onto my G2Z it seemed brighter and whiter than when it is on my M2 which are both using Pyrex, test was done many times and both lights are always equipped with fresh batteries. Why is this so?

[/ QUOTE ]

Because of the M2's shock mounted bezel the lamp sits further toward the rear of the light than in the G2Z, cutting part of the peripheral beam and slightly reducing the total light output. Even if the total output (lumens) remains the same the circumscribed beam with its visible bezel artifacts suggests otherwise.

Brightnorm
 

AK

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 26, 2004
Messages
103
Location
Colorado
[ QUOTE ]
flashlightlens.com said:
In the bundle of G2's I've replaced lenses in, I found that I could simply smush the bezel with my hand and break the glue loose. I ended up making a tool to remove the ring.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was able to remove the retaining ring (I acutally ended up drilling a hole in the old lens and then using a screwdriver to pop the whole assembly out of the head. Probably not the recommended removal technique, but it worked . . .). Anyway, I notice that with the new lens in place, the retaining ring doesn't hold the lens down tightly -- e.g. the lens rattles ever so slightly. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif I assume that this is because I foolishly ordered the "thin" UCL rather than the thick without asking. Which one do you recommend? (No great loss if I have to order another lens -- I'll just by another pelican to put the "thin" lens in." /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

Gene

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 19, 2000
Messages
1,707
Location
Dunsmuir, Ca.
Joseph,
No problem my friend and I hope it works out!

AK,
I never tried fitting one of thinner lenses but there's another thing you should be aware of. Even though SF didn't use a lot of adhesive gluing down the bezel retaining ring, what adhesive is there needs to be removed! Make sure ALL the adhesive that is still left on the retaining ring AND in the threads in the bezel is removed. That way the retaining ring might screw down an extra few millimeters in the bezel and your lens might not rattle.
 
Top