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Thread: Another easy way for clear corners

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  1. #1
    dza
    Guest

    Another easy way for clear corners

    I've done this on many avengers and recently did it to my galant so I now have instructions.

    You'll need:
    1) A heat gun or hair dryer.
    2) Possibly some mechanic gloves to save your hands from burning
    3) Thin, small, flat head screw driver
    4) a phillips screw driver
    5) duct tape
    6) Maybe some marine glue, not totally needed.
    7) 10mm socket wrench with an extension.

    Steps:
    1. Remove the front grill. (2002+, there are 4 clips for each side. 2001 and below, 6 clips I believe.) You can use the screw driver to pop the clips out.

    2. Remove the 4 bolts securing the headlight. (2 sit behind where the grill was, 1 on the top of the head light assembly and 1 behind the headlight assembly on the far side of the turn signal.)

    3. Turn and pull the turn signal and sit it gently against something. I placed the harness against something away from the assembly to allow myself more room and to keep the bulb from touching anything.

    4. Pull the harness out from the head light.

    5. Carefully remove the head light assembly. You kind of have to work it up from the bumper cover and towards the center of the car. It should come out without any complications. You might have to watch and make sure the bumper cover doesn't catch against the under side of the head light assembly.

    6. Carefully lift the clips around the edges with the screwdriver so you can pull the two peices apart later on.

    7. Take your heat gun or hair dryer and heat up the seal between the clear part and the black part. I suggest starting under the assembly on your first go around. If you mess up anything, no one will ever see. The hair dryer will take longer but works well. Please becareful not to melt the plastic with the heat gun. It gets very hot, very quick. I also suggest starting on the far side away from the turn signal. Once the adhesive is softened, you can take your screw driver and remove some of the adhesive. Take the screw driver and put it under the black peice that over laps the clear lens (you'll see what i'm talking about). Then, you can get your screw driver (carefully) between the two peices. It helps to have someone holding the heat source and someone working the screw driver. Don't worry if the plastic gets deformed, you can easily remedy that later. Carefully start softening the adhesive around the side of the assembly. The key is to get the entire side apart (the only semi-long part... 5 min) so that you can get your fingers in to start pulling the two sections apart. Of course, keep using the heat source to soften the adhesive as you go. You'll start to notice how easy it is to pull them apart. Don't. You can break them if you dont continue to soften the adhesive. It kind of webs apart as you go down the edges. It really is easier than it sounds. I just detailed this instruction.

    8. Once you have the two peices part, you should set the clear lens on something soft. I used a cotton towel. There is only one screw, remove it. The entire reflector piece goes the length of the lens. Remove it. Now you'll see your orange colored reflector. You kind of have to lift up on the edges around the reflector. It has a small groove in it that holds the reflector in place. Pull out the reflector in one piece. Be careful not to touch the chrome parts.

    9. Place the headlight reflector back in the lens. You'll be able to tell where it goes. It'll be just like a lego. Line up the holes with the little knubs. Also line up the screw holes. Put the screw back in.

    10. Use your eat source to re-heat the adhesive on the lense and the black section of the assembly. If you bought some sort of marine glue, use it. Remember, a little goes a long way. Put the two parts back together. Start on the side away from the turn signal. Wedge it in there good before you start putting the rest together. Be very sure that the clips line up as they did before you took it apart. Reference the second head light assembly if necessary.

    11. Press the the two sections together real good. The original adhesive is really good still and sets quick. If you line it up wrong, you may not be able to get it totally apart without heat again. You should be fine though. Do not worry about any deformed plastic yet.

    12. Press the clips down as good as you can. Do not worry about any clips that don't go down all the way. Press the two sections together good and tight once more. Duct tape all around to make sure it stays tight. I did it on the left, right and center. Put a rag or towel in between the tape and the clear lens to keep it clean.

    13. Let it set for about an hour or until you think it has set. You can also use a hair dryer (on its coldest setting) to cool the light. That will also set it. Its just precautionary. It isn't going anywhere. I just wanted to make sure it stayed tight together.

    14. Bring back you heat source to heat up deformed plastice or non-cooperative clips. Mold them back into place. Any deformed plastic doesn't really matter b/c I suggested you do that part under the assembly so it won't be seen. Either way, you can mold it back easily.

    15. Obviously, repeat these steps for the other head light.

    16. Carefully place the assemblies back in your car the way they came out.

    17. Put the 4 bolts back on each assembly.

    18. Take the clips out (pinch them, turn them side ways and pull). Put them in your grill the way they were before you took them out. It fits like a lego... only one way.

    19. Put the grill back. You'll notice they'll go back in easily now that you have the clips already on the grill. You could do it without pulling the clips out first but you need a bit of patience for that.

    20. Put the harness back in the head light.

    21. Put the turnsignal back. I recommend titanium bulbs. They'll look silver but still flash orange for legal purposes.

    For my sake...

    *Disclaimer: I am not responsible for you or your car if you try this. If you mess up, I am sorry. If my poor grammar and writing skills mess you up, I am sorry. I am not responsible though. I am also not responsible if this is not street legal in your area. Failed inspections and/or tickets are unfortunetly not my responsibility I'm also not responsible if you get someone pregnant.

  2. #2
    akiraflux
    Guest
    what about if i get somebody pregnant? will you be responsible for that???

  3. #3
    dza
    Guest
    crap... i left that out. I'll have to fix that

  4. #4
    "13. Let it set for about an hour. "

    that part turns me off...

  5. #5
    dza
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by 2000GTZ
    "13. Let it set for about an hour. "

    that part turns me off...
    sorry to hear that. no pain no gain i guess. i'm just trying to make an alternative to the other way.

  6. #6
    mighty
    Guest
    I did mine mostly the same way, but I used my g.f.'s hairdryer and it has a button called cold shot......hit that when resealing and this hour business is gone gone.....I think I waited 5 minutes per each light

  7. #7
    dza
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by mighty
    I did mine mostly the same way, but I used my g.f.'s hairdryer and it has a button called cold shot......hit that when resealing and this hour business is gone gone.....I think I waited 5 minutes per each light
    Yea, that makes sense. Did you use something to pull them tight together? The hour thing is just to make sure. They aren't going anywhere. Just usually when you mess with adhesive you have to wait for it to harden... or at least cool. I'll add that.

  8. #8
    dza
    Guest
    The finished product.




  9. #9
    tribal
    Guest
    trade you those lights for mine ;D

  10. #10
    dza
    Guest
    30 minutes and you can have yours just like mine. Bring em down, i'll do em for you.

  11. #11
    Sammy_ES
    Guest
    I tried the "pull through the hole" method first. I bought a little brake adjustment pry bar to use, taped up the end real good with duct tape and went to work. After about 20 minutes of scratching the hell out of my left light and running out of combinations of cuss words to mumble, I decided to try this method.

    I used a hair dryer, it went pretty smoothly. I think Im gonna get some of that black silicone glue and run a nice layer on the outside of the seam to make sure it seals good.

  12. #12
    J Reezy
    Guest

    DZA!!

    yo, how did ya get ya grill painted that pearl color. I PM you so check it out and give me a holla

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