Of my three V3s one has the slit while the other two do not. Although one had a dirty piece of paper towel stuck on it that was only visible with magnification. Thanks for making me look!
Sigelei Zmax V3 and V5 Telescopic: User's Group
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I think the nylon bushing it pretty strong. Seen a lot of that stuff in different things automobile, automated equipment, pumps, and stuff. I think most likely it was damaged by press machinery in the manufacturing. I think it takes a great deal of pressure to stress crack it. But I could be wrong I suppose if you really cranked on it repeatedly over time. I have the nylon bushing in mine and no issues.
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A disposable epoxy syringe will allow you to inject enough of the thick bodied sealant of your choice into that crack. I use them in boat work.
WEST SYSTEM #807 Dispensing Syringes | West Marine
I was looking for some ElectrO-WasH in an electronics store for washing out the electronics of one of my V3s. That was the one that wouldn't boot up last week. I could find that particular brand but found some of this at about $5 per can. I'm sure stuff like this is sold under a lot of brand names.
CAIG Brand DEGREASER WASH, Val-U Series Spray, adjustable valve, 10 oz. / 283 g, fast evaporationg and safe on plastics.
This is essentially the same stuff. You can shoot it into open tube end of the V3 and wash out the internals without disassembly other than taking off the telescopic tube. It dries very fast and should wash out all dirt and moisture which you will have to do before applying the sealant.
I used this spray on the heating elements of that electric dryer I rebuilt this week. The V3 had a complete recovery before I had a chance to try the spray on it.
WEST SYSTEM #807 Dispensing Syringes | West Marine
I was looking for some ElectrO-WasH in an electronics store for washing out the electronics of one of my V3s. That was the one that wouldn't boot up last week. I could find that particular brand but found some of this at about $5 per can. I'm sure stuff like this is sold under a lot of brand names.
CAIG Brand DEGREASER WASH, Val-U Series Spray, adjustable valve, 10 oz. / 283 g, fast evaporationg and safe on plastics.
This is essentially the same stuff. You can shoot it into open tube end of the V3 and wash out the internals without disassembly other than taking off the telescopic tube. It dries very fast and should wash out all dirt and moisture which you will have to do before applying the sealant.
I used this spray on the heating elements of that electric dryer I rebuilt this week. The V3 had a complete recovery before I had a chance to try the spray on it.
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@Jeremy: Thanks for the suggestions. I'm very hesitant to put anything in the top opening of the 510 so I don't gunk up the threads or accidentally insulate the positive pin. I'm leaning toward trying to get some silicone down in that hole from the bottom side. It's going to be tough to get in the right places since there isn't much room to work. I don't think I could push silicone through a needle so I might just try something that has a tapered nozzle on the end and just fill the majority of that hole for a good seal. I'd like to avoid air gaps so e-liquid doesn't get past the crack and just sit in there.
@Yzer - Sorry for having you post your device info! I didn't mean to waste your time.
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No problem fairmana. It's not a bad idea for everyone to check for this possible issue.
That's a nice looking syringe. I've got a few disposable one's but none that have that nice long tapered tip on them. Thanks for the suggestion and the link, I may have to pick a few of those up. I've got some electrical contact cleaner on-hand that should work good. Most of the mess I cleaned up with 91% alcohol and an acid brush and then I blew it all out with my air compressor. I'll hit it with contact cleaner before I get started just to be sure it's nice and clean.
Since you had the top cap and centre pin removed, may I suggest using a sharp toothpick or anything small enough to get into the crack. Mix a small batch of 24hrs epoxy and pick some up with the sharp object and push it into the crack.
As long as you can 'wet' the surfaces inside the crack with the sharp point, the epoxy will flow into it. Let the crack side face down as the epoxy cures and it will naturally 'pool' up due to gravity and fill all the gaps.
As long as you can 'wet' the surfaces inside the crack with the sharp point, the epoxy will flow into it. Let the crack side face down as the epoxy cures and it will naturally 'pool' up due to gravity and fill all the gaps.
