Kanger T3 Head Rebuild Probs

[vernhall]

Am about ready to call it quits on rebuilding T3 heads and just buy the darn things even though it's tons cheaper to rebuild them!!

Have everything down pat except getting the darn rubber gasket back in without botching things up I think... coils are perfect (wind them on a screw), wick is the right size for the coil (using either 2mm or 3mm depending on the coil, and everything's been cleaned up to assure there's nothing to prevent a good contact with the coil wires...

What's happening is that I either get a short (using eGo battery as a tester) or no contact as far as I can figure. Have tried 2mm and 3mm non-cotton wick and 34-30ga kanthal wire in various combinations with no luck... Also have watched numerous vids on YouTube -- which all make it look simple enough...

Does anyone have any thoughts, or suggestions, on where I'm going wrong?

 

[spider362]

I understand about tearing up the positive post insulator. I'm still playing around with my first coil rebuild trying to get the diameter/number of coils/ohm ratio right. I've made about half dozen coils and now my insulator is torn up to the little flange at the top. So far it's staying together, but I don't hold out hope for much longer.

One thing I've found that helps is to lubricate the insulator with some PG or VG before you try to install it and get it centered over the hole as best as you can before you push it in.

Someone suggested putting the positive post in place with the positive wire running through the hole in the post before you install the insulator then remove the positive post and run the positive wire on the outside of the post when it's reinstalled. I didn't get very good results using that method, though.

These insulators have been spotted at this supplier and I'm wondering if they will fit the Kanger T3: AGA Series Positive Post Insulators - 10 pack - Kidney Puncher

I have a thread started about them, too: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/clearomizers/404815-possible-kanger-t3-positive-post-insulators.html#post9244459

Also, a moderator might want to move this post to the Clearomizers subcategory in Assorted PV Topics.

 

[vernhall]

Well, let me know what you find out about them... I kind of think us T3 folk are way down on the food-chain on the vaping scene since, at least, I don't seem to get much of a response when I pose a question about them...

On a close inspection of the grommets in those I've seen there's a small lip on the portion that inserts into the head assembly... I wonder if that is the cause of the probs I'm having getting them to reseat?

And, do you know the name of the things that look like a pair of pliers but have a ball at the end of the arms? And what size is best to use to reseat the grommet? I have an old pair but the ball seems to be way too big and even if I'm able to get it to seat the compression on the ball pulls the grommet right back out...

 

[spider362]

Well, let me know what you find out about them... I kind of think us T3 folk are way down on the food-chain on the vaping scene since, at least, I don't seem to get much of a response when I pose a question about them...

You might get quicker response to your T3 questions if you would post over in the Clearomizers forum.

On a close inspection of the grommets in those I've seen there's a small lip on the portion that inserts into the head assembly... I wonder if that is the cause of the probs I'm having getting them to reseat?

I saw that, too. It does make the insulator more difficult to insert. I guess it's there to help lock the insulator in place.

And, do you know the name of the things that look like a pair of pliers but have a ball at the end of the arms? And what size is best to use to reseat the grommet? I have an old pair but the ball seems to be way too big and even if I'm able to get it to seat the compression on the ball pulls the grommet right back out...

Sorry, but I'm not familiar with the pliers you are referring to. Could you post a picture of the one you have?
In one of the videos the poster was using a pair of round nose pliers with no sharp edges to cut the insulator similar to the one in the image below. I need to go out and get myself a pair anyway. Might try a craft store. More likely to have a small pair rather than the larger ones I see at hardware or discount big box stores.

Round Nose Pliers

 

[vernhall]

Will have to move things over to Clearomizers as you've suggested.

The pliers look just like the ones you've posted the pic of except they have a small ball on the end...

 

[spider362]

Strange tool, then. I did a lot of searching on Google Images and couldn't come up with anything that had balls on the tips. Must be some kind of specialty tool.

 

[theangler]

Hey guys, I'm pretty new to vaping and just recently picked up a couple of ego spinners and t3s. I gotta say, they're awesome. I messed one t3 up first day though playing around with it and PULLED THE WICK OUT (DOH). So now I'm down to 1, and I'm wondering how long that the wick / coil lasts. Also, if I were to buy new coils, which should i get (2.2 or 2.5 ohms)? Or is it best to rebuild them? Where do you get those supplies? Thanks! BTW not trying to get the thread off topic too much, but I just can't find much info.

 

[spider362]

My first T3 head lasted 20 weeks. It would have lasted longer but I messed up the coil trying to pull some loose silica fibers out when I was going to replace it with cotton. These things seem to be built like a tank.

I now have 2 heads in rotation with cotton wicks which I replace once a week or whenever I get a burnt taste. Very easy to replace using cheesecloth.

I'm playing around with installing a new coil in the one I messed up (see first paragraph above), but can't seem to get it to fire on one of my eGo batteries. The battery light will blink 3 times and won't do anything else until I remove the head. The battery then self-resets and the problem happens again. I have 4 eGo batteries (2 eGo and 2 eGo-C) and the rebuilt head works just fine on both eGo-C and one of the eGo batteries. I'll be playing around with varying the resistance to see if I can get the 4th battery to work. All batteries work just fine on factory built heads.

I got my Kanthal A1 32 gauge wire off eBay. A roll of 100 feet was $6.00 with free shipping. Just do a search on eBay and you'll find it all over the place.

The cheesecloth I got at my local grocery store. I figured that sold at a grocery store is probably food grade, or close to it.
Other people have used cotton balls and cleaning pads, but I could never figure out how to get a consistent size wick out of those. Cheesecloth is much easier since all the threads are the same size.

 

[lulu836]

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[cedric212]

I use a pair of tweezers to set back in the rubber gasket when I rebuild T3 heads, try inserting it at an angle and push the rest in. Shorts are often due to the positive wire (makes contact with the center pin) touching the side wall. To prevent this from happening, after you insert the gasket just pull the positive and negative wires and fold them over the bottom edge of the T3. This will help straighten the wires keep them in place to prevent the positive wire from being pushed back when inserting the center pin.

 

[DavidOck]

Might want to have a look at this, if you haven't already.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtS1xyoCME8