eG0 Battery Center Pin - Pemanent (almost) Fix!

[rowdyplace]

I got tired of pulling my battery center post back up as I changed attys. So, I started tinkering and found a pretty good fix that works for me. I discovered this last week, and have not had a battery issue since. And, the fix stays fixed.

First power off your battery.

Using small tool (paper clip or jewelers screwdriver) and pull the center post up. Gently prying on different sides until you get it up about 1/8 of an inch. Go slowly - this pin is only about 1/4 in long. Now, tilt the center post slightly to one side.

Cut an "O"-ring ( #60 - see spec in picture) about half in to two pieces. You will not use the smaller piece.

Gently, with slight force, push the larger piece of the o-ring behind the center post. Start on one side and keep pressing it around the post. The first one will take you a few minutes. Go slowly and think about what is happening. Haste make waste.

Once the o-ring is in place (all of it is behind the post), straighten the center post and gently push it back down - a little - for alignment. Now screw an atty partially onto the battery. It will feel springy...

Power up the battery. Press the battery button, take a puff and see if the unit is working. If not, slightly tighten the atty further. You no longer have to hard tighten it all the way down to metal touching metal. You will get the idea.




Warning - This is not for the faint of heart. It may damage your battery. It may damage you. Wear protective glasses and clothing. Use adult supervision. Your mileage may vary. I am not responsible for your attempts to follow these details. It worked for me, and I only ruined the first battery! I am only disclosing how I fixed mine. Try at your own risk!!

 

[DavidOck]

Nice write-up, Rowdy. While it's been done before, your exposition and pics should be pretty helpful to a lot of folk.

Did you remove the original insulating washer before putting the replacement in?

Some have also suggested just cutting the o-ring once, so it's still one piece, and just working it around. Maybe less chance of it coming out.

And since super glue is the standard glue used when making custom o-rings, maybe some with a needle tip applicator could be used to cement it all back into a ring. Should be pretty permanent then!

 

[rowdyplace]

Nice write-up, Rowdy. While it's been done before, your exposition and pics should be pretty helpful to a lot of folk.

Did you remove the original insulating washer before putting the replacement in?

Some have also suggested just cutting the o-ring once, so it's still one piece, and just working it around. Maybe less chance of it coming out.

And since super glue is the standard glue used when making custom o-rings, maybe some with a needle tip applicator could be used to cement it all back into a ring. Should be pretty permanent then!

Thanks for noticing. I was pretty proud that the fix worked.

No, I did not remove the existing washer. To remove this washer I feared one has to disassemble the battery control head. Those are difficult to remove and replace safely. Then, the short and thin wires make it difficult to move around. My fix is based somewhat on the time proven principal of hemorrhoids cushion. The rubber donut shaped air filled device one sits on... By jamming the portion of the o-ring under the center post, I accomplished my desired goal. Yes, the center post now seems to be a little cockeyed - but the o-ring stays put, and the post sits up taller. The electrical connection with the atty seems fine. The added feature is not having to tighten the atty down so firmly. As the center post is pushed back down into place, it presses the o-ring against the side of the battery control housing and the o-ring cannot fall out.

I only used part of the o-ring because that is all I felt comfortable stuffing under the post. That gets to be tight quarters in there, and I did not want to risk pulling the post too far up and breaking that thin little wire.

I agree with your comments about using a complete o-ring and the super glue. And, I will probably revisit this fix by totally lifting the center post and looking further as I try your suggestion.

Again, thanks for noticing.

 

[DavidOck]

Haven't had to do this with any of my gear, so was just wondering. Mabyg snag and cut it with the tip of an exacto?

True, don't want to pull it out too far, or you're likely in the market for a new battery