Modding a top-feed Cyclone for bottom-feed

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FACE MEAT

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This was probably answered in another thread already, but my search failed to find it...

I've got a top-feed Cyclone with AFC en route. Anything I should know before modding the positive post for bottom-feed?

I plan on cutting either one or two channels with my Dremel.

I remember reading about an atomizer with a positive post that's threaded into the delrin insulator. Was this a Cyclone or something else?

I've modded at least a dozen Era clones, Igos, Atomics, etc. in the past so I'm not worried about my ability.

Thanks REOville!
 

turbocad6

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the early cyclones used a softer silicone insulator and was easy to pop the pin out, do your thing then pop it back in, the later cyclones now use a PEEK hard plastic insulator to stand up to heat much better but the pins ae pressed in and very tight, very hard to remove.

you have 2 choices, either press the pin out with a vice or a press and a hollow socket etc as necessary then do your thing OR these insulators are so tight that you can actually drill right through the center and then cut a notch close to the deck all while the pin is still in place, never having to remove it at all. if you do decide to remove it then you will need a lot of force to press it out and back in... personally even if I intend on removing the pin to do the side hole I still drill through the pin first while it's still in place in the atty then press it out after, it's a good way to hold the pin securely as you drill it through, there so tight that it's no problem drilling them in place, earlier designs the bit would catch and spin the pin but not with these newer peek insulators
 

Dconnor

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I wonder if drilling the insulator would be better, less time consuming, most of all easier. Just my $37 and change.

If you do not have the tools to drill the pin, it would. I removed the pin and dremeled a groove in the pin. I have one with the hard insulator, and it is not easy to get off. Also, I had to be very careful when slotting the pin, so as to not booger the threads. It worked, and squonks, and drains very well. I took about 1mm off the top height of the insulator to form a kind of drain in the middle. This was before the drilling the insulator method was catching on. If I had to do it again, I would drill the insulator.
 

Treebeard

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I did one yesterday. Center pin popped out easy. Dremeled a groove in the hard plastic insulator and popped it back in. I use the wrong end of a drill bit slightly larger than the pin and drive it down with a hammer. I've also done one of these by drilling up through the insulator from the bottom along side the pin. Both ways worked well.

This last one I cut a small grove into the very bottom of the fat part (connection end) of the pin also. I was surprised that the pin wasn't SS. I used one of the small cutting discs. It cut it like butter.
 

FACE MEAT

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Update:

Cyclone AFC arrived today.

The pin was rather easy to extract with a vise. It's in there pretty tight, but it pops loose eventually. I would not recommend using a hammer for pin extraction.

I Dremel'd two slots in the insulator with a cutting wheel. Slots were cut 80%(ish) through the insulator to prevent insulator failure. After cutting the slots, there was some residual plastic fuzz that I removed with a needle file. I didn't want the fuzz impeding juice flow.

I reassembled, again with the vise, and threw a build on her...
86vGrIE.jpg


Couldn't be happier.
 

FACE MEAT

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If i may ask, how do you remove the center pin without using a hammer? I'm not seeing how to use a vise just to push out just the positive post and not the negative. Sorry for the noob question. Thanks

I used a small socket (with an outer diameter slightly smaller than the base of the Cyclone) on the under-side of the atomizer to allow extraction. Since the positive post and insulator are quite tightly fitted, the use of a hammer may distort the female end of the positive post.

Vise---socket---Cyclone base---female end of positive post---vise

Be sure to remove the grub screws before attempting extraction.
 

FACE MEAT

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Just a random question, why did you throw an o-ring on the AFC when not using the Fusion Drip Tip? Not being judgmental just curious....

I just traded my Silver Hammertone and your pic makes me a sad panda...

Ignorance on my end. That's how the atomizer arrived to me (second-hand). I didn't know that there was a proprietary drip tip for the cyclone until just now. Now that you brought it to my attention, I like the look with the o-ring better than without.
 

kingdal

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I used a small socket (with an outer diameter slightly smaller than the base of the Cyclone) on the under-side of the atomizer to allow extraction. Since the positive post and insulator are quite tightly fitted, the use of a hammer may distort the female end of the positive post.

Vise---socket---Cyclone base---female end of positive post---vise

Be sure to remove the grub screws before attempting extraction.


Much clearer! Thanks for the tip!
 
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