Featuring Steve Johnson
Replacing the toggle lock on DS series strobes is simple with just a couple tools. Ikelite Service Technician Steve Johnson walks through the steps to get you back and shooting underwater in no time!
Toggle Replacement Kit
The first thing you need to have is a Battery Pack Toggle Replacement Kit # 9457.63. And I would urge you not to remove your toggle if you do not have a replacement kit yet.
Other Essentials
In addition to the toggle replacement kit, you will also need:
- 1/4 inch nut driver. If you don't have one at home check out our Nut Driver for Battery Pack Toggle # 0945.10.
- Needle nose pliers (or you could use tweezers).
- Q-tips to clean the toggle area.
Step 1 | Remove Old Toggle Lock
The first thing you want to do is take your 1/4 inch nut driver on the inside of the battery pack. Slide it into the center of the toggle and unscrew counter clockwise. You will notice that it will pop loose because it is spring loaded. Then you can remove the toggle.
Insert your 1/4 inch nut driver into the toggle mechanism, as shown here.
Inside the toggle should be the 1/4 inch nut and if you turn the battery pack over you should have two washers and two springs that come out. Now on the inside you can see the toggle. Using your finger, push that right out the back. And now you have the toggle out.
Use your finger to push the toggle out, as pictured.
If you examine the toggle you will notice that there are two flats on the end of the shaft. The toggle fits directly down onto those flats, and that has to be orientated exactly correct when you reinstall it.
Note the flats on the shaft, these will line up directly with the flats on the toggle.
Step 2 | Clean the Toggle Lock Cavity
When you have the toggle lock out you can use some Q-tips to clean around the outside and the inside of the cavity where the toggle goes. Most of the debris is going to be on the outside simply because the toggle is a two O-ring piston seal, so it is keeping all the debris toward the outside of the battery pack.
Use a q-tip to clean the outside of the toggle lock cavity.
Step 3 | Replacing the Toggle Lock
Once you have that cleaned up, take your new toggle and just like we removed it we are going to slide it in from the back.
The correct order of operation is 1.) the spring 2.) a washer 3.) the other spring 4.) the second washer. You want to try to be careful to keep these kind of centered because you need to get this toggle back onto that shaft and then hold it in place until you get the nut on.
You want to line the flat of the toggle up just like you are putting in a cotter key. It should snap down flat and then holding it with your thumb and your fingers at the back, take your 1/4 inch nut, drop it in there, use your nut driver, catch the nut, go counter clockwise and you want to give it a really good snug, but you don't need to over tighten it.
The flats of the toggle (pictured) will line up exactly with the flats on the shaft.
And that’s how you change a toggle on a battery pack. If you have any questions email us at ikelite@ikelite.com.
Additional Viewing
Stop Doing This to Your Strobe Battery Pack! [VIDEO]
How to Fix an Over-Rotated Battery Pack Toggle Lock [VIDEO]
Tightening Contacts on Your Ikelite Strobe Battery Packs [VIDEO]
Attaching the Protective Cover to Your Ikelite Strobe Battery Pack [VIDEO]
DO'S and DON'Ts of 200DL and 50DL Underwater Housing Set-up [VIDEO]
Steve Johnson has been a team member with Ikelite for 28 years. In that time he's worked within almost every aspect of the company but has mainly focused on the service department. Outside of work you can catch Steve scuba diving, snorkeling, spending time with family and his chocolate lab rescue Maplesugar.
