Printed Mechanical Bottom Feeder Mod

[Moxienator]

Awesome pics and instructions. I now have a couple ideas about getting mine wired up.

This was the first time I completely disassembled my Peko. Easy to get apart. Reassembly took a little trial and error to get the parts to go back together. Much better performance now.

If you wire it up in this way, it will have 3 basic sections.
The positive wire and tab, which will stay attached to the sled because of the battery contact.
The 510 assembly, which can be completely removed.
The negative wire with a tab on one side and battery contact screw on the other. Also completely removable.

When it needs to be cleaned, I take it completely apart, and clean both solder tabs, the face of the negative screw, and the 510 Jack lug (round brass nut).

You can go one step further and eliminate the large solder tab by soldering the negative wire with the battery contact screw directly to the 510 Jack lug. Then you go from 4 cleaning points to 3. This may affect the position of the 510 (and thus your atomizer's air intakes) if such things matter to you. I like mine set up in a particular way, so I do not currently do this.

When you put it back together, I suggest lubing up the cleaned 510 lug with 'sanchem a-special conductive grease' to keep the threads nice. And I use Deoxit dl100 (I think that's the right number, its the red one for all metal contacts) on everything else. Easy peasy.

Fortune favors the Bottom Feeders.

 

[Moxienator]

As a side note, if you set up all future Pekos this way, you can buy shell kits and source your own hardware as there are far fewer parts and vendors.

Fortune favors the Bottom Feeders.

 

[Moxienator]

Oh, folks, don't forget to use LEAD-FREE solder and plenty of flux when doing these modifications. Also, be aware that overheating the battery contact spring while its attached to the sled may scorch or melt the sled.

Fortune favors the Bottom Feeders.

 

[Tagi]

It sounds like the 3 contacts set up is about what my plan was. I was thinking more of soldering to the brass button contact and using the solder tab thing at the 510 jack lug area. Another wire soldered directly to the battery spring, with another solder tab at the 510. This would leave the 510 adjustable for alignment and keep the areas to be cleaned down to 3 with two of them at the 510.

 

[Moxienator]

It sounds like the 3 contacts set up is about what my plan was. I was thinking more of soldering to the brass button contact and using the solder tab thing at the 510 jack lug area. Another wire soldered directly to the battery spring, with another solder tab at the 510. This would leave the 510 adjustable for alignment and keep the areas to be cleaned down to 3 with two of them at the 510.

If you want 3 contacts, ditch the large tab and solder directly to the 510 brass lug. As far as I can tell, this will be the fewest moveable contact points you can make it with and still be able to take it apart. Don't forget: either way, the lug needs to be cleaned as well.

Making a solid switch arm is the only "improvement" that can be made from here and although it is "less parts" (actually same number but several soldered together) it has the same amount of cleaning points.

Good luck. Any questions, let me know. I'll do my best to help.

Fortune favors the Bottom Feeders.

 

[Moxienator]

Pekos in various states of undress.

Fortune favors the Bottom Feeders.

 

[BobC]

I have to be honest, I don't know what replacing the bar with wire actually accomplishes, I've been running 5 Pekos (3 V1s 2 V2s) in their original design with the exception of replacing the spring with magnets, daily, for almost 2 years. Tjey still hit every bit as hard as my CC, and require very little maintenance (mostly cleaning and De-oxing)

 

[Tagi]

I believe for the most part its about minimizing the maintenance needed.

I think I read that a couple people are near the coast and they did this to minimize corrosion from the salty air.

 

[BobC]

I'm right on the coast, and I don't really have any more maintenance then what I perform on all my mods, and remember, as part of the beta team I've had these mods much longer then most

 

[Moxienator]

... require very little maintenance (mostly cleaning and De-oxing)

Using wires means less of this ^ on tiny parts. I clean once a month. I don't usually have the time to break down a mech peko and clean every little nut, tab, and bolt. For me, it just takes way too long. Doing the wire mod minimizes cleaning points, minimizes loosening of parts for those that are a little rough on their mods, and makes ordering "parts kits" on your own much easier and cheaper. I have enough spare parts to rebuild my 5 pekos many times over. For me, this was a no-brainer.

Fortune favors the Bottom Feeders.