Thanks tunggua. That's a pretty good suggestion. By the way, I never removed the center pin. It might come out by pushing on it from below, but I don't want to risk adding any further damage. I previously attempted to pry up the top hat from around the lower flanges but I wasn't able to do much with it. It felt like it was on there pretty solid (snapped in or glued) and I didn't want to break it trying to remove it. Your suggestion is valid and I've got plenty of epoxy on-hand. I know what you mean about "wetting it" so that it will flow better. I could just apply some in the upper part of the channel on the underside and "help it" with a toothpick (or similar) to flow down and pool over the crack and around the center pin. That should cap the leak nicely and also add some strength to the whole thing. Epoxy was somewhere further down on my list of possible ways to fix it, but since you brought it up it might have just moved up to #1. Thanks again!
MotherNature, I was trying to think of a way that someone could fill that crack from the top without having to disassemble the Zmax. After cleaning inside the 510 connector very well with alcohol or spray contact cleaner, it should be possible to "carefully" apply a small drop of liquid super glue (not gel) to that crack. It should "wick" into the crack before it dries, but could also be helped with a toothpick if needed. You'd just want to be careful to only apply a very small amount of superglue so that it wouldn't wick up to the threads or cover the center post. I guess if a small amount were to get on the center post, it could be scraped off after it dried.
It may not be the best or most permanent solution, but at least those of us that don't have the means of opening up the tube could do something to feel more confident about keeping the e-juice out of the tube.
Thank you for the suggestion, fairmana. Although super glue and I are not usually on good terms I think I'll give it a try. I usually make a mess with it but perhaps if I dip a toothpick in it then just dab it on it will cooperate. Alternately, I was hoping that by the time I had issues with this mod you'd have your Sigelei repair shop open for business! I was considering ordering a few switches to have on hand but this is just too far beyond my ability. Then on the other hand…once it's already broken how much damage could I do?
I was considering ordering a few switches to have on hand but this is just too far beyond my ability. Then on the other hand…once it's already broken how much damage could I do?Thank you fairmana for that information about the slit/crack in the insulator. I will inspect my Sigs and see if any of them suffer from this. When I dropped my V2 a while back, the Kayfun actually pushed the center pin of the Sig down into the mod and cracked/broke the insulator. Long story short, I ended up using super glue to put everything back together. The super glue wasn't my first choice, as I'd rather have used epoxy, but it was all I had at the time. It's been apart once since then and there were no signs of leaks. I've got some of those switches coming, so when I install the new switch, I'll look really closely and report back. But yes, so far for me, the super glue worked and I continue to use my V2 everyday.
I'm going out on a limb here and recommend a product that I haven't actually used on this particular job. I've used this for many other jobs and have a strong suspicion that it will work here on cracked Sigelei insulators.
This is Captain Tolley's Crack Cure. It was originally known as Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure. Made in the UK as far as I can tell, I have used many bottles of this product for various jobs in wooden boat restoration.
Captain Tolley is polyurethane. When cured this product is flexible and fairly soft. The big advantage is that Capt. Tolley has about the same viscosity as water. That means it is going to penetrate, fill and completely seal any tiny crack that something of the same consistency of water water can penetrate.
Because Capt. Tolley is such a thin-running product it requires numerous applications to "build" enough polyurethane to fill a fairly large crack. For a crack the size of fairmana's insulator crack I recommend filling the void at least ten times with Capt. Tolley with at least 40 minutes between six applications and 24 hours between every six applications. If a crack runs completely through the piece to be repaired tape must be used on the low end of the crack to keep the product from running through. If the crack has a closed end, then just fill the crack with Capt Tolley completely, let it set and shrink for 40 minutes and fill again.
