bigdo26

iTrader: (3)

The first one is in the oven now (5:30) and the second is waitin to go. Any advice on separating the headlight? Other tips welcome.... I'm kinda goin be houscor's writeup, kinda just doin it myself. Dont want to break anything tho. Thanks guys for any input...

See pics in my last post at bottom.

Thanks to those who offered advice, the headlights came out great!!!

bigdo26

iTrader: (3)

1 down, not as bad as I thought. As to not waste a thread, i'll post pics as soon as the headlights are installed again

PhxBlue

iTrader: (2)

Patience is your friend on this one.

bigdo26

iTrader: (3)

2nd headlight came apart much more easily once i realized there are three small screws holding the casings together.... DUH!! drivers side assembly is back in, looks awsome!!! THe other one is cooling at the moment.

Also, just incase this happened, will a tiny scratch on the HID "bulb" cause any problems? hopefully not....

PhxBlue

iTrader: (2)

HID bulbs are very fragile, hopefully it wont create a problem. Did you throw in a line of silicon to help seal your headlights with the regular goo stuff thats in there? You dont want condensation in there, trust me its annoying.

NewLoveI30

I wouldent put silicone in unless your really worried and never want to get them apart again. The melting point of silicone is too high and you would probably melt your headlight before the sealant if you tried to take them apart again.

When I did mine I just heated up the (stock) sealant with a hairdryer. After I put them back together, I put them back into the oven for another 10 min to make sure they were sealed. I did this probably 3-4 months ago (lots of rain since) and they have no condensation.

JMHO

PhxBlue

iTrader: (2)

Hmmm, the silicon is a suggestion that ive heard mentioned before. However you do it, make sure you seal em real good.

Bluesbrekr

iTrader: (4)

I cleared mine last weekend. By the time I was ready to put them back together, the sealer had cooled down and they didn't fit together all the way. I put them back in the oven for about 10 minutes and it softened the sealant enough that they closed easily. Then the channel-lock pliers to really get them tight. No silicone for me...for the reasons stated by NewLove.

MaximaPolak

iTrader: (9)

Mine need to go to the oven this weekend.....I've tried the hair dryer and it took to long to even start melting it so my friend took a heat gun and melted.......the lense a bit in the corner....OVEN IT IS FOR THIS WEEK....hope to have them done before the next few NJ meets and the CT meet.

2k2MerlotSE

iTrader: (2)

I went by housecor's instruction as well, but one thing he did not do was wrap it with a towel. I read a post studman wrote up where he wet a towel and rung out the excess water. wrapped the light with lens facing down and set the oven for 250 for 35 mins. Unwrap towel and wipe light dry with dry towel, take apart. No need for the towel when putting back together.

I did exactly that and had no problems. The rest is all in housecor's write up. No need for extra silicone, just heat it up good. I used a hair dryer to set it in place then back in the oven.

Hope everything went well.

bigdo26

iTrader: (3)

Well its done. I think it looks awsome, and compliments my white grills nicely. Here are the pics:

Cubanato

NICE
it was def worth it right??
Welcome to the cleared headlights club haha
-J

bigdo26

iTrader: (3)

ya i'm now part of the club

it was absolutely worth it. Took me probly about 1.5 hours from start to finish. Well worth the time! Now i just need to get some chrome bulbs that burn orange. I had to color my stock bulbs wtih orange marker to make them legal since I couldnt find the chrome ones at any of the local car shops. I'll hafta order them online i guess.

scmaxima2k

iTrader: (3)

I also did a writeup on opening the headlights when I did mine. Its on my cardomain site. When I resealed mine I did use a bead of silicone to make sure there was a perfect seal. I do have to open my drivers side up agian to reset one of the DDEs but I dont think its gonna be any harder with the extra silicone. Silicone does have a high melting point, but are you melting the silicone when you are taking apart the headlights? No, you are just warming it to make it easy enough to pull apart. Also silicone is pretty soft to begin with so it shouldnt be harder. I will know for sure when I get around to opening up that one light tho.




-Steve

housecor

iTrader: (2)

I would recommend against using any silicone. Using channel locks to assure the headlights are tightly sealed after removing them from the oven is all it takes. Also, given the design, I'm skeptical silicone would do much more than make things messy and complicate opening the headlight down the road if neccessary. I would recommend using a towel like Studman did, and I will update the how-to.

