# AA Mini Mag Repair / Fix??..



## WERNER1 (Apr 6, 2009)

Man I know this is going to sound pretty lame in comparison to all the higher tecky type stuff going on around here... but...

I've got a AA Mini Mag that my kids took apart... completely! ... anyway, they even managed to pull apart the "Do no Remove" section that holds the bulb and sandwiches together ... Now to me that looks as simple as all get out... but it still wouldn't work... so I replaced the bulb,..nope,... 

So I picked up another on from Walmart yesterday just to see if I was missing any part or something,... I pulled it apart .... Now I've got TWO of them that don't work! 

I guess it's no bid deal as I'm planning on moding these out with something like this: http://www.zbattery.com/TerraLUX-MiniStar2-Extreme-5-Watt-LED-for-AA-Mini-Mag?sc=7&category=1236

Unless anybody has any other suggestions on how to mod them out?? (Sorry,... pretty new to all of this  ) 

But either way I'd like to have one of them back to stock working condition so I can track my mod process and compare them to the stock version ... 

So any info on this would be greatly appreciated..

Thanks in advance,
Rick

(I did search for this subject before I post this thread as well...  )


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## speedster (Apr 6, 2009)

WERNER1 said:


> Man I know this is going to sound pretty lame in comparison to all the higher tecky type stuff going on around here... but...
> 
> I've got a AA Mini Mag that my kids took apart... completely! ... anyway, they even managed to pull apart the "Do no Remove" section that holds the bulb and sandwiches together ... Now to me that looks as simple as all get out... but it still wouldn't work... so I replaced the bulb,..nope,...
> 
> ...


 
How many pieces do you have and what do they look like? I just took my mini mag apart a few weeks ago and I had no knowledge what so ever on how to put it back but through trial and error I managed to put it back together. Also a picture of the pieces you have will be easier to explain what goes where.


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## WERNER1 (Apr 6, 2009)

I can take pics a little bit later,.. but I've got to run out right now..

But there are basically only two pieces that fit together,.. the the bulb inserts into them,.. 

Thanks,
Rick


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## yellow (Apr 6, 2009)

the Disc/"Pill" part into the body, the "do not remove" part from the outside.
have the sticks fit into the holes of the pill, insert stick into body to be able to push, push outside part in --> done

the inside part houses copper parts that make contact to the bulb.
If You lost one, the light can not work.


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## greenLED (Apr 6, 2009)

WERNER1 said:


> I can take pics a little bit later,.. but I've got to run out right now..
> 
> But there are basically only two pieces that fit together,.. the the bulb inserts into them,..
> 
> ...


I'm guessing you lost the small metal contacts that go inside the plastic pill? You'll need to have 2 of those.


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## gunga (Apr 6, 2009)

Do you guys know where to get more of these contacts?

I think I need one or 2...


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## WERNER1 (Apr 6, 2009)

Ok... I finally figured it out...

There was a piece missing,.. and somehow when I took the new one apart, I somehow didn't see it fall out on to my bench,... 

So here's some pics for future reference in case someone else runs into this problem...

*"Do not Remove" 







Both Halves - Inside area of each one (Where they go together at..)











The Bottom of the Assembly that Faces the "Button" side of the AA battery






The missing piece






The missing piece installed







The finished Product (For now anyway  )






Thanks
Rick


*


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## buickid (Apr 6, 2009)

If you don't mind, how did you take it apart in the first place? I wouldn't mind cleaning out the insides.


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## speedster (Apr 6, 2009)

WERNER1 said:


> Ok... I finally figured it out...
> 
> There was a piece missing,.. and somehow when I took the new one apart, I somehow didn't see it fall out on to my bench,...


 
That was what I was trying to see, if you still had that tiny metal piece. I almost lost it twice trying to figure out how together my mini mag. Good job figuring it out on your own.


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## Burgess (Apr 6, 2009)

to Buickid --



Easy . . . .


Simply hand it to any child !


:nana:
_


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## greenLED (Apr 6, 2009)

buickid said:


> If you don't mind, how did you take it apart in the first place?





WERNER1 said:


> ...my kids took apart... completely! ... anyway, they even managed to pull apart the "Do no Remove" section that holds the bulb and sandwiches together


:nana:


buickid, insert a thin-tipped screwdriver under the "do not remove" tab, and work yourself around prying it upwards.


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## WERNER1 (Apr 6, 2009)

Yeah,.. Just remove the bulb,.. .then I just used my fingernail to pry up on it a bit and gain a bit of slack/gap,.. .then I worked another one of my nails around to the opposite side and pulled up a bit,..The two pieces come apart pretty easily ...no locking or snapping together. Keep in mind that the bottom piece is/stays on the inside and is removed out the tail section of the main housing where as the Top piece just pops off the top (The side that Says "Do not Remove" ) ..  

So, What's the best mods for these things anyway? (5W drop in @ 120Lumens..??...or is there something "Better"?) 

:huh:


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## buickid (Apr 6, 2009)

Ahh cool. I assume you need to press something on the inside when you're press fitting it back together, such as a dowel.


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## Burgess (Apr 6, 2009)

Yes, a dowel would certainly work . . . .


Or, you could simply use 2 size AA batteries.




_


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## WERNER1 (Apr 6, 2009)

Yeah,. . I just used a bic pen  ... it just needs to be a bit longer than the main "tube" so you can hold some pressure against the bottom piece as you push the top piece on...

Also keep in mind that you have to hold the "Tube" in a vertical position,...if you don't that little metal contact that I lost will possibly fall out ... and possibly get bent/damaged ... 

Rick


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## buickid (Apr 7, 2009)

Awesome, thanks for the help guys!