Capt. Tolley can be found at chandleries (boat equipment and supply houses). You can find it online from West Marine. I recommend using Capt. Tolley with a disposable plastic pipette for this job.[URL="http://I'm going out on a limb here and recommend a product that I haven't actually used on the job. I've used this for other jobs and have a strong suspicion that it will work here on cracked Sigelei insulators.This is Captain Tolley's Crack Cure. It was originally known as Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure. Made in the UK as far as I can tell, I have used many bottles of this product for various jobs in wooden boat restoration.Captain Tolley is polyurethane. When cured this product is flexible and fairly soft. The big advantage is that Capt. Tolley has about the same viscosity as water. That means it is going to penetrate, fill and completely seal any tiny crack that something of the same consistency of water water can penetrate.Because Capt. Tolley is such a thin-running product it requires numerous applications to "build" enough polyurethane to fill a fairly large crack. For a crack the size of fairmana's insulator crack I recommend filling the void at least ten times with Capt. Tolley with at least 40 minutes between six applications and 24 hours between every six applications. If a crack run completely through the piece to be repaired tape must be used on the low end of the crack to keep the product from running through. If the crack has a closed end, then just fill the crack with Capt Tolley completely, let it set and shrink for 40 minutes and fill again.Capt. Tolley can be found at chandleries (boat equipment and supply houses). You can find it online from West Marine. I recommend using Capt. Tolley with a disposable plastic pipette for this job.
http://www.westmarine.com/epoxy-resin/captain-tolleys--crack-cure-sealant-2-oz--243990
The URL won't work but you can find it at West Marine.
This is Captain Tolley's Crack Cure. It was originally known as Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure. Made in the UK as far as I can tell, I have used many bottles of this product for various jobs in wooden boat restoration.
Captain Tolley is polyurethane. When cured this product is flexible and fairly soft. The big advantage is that Capt. Tolley has about the same viscosity as water. That means it is going to penetrate, fill and completely seal any tiny crack that something of the same consistency of water water can penetrate.
Because Capt. Tolley is such a thin-running product it requires numerous applications to "build" enough polyurethane to fill a fairly large crack. For a crack the size of fairmana's insulator crack I recommend filling the void at least ten times with Capt. Tolley with at least 40 minutes between six applications and 24 hours between every six applications. If a crack runs completely through the piece to be repaired tape must be used on the low end of the crack to keep the product from running through. If the crack has a closed end, then just fill the crack with Capt Tolley completely, let it set and shrink for 40 minutes and fill again.
Capt. Tolley can be found at chandleries (boat equipment and supply houses). You can find it online from West Marine. I recommend using Capt. Tolley with a disposable plastic pipette for this job.[URL="http://I'm going out on a limb here and recommend a product that I haven't actually used on the job. I've used this for other jobs and have a strong suspicion that it will work here on cracked Sigelei insulators.This is Captain Tolley's Crack Cure. It was originally known as Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure. Made in the UK as far as I can tell, I have used many bottles of this product for various jobs in wooden boat restoration.Captain Tolley is polyurethane. When cured this product is flexible and fairly soft. The big advantage is that Capt. Tolley has about the same viscosity as water. That means it is going to penetrate, fill and completely seal any tiny crack that something of the same consistency of water water can penetrate.Because Capt. Tolley is such a thin-running product it requires numerous applications to "build" enough polyurethane to fill a fairly large crack. For a crack the size of fairmana's insulator crack I recommend filling the void at least ten times with Capt. Tolley with at least 40 minutes between six applications and 24 hours between every six applications. If a crack run completely through the piece to be repaired tape must be used on the low end of the crack to keep the product from running through. If the crack has a closed end, then just fill the crack with Capt Tolley completely, let it set and shrink for 40 minutes and fill again.Capt. Tolley can be found at chandleries (boat equipment and supply houses). You can find it online from West Marine. I recommend using Capt. Tolley with a disposable plastic pipette for this job.
http://www.westmarine.com/epoxy-resin/captain-tolleys--crack-cure-sealant-2-oz--243990
The URL won't work but you can find it at West Marine.