Anuj

I have the DataDots done on my car...will that make it much harder for me to take out the headlights? I remember taking the drivers side headlight out 2 years ago to put in a piaa bulb and it was a headache to take out

but since then i have been more mechanically inclined...

also i want to do this project today but i don't want to wait for the lens from tap plastics! how much does a dremel cost?

Anuj

by the way...housecor--you're the man! i love your how-to section!

housecor

iTrader: (2)

Thanks man. Dremels run around 50 with a good set of bits. Well worth the money if you're much of a hobbyist. Sears sells a slightly cheaper Craftsman version you may want to check out. I actually prefer the look of the home depot lens to the tap plastics lens because it looks stock. Cutting it out is easy, just make sure not to cut it too small.

Anuj

I think the tap plastics one looks oem-looking with the lines running through that match the parking lights above. I will go and check out the home depot version but what should I ask for? A clear plastic piece?

I work at sears so that 10% off will be good
if anyone is in the nj area..and wants 10% off...visit me! i have a boring job sooo stop by!

is it hard to dremel out a perfect circle?

MaximaPolak

iTrader: (9)

Which sears? I want 10% of what you make......

Anuj

hahah 10% of what I make isn't too much

willowbrook mall..i work in loss prevention and am right next to the doors...so i watch the maxima the whole time just in case some thieves take a 2nd look at the headlights

MaximaPolak

iTrader: (9)

Good that you can see the car...but there have been many thefts there. I might stop by someday to see you man.....hope to make it less boring.

housecor

iTrader: (2)

Nope, not too bad. I just used the old lens as a template and traced around it. Then I cut the new lens just slightly wider. You don't have to be exact since the edges of the lens are hidden in the housing.

Anuj

yeah that's why i watch out of the glass door every few moments..i turned it into a habit.

I am getting a GSR in a few months but that car will never see the parking spots at willowbrook mall. I don't trust the security, i know they would rat you out.

Yeah stop by! want a job? lol..i know they are hiring in Loss Prevention since a bunch of guys quit.

nissan5788

You are in for one HELL of a time if you want to take out the headlights w/o taking off the front bumper GLE02. Unless you have small hands and a flexible screw driver or something, your best bet would be to take off the bumper. I had no clue how to take off the bumper so I wasted away hours just trying to take the 6 screws off which secure the DataDots bracket to the headlight. In the end I got 'em off, but it was a pain in the a$$. Now I have condensation in my one headlight Gotta stick that one back in the oven

xfirepwr1

can you post the link to how-to's for cleaning out the head lights
Thanks

xfirepwr1

[QUOTE=bigdo26]Well its done. I think it looks awsome, and compliments my white grills nicely. Here are the pics:



It looks real nice and the grill does look great

2k2MerlotSE

iTrader: (2)

http://www.innerbean.com/housecor/clear_HIDs.html

young1976

I actually set my oven to the lowest temp on it 165 I think. Then I only leave the light inside it for abount 8 min, it gets hot and comes apart pretty easy. I did this to my original 2000 lights.. which I sold for not enough money.

2k3TitaniumSe

iTrader: (3)

Looks real nice. Im still deciding whether or not to clear my lights. I think the orange gives the front end a little more flavor.

Bluesbrekr

iTrader: (4)

You're kidding..............I hope....

Cubanato

no the amber does not give it flavor
it gave me a bad taste in my mouth
-J

2k3TitaniumSe

iTrader: (3)

Looks real nice. Im still deciding whether or not to clear my lights. I think the orange gives the front end a little more flavor.

Edward Lee

iTrader: (3)

What kind of lens did you use to clear out your orange? It's hard to tell from your pics. I used the Malibu garden lights from HD.

Also, I used a small bead of clear marine silicone to assure that the seal would be perfect. It ended up dripping into the sealed portion of the assembly (low beam dish) and I had to take it apart again. If you use the silicone make sure that when you clamp it together, the lenses are facing up so that any drips will be away from the front of the headlamp.

By the way, clear silicone will not be any harder to pull apart than the oem sealant. I pulled mine apart after completely dry and it was no more difficult than the first time.