Disclaimer: Do this at your own risk. I have spare parts in case it didn't work and even then didn't decide to pull the trigger and try it till I had messed with it for a few hours. I nor ECF endorse this mod. It's for informational purposes only.
The objective for me was getting a solid brass/silver/or aluminum contact to maximize conductivity vs a point of a bar with minimal modifications to the original design.
So it started when I repaired a melted button yesterday by putting a brass screw into the derlin button.
I started looking at the inner workings and thought what if I just made it so the brass screw would make direct contact with the top of the battery?
I then realized the original spring rod would not give enough lift to the button. I also realized the original firing pin was hitting the screw and too long.
I knew I needed to bend the original pin just far enough to make a snug firm connection with the screw theads to ensure a good solid connection during the throw which I estimated would only be 1-1.5mm at most. To keep it from shifting I sanded a groove into part of the threads once I knew the throw length was sufficient to just make contact w/ the top of the battery without overthrowing.
Step 2 was to basically take away enough of the original derlin plastic to ensure the the brass screw moved to the battery top unobstructed. Done.
Step 3 was getting enough lift after the fire to ensure it didn't get stuck firing. I needed a spring w/ enough tension....hmmmmm
10 min's later I pulled an extra REO battery spring I had clipped away till I had just the right length to snugly thread over the button. After this I put the cap on which I plan to drill/countersink with a screw later....for now it works it's all I needed to know.
Step 4 reassemble adjust screw as needed then test fire.
Very nice still throw....if you want to keep your button lock don't do this unless you carefully measure it or create a nice groove all away around the screw or do another workaround which shouldn't be too hard to do. I personally don't need the lock but others may. Contact is very solid and the firing is very nice.
I'll try this for a week or so to see how it goes. If I like it I'll get a friend with better tools to do up a more final version.
The objective for me was getting a solid brass/silver/or aluminum contact to maximize conductivity vs a point of a bar with minimal modifications to the original design.
So it started when I repaired a melted button yesterday by putting a brass screw into the derlin button.
I started looking at the inner workings and thought what if I just made it so the brass screw would make direct contact with the top of the battery?
I then realized the original spring rod would not give enough lift to the button. I also realized the original firing pin was hitting the screw and too long.
I knew I needed to bend the original pin just far enough to make a snug firm connection with the screw theads to ensure a good solid connection during the throw which I estimated would only be 1-1.5mm at most. To keep it from shifting I sanded a groove into part of the threads once I knew the throw length was sufficient to just make contact w/ the top of the battery without overthrowing.
Step 2 was to basically take away enough of the original derlin plastic to ensure the the brass screw moved to the battery top unobstructed. Done.
Step 3 was getting enough lift after the fire to ensure it didn't get stuck firing. I needed a spring w/ enough tension....hmmmmm
10 min's later I pulled an extra REO battery spring I had clipped away till I had just the right length to snugly thread over the button. After this I put the cap on which I plan to drill/countersink with a screw later....for now it works it's all I needed to know.
Step 4 reassemble adjust screw as needed then test fire.
Very nice still throw....if you want to keep your button lock don't do this unless you carefully measure it or create a nice groove all away around the screw or do another workaround which shouldn't be too hard to do. I personally don't need the lock but others may. Contact is very solid and the firing is very nice.
I'll try this for a week or so to see how it goes. If I like it I'll get a friend with better tools to do up a more final version.
). But all the things you guys (you, pdib, darkzero, super_X, bapgood) think of to try are pretty cool. I was telling my husband the other night that it reminds me of back in the day when we were young and muscle cars ruled. All the guys were back-yard mechanics, making mods to their engines or trannies to make them faster or sound more raw, or just because it was something that was different and cool. You guys are the hot-rodders of the Reos 