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OK, so a quick update:
After a little more fiddling around, I discovered that the white plastic top-hat just unscrews out of the bottom of the stainless Zmax cap. It makes sense in retrospect. The 510 threads in the stainless cap go all the way through to the other side. The "brim" of the top hat gives it a positive stop so it can't be threaded too far into the V3 cap from underneath. I was also able to push out the center pin from the bottom using a small flat-head jeweler's screwdriver. It wasn't difficult and is only fitted snugly in the hole. Now that I have it all apart, it should be easier to work on and seal.
Here's a pic with everything apart. You can see how the outside of the top-hat is threaded. You can also see that the crack goes down farther than I previously suspected. It doesn't look that bad from the inside when you compare against my last pic. The rust you see on the stainless near the ground wire was caused over time by the corrosive flux used to solder the ground wire on. It's apparent that the flux was never cleaned off very well after the fact. I'll try to remove the rust with a small wire wheel on my dremmel tool before I put it all back together.
After a little more fiddling around, I discovered that the white plastic top-hat just unscrews out of the bottom of the stainless Zmax cap. It makes sense in retrospect. The 510 threads in the stainless cap go all the way through to the other side. The "brim" of the top hat gives it a positive stop so it can't be threaded too far into the V3 cap from underneath. I was also able to push out the center pin from the bottom using a small flat-head jeweler's screwdriver. It wasn't difficult and is only fitted snugly in the hole. Now that I have it all apart, it should be easier to work on and seal.
Here's a pic with everything apart. You can see how the outside of the top-hat is threaded. You can also see that the crack goes down farther than I previously suspected. It doesn't look that bad from the inside when you compare against my last pic. The rust you see on the stainless near the ground wire was caused over time by the corrosive flux used to solder the ground wire on. It's apparent that the flux was never cleaned off very well after the fact. I'll try to remove the rust with a small wire wheel on my dremmel tool before I put it all back together.
Thanks for all the info on the product! It sounds like the perfect stuff to use so you don't have to take the device apart. You could just apply a droplet to the side of the center pin over the crack and let it seep in and dry properly. Repeat as many times as needed until satisfied.
Thanks for digging in so we all know how its set up.
I'm thinking something very similar to that nylon bushing can be found, possibly at ace hardware with a hex head that can be sanded Down its the hex is to tall. there's some on digikey and grainger as well. Just need the Dimensions. Even if it's threaded through the middle you could still get a tight press of the pin if its the same diameter. Come to think of it, could be the same bushing that many if the mech mods use. Including the Sigelie's.
I'm thinking something very similar to that nylon bushing can be found, possibly at ace hardware with a hex head that can be sanded Down its the hex is to tall. there's some on digikey and grainger as well. Just need the Dimensions. Even if it's threaded through the middle you could still get a tight press of the pin if its the same diameter. Come to think of it, could be the same bushing that many if the mech mods use. Including the Sigelie's.
If the heads threaded internally m5x.07 (most likely is)' you could use a nylon set screw drilled .002 undersize of the pin getting inserted into it, and even set it up as somewhat adjustable by slotting the pins head.. Sealing can be accomplished with Teflon tape wrapped around the set screw.
almost threw my V5 out my car window today because I couldn't get it to turn on. today was ALSO the first day I've bothered to put on sunglasses to drive. good thing it finally clicked in my head what was going on, I remembered reading about the screen/sunglasses problem in this thread.
N00dl3s, you gave me an idea with the teflon tape. I'm still not sure it's will be necessary, but I was thinking about what I could use to seal the threads on the plastic top-hat so juice can't wick down around it through the threads. The top hat isn't sloppy in the threads, but it isn't all that snug either. I'm sure it didn't leak that way before, but now with that crack halfway down across the threads I'm not so sure... One wrap of teflon tape should do it as long as doesn't end up keeping me from being able to thread it in. I was previously considering thread sealer or "form-a-gasket", but that would basically make it permanent. I wouldn't be able to remove it later if I ever needed to.
Edit: Forgot to mention that I filled the top-hat with silicone and I'm confident e-juice won't make it through that way anymore.
Edit: Forgot to mention that I filled the top-hat with silicone and I'm confident e-juice won't make it through that way anymore.
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