Comments on: How to disassemble a maglite

By: Steve Davis

Steve Davis — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 21:43:11 +0000

Thanks for posting this guide. I,ve just used it to fix my 4D maglite. The springy contact on the swich had gotten stuck down causing the torch to stop working. It took only 5 minutes to fix using yor guide. Cheers

By: JLJ

JLJ — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 13:18:38 +0000

Great instructions that helped me get a light up and running. Thanks!

By: Klem

Klem — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 01:17:59 +0000

Well done for that info…isn’t the internet fantastic?!

I had planned to spend the day trying to get that damned circlip out from the front.

We also build dive lights and in the past have hacksawed the handle off behind the switch area.

The idea we currently have is to use a maglite as a hand-held torch; with no cable or cannister. two D-Cell rechargeable Li-ion’s (yes, they make them, 3.6V each). Replace the existing switch with a piezo switch waterproof glued, with a toggle circuit inside. The light will be a Terralux tripple Cree-XR-E LED, 500-600 lumens. Terralux make them as drop-in modules to upgrade your Maglite. Replace the lens with 4mm perspex and Silastic up the bezel. Thicker O ring at the base will be the access port for re-charging.

Cheers anyway for the info, saved me a stack of effort

By: Lee

Lee — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:00:21 +0000

Thanks Peter!
My 3 D-cell uses a 5/64 Allen key.

Nathan,

That is ingenious and hilarious.

By: Ernie

Ernie — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 01:47:19 +0000

I dropped mine hard enough push the + end of one battery in about 1/16 of an inch. After I got tired of shaking and tapping it I read your article, (just before having a machine shop make a special tool to extract the snap ring), and after easily taking it apart, I found it had pushed the spring in the end in also. Thank you for your great article! Full power has been restored captain.

Also that switch is quite large. My allen wrench was 2/3 of the way in before touching the screw, and if corrosion has set in a long needle or wire may loosen enough for the wrench to get a grip.

After seeing the responses and added info I think at least part of the world is in good hands

By: nathan scott

nathan scott — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:58:00 +0000

Hey friends, I found out a way to get a Battery out! I bout a wood drill bit and hammerd it in the battery and then I hooked it up to my drill and it twisted the battery out

By: Sergio Molí

Sergio Molí — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:26:21 +0000

Peter Thank you so much!!! last month I bought a 3 D cell and it came with the swich out of his place, I called to maglite and they told me that I have to send it for warranty but I didn´t. Now I fixed it with your help thank you again!

By: Low.8.O.

Low.8.O. — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:55:50 +0000

Great Help!!!!!

By: Gene

Gene — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:18:13 +0000

I currently own a D-cell Mag-Lite, which looks like the one in the picture, and is about 15 years old. Unfortunately, I was irresponsible and left the batteries sitting in this too long and the top-most battery appears corroded into the body. At first, I was thinking I could attempt to remove the split ring from the top of the switch assembly but after struggling for a few minutes, I figured someone else must have tried and succeeded somehow. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, I searched and yours was first.

Now looking at how you did this, my first thought is completely broken and not possible. Size-wise, I found that a 5/64″ or 2mm allen key seemed to fit, while a 3/32″ and 2.5mm do not. Now to see what pipe I have that might allow me to drive the switch assembly out.

As far as the serial number, I always heard that the first two characters indicated the cell size and quantity. The letter being C or D and the number between 2 and 6.

By: luca fossa

luca fossa — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:18:05 +0000

grazieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. you are the best.

luca