Dave - I haven't had that experience of the bottom wick being in there really tight. In fact, the first few times I cleaned wicks, the bottom wick came right out on me -- maybe I was squeezing and rinsing a little too rough! My eyesight without my old lady reading glasses is so bad, I didn't even see that little coil in there. I just washed and dried the wicks and put them right back in the "slot" and vaped away. Worked FINE, too. I must have just gotten lucky -- felt really stupid when I did them again with glasses on. "WTH is THAT thing???" I know my buddy JohnnyDill can answer this question when he gets here-- I PM'd him about it a few days ago. If we can figure this out does it count as "rebuilding" a coil or anything cool like that??? I SOOOOOO want to tell someone I can do it! LOL!