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## chmsam (Apr 7, 2009)

You might want to do a search on CPF for information on lubing the o-rings and flashlight maintenance. The photos you have in this thread show quite a few parts in close up but here's a link to Mag's web site with a list of ordering numbers and view of the rest of the parts and how they go together. Just for the next time the kids get hold of them. 2xAA MiniMag parts and view


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## WERNER1 (Apr 7, 2009)

DOh!!..



It's good to know that you can get all of those parts from Mag Lite ... I guess I should have checked the Manufacturers website first huh ? ..


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## greenLED (Apr 7, 2009)

werner, Mag doesn't sell individual parts. I just tried to get some spare parts for a C Mag and they told me I'd need to send the light in for repair (HAHAHA!!!).

Try Flashlight King instead.


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## WERNER1 (Apr 7, 2009)

Cool!.. looks like you can get almost anything you need as far as replacement parts go for the Mag Lites at Flashlight King!... 

That's typical about having to send the light in for repair to the manufacturer


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## american lockpicker (Apr 7, 2009)

chmsam said:


> You might want to do a search on CPF for information on lubing the o-rings and flashlight maintenance. The photos you have in this thread show quite a few parts in close up but here's a link to Mag's web site with a list of ordering numbers and view of the rest of the parts and how they go together. Just for the next time the kids get hold of them. 2xAA MiniMag parts and view


 
I clicked on the link and a window fron Norton popped up saying the site was unsafe. Has this happened to anyone else?


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## chmsam (Apr 7, 2009)

american lockpicker said:


> I clicked on the link and a window fron Norton popped up saying the site was unsafe. Has this happened to anyone else?



Might just be because they are using Google Analytics on the site for their marketing statistics. Try upgrading your Norton and see if it still does it. I've been using AVG & SpyBot (among others), update religiously, and neither has given any warning. It's just me but I hate Norton so YMMV.

And yes, there are a few online stores that carry Mag parts, but that link will let you see what you need (especially if you pass the cursor over the part) and it'll give you the number(s) you need for ordering. Plus they list most of the versions of the lights (though not the new Rebel versions yet).


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## swampgator (Apr 7, 2009)

WERNER1 said:


> Unless anybody has any other suggestions on how to mod them out??


 
Do a search for "Aurora", it's an incan mod to make a nice little pocket rocket


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## yellow (Apr 9, 2009)

> So, What's the best mods for these things anyway?


try to get the MJLED, Version 1, mod the MMs with that + put lithium batts in.
Nice and working _disaster_ light - when You need it some 10 years in the future

putting the extreme hotwire + ceramic socket + reflector + 14500s in is the other option, if You can get the parts. Lighthound once sold them


For real light use, get a good quality (= ~50-60,--) multistage led light.


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## grayrock (Oct 30, 2013)

> Keep in mind that the bottom piece is/stays on the inside and is removed out the tail section of the main housing


I found an old Minimag in my truck that the batteries had corroded in. If I remove the "DO NOT REMOVE" piece can I push everything else out through the bottom? I got the tail cap off, but the old batteries are stuck inside.


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## grayrock (Oct 30, 2013)

Or should I just trash it and buy a better light?


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## gunga (Oct 30, 2013)

Trash and get a better light. Not worth fixing.


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## grayrock (Oct 31, 2013)

OK- it is trashed- despite my efforts to try to save it. Now on to replacement- but that should probably be a new thread...


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## gunga (Oct 31, 2013)

Yes, you can get nice lights for $20 or so; less if you want to play around with cheapies (that can still be good). A minimag is not worth saving unless you want it as a project or have sentimental value.


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## Shark86x (Jan 17, 2016)

gunga said:


> Yes, you can get nice lights for $20 or so; less if you want to play around with cheapies (that can still be good). A minimag is not worth saving unless you want it as a project or have sentimental value.



Agreed, but I just saved one with sentimental value thanks to the excellent info in this thread. New bulb didn't work. New batteries didn't work. Swapped the pill with one from another light ... didn't work. Was ready to throw it away at this point. Put all the original stuff back in and swapped out the only other piece ... the tailcap. Turned out there was some corrosion in it. Filed it out put the spring back in and voila, working maglite! This light hadn't been used in years and I had stored it with no batteries. Not sure where the corrosion was from. Maybe an old battery set leaked and I cleaned it out with baking soda and forgot about it? Anyway, it was a gift from my wife when I first met her way back when and she commented on my flashlight fetish even then. So of course I secretly swapped out the bulb for a drop-in led.


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## Kiriakos-GR (Sep 12, 2016)

Hi from Greece, I am industrial electrician. 

I received a Mini MAGLITE as gift from a brand.Duracell AAA premature leakage set in danger my gift ( I had to push it out by a drill bit).
I also lost side battery clip ( this is tiny ). 
But I made my own, in the beginning I started to experiment with computer power supply (ATX) pins by cutting them in half with precision metal cutter. 
This did not worked that good, and then I did use another similar clip from other electronic device. 
I did have good success! 

I hope my idea to help people as possible workaround.


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## bykfixer (Sep 12, 2016)

Kiriakos-GR said:


> Hi from Greece, I am industrial electrician.
> 
> I received a Mini MAGLITE as gift from a brand.Duracell AAA premature leakage set in danger my gift ( I had to push it out by a drill bit).
> I also lost side battery clip ( this is tiny ).
> ...



Pictures would help


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## ben446 (Jan 30, 2017)

I lost the little metal piece after having to drill out a stuck battery. I ended up using a cut down paper clip bent at a 45 degree angle and it works fine. (followed pic of original metal piece in earlier post)


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