First take a good look at the inside of tailcap. There is a small philips screw inside which can be removed, but you have to wedge another screwdriver or needle nose pliers inside cap. Otherwise whole cap spins. Once you have removed pull out spring and metal leaf that has 4 leafs. KEEP the small screw, you will need it later.
This is the hard part trying to take out the black plastic cap. Spin it around so you can see how it snaps in. I just grabbed with needle nose pliers and pretty much destroyed it. If you go easy on it you might be able to reuse if you change your mind.
I cannibilized the NEW switch from a garrity G-Tech 2 AA flashlight.(incandescent frm walmart $3.97). I have a couple of DIGIKEY switches on order, but dont think they will be "thin" enough. You will need to file down the sides of switch that are too long. The "width" part of this switch is perfect, you just have to file down the "length" sides as seen in photos. I removed the metal parts including spring while filing down the housing. BE CAREFUL AS YOU FILE THE HOUSING AS YOU ARE COMPROMISING THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF HOUSING
REALLY.
I am sure there are other ways to have the same end result, this was the easiest for me as i got rid of 1 contact side of switch by mounting a screw thru the middle of "new switch" housing:
The small spring inside the new switch is aligned by a plastic peg that sticks out, no photos but if you get this far you will see what i mean. I snipped plastic peg off and drilled a hole here, very small. Remember that philips screw you removed from the old switch setup. Use it here to pass from the outside to the inside. The screwhead
needs to be filed to remove black paint, also this is what will make contact with battery (negative) when all is complete. The screw will also make contact (internally) with the spring, thus completing the circuit. I had to snip some of the spring, as now the philips screw is protuding inward, so this is a little time consuming. Install all pieces back inside housing if your comfortable with the way the "new housing" fits in tailcap; it should go all the way up inside where the tailcap housing tapers. I used my solder iron(VERY LIGHTLY) to "seal/melt together" the new housing once all components were installed. At this point you can adjust screw to get the "clicky" to work. Again...I am sure there are easier ways to have the same end result.
Snip the yellow rubber boot (that came with garrity light) and install on tailcap. I dont think it will be waterproof, but thats ok with me. Once complete, the switch was installed in tailcap housing and the metal leaf on NEW switch was cut to length so that it makes contact with main body of flashlight when it alings and closes. I used a small sliver of aluminum foil to make good contact on mainbody. The sliver is secure in crevice between the new switch and tailcap housing.
I know some may be deterred from this mod, I dont blame you, but for me it was worth the modding as I enjoy it. Total time 2 hours, but most time was spent trying to decide how to complete the circuit from switch to (negative side) battery.
Jim:wave: