virden Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 I have a couple of torches where the batteries have leaked and become stuck in the tube. By their design I cannot force the batteries out by pushing down from the top. Any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 Is it possible to drill into the base of the cells and screw a fat woodscrew in to pull them out ? Not sure if this is a good plan though ? edit ... just looked at a battery on my desk .... 'do not mutilate', so maybe not a good idea !! If the acid has leaked, it has possibly damaged the workings/casing ? Maybe time to bin them ? Edited by - Stationary M25 Traveller on 10 Dec 2010 10:46:09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myothercarsa2cv Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 If it's a Maglite: a) Post it to Maglite. If the battery is a reputable brand (Duracell, Energizer etc) then if they can't remove the battery, they will usually replace it. All you pay is the postage. b) If you don't want the hassle of posting (after reading this it won't seem like hassle), it is possible to remove the switch mechanism by using a tiny allen key through the switch - you need to pop off the rubber seal. Bash the torch base on a lump of wood, and hopefully you can get the batteries to shift half an inch out. You can then (hopefully) extract the circlip that stops the switch coming out the top (this is HARD). Slide out the switch mechanism, and starting driving out the batteries with force. As much as possible. You may need a press. Maglites are a particular problem because they're made out of unforgiving steel tube - it doesn't shift when the battery swells, so it well and truly sticks. Obviously if it's not a Maglite, then ignore the above. And don't ask me how I know all this John _________________________ myothercarsa2cv Bugsy: '82 2cv6 😬 Talloulah '08 1.6K Classic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWoodham Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 if the batteries have leaked the torch is probably fubarred anyway. if it's metal bodied try warming the casing under hot water, the expansion might help. better still use it as an excuse to buy yourself a nice new torch 😬 Martin supersported ex-Roadsports B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbird Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 I have been successful in the past by holding maglite by head and rapidly swinging torch downward IYSWIM, please do this somewhere with no people and a lot of space if the batteries come out they come out at some speed and can do serious damage to almost anything they hit (especialy windows), Tim CSR 200 Aztec and Black Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bricol Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 Maglite cases are aluminium - and expand rather well under hot water, sometimes loosening the grip the furry battery has on the case. Hot water will also assist inside in loosening the battery. I still had to remove the switch from a D-cell one to get one battery out. Hot water to flush out, and then a good wirebrushing with a rotary brush to remove all traces of corrosion. And then bought some pretty coloured Nascar branded D-cell ones from a mall in Fort Worth for a few quid - so I never actually reassembled it Bri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baz Hemsley Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 Vinegar will help to nutraulise the acid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Deslandes Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 Dry battery electrolytes are usually alkaline, therefore the use of vinegar (acetic acid) would help neutralise the corrosion. If you did want to neutralise acid, e.g. sulphuric acid from a car battery, you need an alkaline substance such as sodium bicarbonate. Adding vinegar to acidic corrosion will only make things worse or, at least, not any better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virden Posted December 10, 2010 Author Share Posted December 10, 2010 Thanks guys, they are Magilites, I shall try all suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Ford Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 Or just bin 'em and get something four times as powerful and a tenth of the size with an LED at the front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Golf Juliet Tango Posted December 10, 2010 Area Representative Share Posted December 10, 2010 As Roger says. I got a Maglite look alike from Tesco with a really nice quality LED for less than £10. (actually I bought 2). Democratic dissent is not disloyalty, it is a positive civic duty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonboylaw Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 I did a search for a replacement torch, what ever you do, do not go to www.fleshlite.com Trust me, you would never find anything in the dark with one of those things... Jonathan ========================= My Flickr Gallery 92 Supersprint, Ford LSD LA, RK AX Crossflow. Stealth model (Matt Black and Ali), rebuild completed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbird Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 *redface* *redface* CSR 200 Aztec and Black Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frying Pan Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 Or just bin 'em and get something four times as powerful and a tenth of the size with an LED at the front. Like this - it's brilliant (no pun intended) See some pictures of the build here. 19,000 miles completed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Ford Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 Or rather cheaper, my favourite cheapy at the moment here. From Hong Kong, though, so may not make it in time for Chrimbo. For higher quality, you can't go wrong with Fenix though they don't come cheap at UK prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2slo Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 How about: use needle nose pliers to bend a couple of mm of the end of a wire coat hanger. Insert sideways to end of 1st cell, rotate and pull. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mort Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 Superglue something that you can thread a cord through to the bottom of the battery, then whack the body of the Maglite (after having removed the reflector head) whilst pulling on the cord. I'm another fan of LED torches. I bought an LED Lenser P7 from this guy,whom I thoroughly recommend, and have found it to far superior to a 3 x D cell Maglite - much brighter, longer battery life, two power settings and it fits in the palm of you hand. It also comes with a handy belt holster. The P14 is also well worth a look. I'll be getting one some time soon. Take a look at the demos on the website under the second link. Very impressive! Nick It's life Jim, but not as WE know it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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