s2k owner in bay area meet in mid september to get our signal lamp conversion done.
08-30-2003, 12:02 AM
#52
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well, i couldnt wait. The 2nd headlight we just finished putting back together after putting in the JDM diffuser. Just have to wait for the silicon sealant to finish setting up, and put the car back together. easy job!
08-30-2003, 03:24 AM
#54
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Just a few comments and hints to anyone else doing this mod:
- to get the bumper off, you gotta really pull it. the top sides by the wheels, that area has to clear a raised plastic hole before it easily pops out. Basically you're just going to have to muscle it out of the clips...its painful, but you'll see what i'm talking about when you do it.
- disconnect all the wires from the headlights after you remove all the bolts... way easier than trying to do it before.
- leave the ballast (metal part under the headlight) and the end part of the wiring, and the HID bulb, and the rubber boot on the headlamp...it doesnt matter if you bake it.
- bake the headlights for 10 mins at 225, then basically pull the heck out of the front part of the light (have someone hold the black part with oven gloves, and just pull the front away, as you release the tabs) Then throw it in for another 2-3 mins and complete the separation. (you can sometimes do it all in one shot...the key is leaving the lamp in the oven for long enough... the longer the better really)
- once you get the pieces separated, I left the oven open with it on 225 still, and I put the new diffuser on an oven mat inside the oven. just to warm it up a bit. when its warm, its a _hell_ of a lot easier to fit into the headlamp... the diffuser i got from rick's didnt fit exactly in there, but when it was warmed up, it fit perfectly. The first side we tried to bend it into place without heating it up and it was much much harder.
- once u have the new diffuser in, and the 4 screws back in place, just push the pieces together as far as it will go. throw it in the oven for 7-10 mins (longer is better, again..) and take it out and force it back together until the clips snap back into place. There's actually enough seal there to re-seal it, but i went around the entire edge with silicone seal, because I'd rather be safe about water. I used a lot of sealant, you cant see it once u put the light back.
- we went to get food after we put the sealant, so it would be able to set up a bit before the re-install.
- when you put the lamps back in, make sure you get that top clip in place so the light sits flush with the top part of the fender.
- to put the bumper back on, first get the bottom right and bottom left around the side wheel wells. the bumper is tilted forward basically, but it makes it way easier if you get those bottom edges on there first, then just tilt it up. push from the left/right of the license plate area toward the wheels, and it will go right into the tabs. dont try and push it strait back, it doesn't work that way. again, to get the top right and top left in, you have to clear that plastic hole, so push down a bit and it will snap right on.
- and last but not least, dont forget to put the foam piece back... haha i got the whole thing back on, and realized I had forgotten to put the stupid foam piece inside the bumper.
Good luck, I used the library instructions to do the mod, and they were great. Hopefully these additional tips will make it a piece of cake. I took a bunch of pictures, but I dont have a way to put them up at the moment.
- to get the bumper off, you gotta really pull it. the top sides by the wheels, that area has to clear a raised plastic hole before it easily pops out. Basically you're just going to have to muscle it out of the clips...its painful, but you'll see what i'm talking about when you do it.
- disconnect all the wires from the headlights after you remove all the bolts... way easier than trying to do it before.
- leave the ballast (metal part under the headlight) and the end part of the wiring, and the HID bulb, and the rubber boot on the headlamp...it doesnt matter if you bake it.
- bake the headlights for 10 mins at 225, then basically pull the heck out of the front part of the light (have someone hold the black part with oven gloves, and just pull the front away, as you release the tabs) Then throw it in for another 2-3 mins and complete the separation. (you can sometimes do it all in one shot...the key is leaving the lamp in the oven for long enough... the longer the better really)
- once you get the pieces separated, I left the oven open with it on 225 still, and I put the new diffuser on an oven mat inside the oven. just to warm it up a bit. when its warm, its a _hell_ of a lot easier to fit into the headlamp... the diffuser i got from rick's didnt fit exactly in there, but when it was warmed up, it fit perfectly. The first side we tried to bend it into place without heating it up and it was much much harder.
- once u have the new diffuser in, and the 4 screws back in place, just push the pieces together as far as it will go. throw it in the oven for 7-10 mins (longer is better, again..) and take it out and force it back together until the clips snap back into place. There's actually enough seal there to re-seal it, but i went around the entire edge with silicone seal, because I'd rather be safe about water. I used a lot of sealant, you cant see it once u put the light back.
- we went to get food after we put the sealant, so it would be able to set up a bit before the re-install.
- when you put the lamps back in, make sure you get that top clip in place so the light sits flush with the top part of the fender.
- to put the bumper back on, first get the bottom right and bottom left around the side wheel wells. the bumper is tilted forward basically, but it makes it way easier if you get those bottom edges on there first, then just tilt it up. push from the left/right of the license plate area toward the wheels, and it will go right into the tabs. dont try and push it strait back, it doesn't work that way. again, to get the top right and top left in, you have to clear that plastic hole, so push down a bit and it will snap right on.
- and last but not least, dont forget to put the foam piece back... haha i got the whole thing back on, and realized I had forgotten to put the stupid foam piece inside the bumper.
Good luck, I used the library instructions to do the mod, and they were great. Hopefully these additional tips will make it a piece of cake. I took a bunch of pictures, but I dont have a way to put them up at the moment.
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wantone
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08-13-2003 08:57 AM