 

[BobC]

Funny, the only time I've taken apart my Pekos was to replace the classic 510 pin setup with an adjustable classic 510 setup, the only cleaning is a wipe and de-oxit of exposed areas, and that's from an oversquonker who vapes 20-30ml/day

The reduced parts costs I do understand though

 

[Alexander Mundy]

20-30ml/day

Holy cow Bob, what nic level? I vape 8-10ml/day on a normal day at 18mg

 

[BobC]

Holy cow Bob, what nic level? I vape 8-10ml/day on a normal day at 18mg

Zero buddy, been nicless for about six months, it has increased my vape volume, guess my body is still cravin the nic

 

[pwheeler]

I've managed to drop to 3, and some still at 6. I'm a little afraid to try to go zero nic. I think I will miss the throat hit more than anything else.

 

[Moxienator]

I've managed to drop to 3, and some still at 6. I'm a little afraid to try to go zero nic. I think I will miss the throat hit more than anything else.

Wow. I'm still on 12mg, but switching to mostly unflavored when my CC comes in. Been rockin these Pekos with CAM Derringers at 0.7 with 12mg 50:50 nicoticket for quite some time. I plan to one day lower the nic again, but I'm not sure about Zero...

Fortune favors the Bottom Feeders.

 

[Moxienator]

Funny, the only time I've taken apart my Pekos was to replace the classic 510 pin setup with an adjustable classic 510 setup, the only cleaning is a wipe and de-oxit of exposed areas, and that's from an oversquonker who vapes 20-30ml/day

The reduced parts costs I do understand though

I salute you!

On my current ADV peko, after the first 4 months or so, I had to do a full overhaul. It was a mech, and I had only cleaned exposed parts as well. It just had no "oohmph" anymore. I couldn't seem to get it back without spending a night cleaning EVERY nook and cranny. I run that little guy all day long, and my work days are typically in the 14-18 hour range. I bring a backup, of course, which I switch up from time to time. That backup will get lets day maybe 2hrs of use in a week, whereas my ADV gets 80 counting drive time - when I chain vape the most. Mind you, this is Monday through Friday.

That's a lotta vaping for one mod. That makes a cursory cleanup (positive tab and negative screw face) necessary once a week. I still break completely down and clean everything once a month. The difference now is that it only takes about 10 minutes to be back up and running again as opposed to 45 minutes or so it was taking before.

I want to be clear here, I was in love with George's design as soon as I laid eyes on it. It has been the mod which not only kept me off butts, but has allowed me to enjoy vaping rather than constant fiddling.

I love the 'true mech' version. That's what drew me to it in the first place! Regulated mods go through too many batteries for me. There is nothing "wrong" with the design. I just found that for me, for my lifestyle, for the way the mod gets used, and frankly, abused, these modifications allow it to survive day in day out. Work, home, play, travel, whatever.

Fortune favors the Bottom Feeders.

 

[BobC]

If you have to break it down so completely every week, just to keep it running, something sounds wrong,

it sounds like you are shorting somewhere, are any surfaces blackened?

 

[Aal_]

If you have to break it down so completely every week, just to keep it running, something sounds wrong,

it sounds like you are shorting somewhere, are any surfaces blackened?

Bob how many watts are u pulling. What's your resistance?

I'm at 0.3 ohms, and I have to wipe the negative screw every battery change.

 

[Moxienator]

If you have to break it down so completely every MONTH, just to keep it running, something sounds wrong,

it sounds like you are shorting somewhere, are any surfaces blackened?

Not "just to keep it working". To keep it running the way it should. I have been using Pekos for a while now. This is how I roll. I think what you're missing is that some people wanted less maintenance, so they asked for some advice on how. Hench the plethora of posts.

Running as I do with dual 5/64id 29g 6 wrap 1.35r coils (tensioned to adhesion) for a total of 0.7r, I can say no. There is no blackening. But brass tarnishes. There is a BIG difference in a well maintained mod (of any type) as opposed to a poorly maintained one.



Fortune favors the Bottom Feeders.

 

[BobC]

Bob how many watts are u pulling. What's your resistance?

I'm at 0.3 ohms, and I have to wipe the negative screw every battery change.

In mechs, I normally use .4 ohms, what do you mean you have to wipe the contact, what's on it?