alienturtle
Human
This will be my 3rd How To for everyone here so i hope i continue to help the great people on this forum.
I am sure many of you have the dreaded yellow, dull, foggy headlight lenses. You can read alllll over the internet about how to sand/buff/and clean the lenses to get the oxidization out of them. I will show you how i removed the lens from the housing to clean the inside as well as restore the outside of the lens. You do NOT have to remove the lens from the assembly if you do not have water inside or the inside is clean! Im not a big fan of chrome. I have the headlights with the chrome rings around them and wanted to change them out for the ones without the chrome. A good friend of mine was scrapping a pickup and i had the opportunity to snag the headlights off of it. Unfortunately these guys had seen better days and one even had the fish tank effect on the inside of the headlight. (water inside the lens) Fear not! There is hope! Green mold had started growing inside the lens. So not only was it yellowish on the outside you could see green on the inside.
1) First step is to remove the turn signal lenses from the headlight housing. There are 3 small bolts that hold the turn signal lens on from the back. Remove them and the turn signal lens will come off.
2) This is where it gets fun. There is supposed to be a glue or seal around the plastic lens to keep it sealed. In my case one corner was already broken loose allowing moisture to enter. The lens is best removed with heat and a screw driver. BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THE LENS. It is a harder plastic and WILL crack. I have read you want to heat up your oven to 200F and lay the headlight assembly on the lowest rack for 3 min. Remove and try to pry the lens from the housing. If it wont come put it back in the oven for 2 more minutes and try again or until the glue gives way. In my case i took a heat gun and worked all the way around the lens until it was fully removed. With the heat gun just keep a distance as to not melt the lens
3) Now that you have the lens in one had and the housing in the other you can clean as needed. I just wiped out the lens with a micro fiber rag as to not scratch the reflective tape.
4) I went to my local auto parts store and looked at shelf full of lens restore kits. There are a MILLION ways to go about this from the kits to buying the individual sandpaper and rubbing compounds. I chose the TurtleWax Headlight Lens Restorer for a couple reasons. It was 8.99 and i did not require any drills or air tools for the sanding pads. Something i could do on this rainy day on my desk. It included 4 sanding pads (1 has a double side), the spray lubricant, the rubbing compound and a lens sealer.
5) You will want to use a screw driver to chip away all the old glue from the housing and the lens. The lens has a groove as you can see that you need to make sure everything is removed from. It really kinds pulled off in big chunks..Not a big deal.
8) Now you will start by just cleaning the lens with soap and water to remove any dirt or mold (in my case) inside and out then dry. Take the spray lube and coat the outside of the lens and the number 1 sanding pad. This pad is what actually sands all the oxidization out of the plastic. You will want to stay on this step as long as possible or until all the yellow is gone keeping the lens and pad wet with the lube...haha..lube..
...anyway.. moving on. Once you feel you have got most the gunk out of the plastic repeat the same step with the number 2 pad keeping it wet. Work your way all the way to the 4th pad. (3 is on one side and 4 is on the other of one pad). Then rinse and dry. Take the lens compound and shake well. Apply to a rag and just rub it into the lens. You will see the compound clear the lens then it will have a hazy look to it. Don't worry that is it drying. After it has all dried take a new cloth and whip it all clean. You should now have a clear lens. Most the time you wont have any oxidization or yellowing on the inside of the lens. I do worn you about is using the white compound on the inside of the lens. There are a billion little cracks and crevices that the compound will stick as you can see if the 3rd pic below. You will have to use a toothbrush to get all the compound out of the cracks. After you have whipped it all down just apply the lens sealer and let it cure for at least 24hrs.
6) Now its time to assemble. While i was picking up the kit i looked at the sealants. I found this guy. I figured it would work best because of the groove that the lens sits in. It is by VersaChem part no 75009. It is a windshield and glass sealer. On the back it reads "Dries in one hour to form a resilient, touch, waterproof seal which resists vibration and extreme temperatures. Bonds to glass, metal, PLASTIC, concrete, and rubber." I know headlights produce some "extreme heat" so by "extreme temps" it should last. Making sure everything is good and clean apply the silicone inside the groove in the lens. Then take the light housing and install in on the lens. The lens will only go one way. The top corners are square and the bottom ones are round. Once installed you want to keep pressure on it. lay books on top of the assemble or use some clips to grap the lip all the way around.
7) Once dry re install the corner lights and install back in the truck. Hopefully you wont have any more fish tanks in your headlights and they stay clear!
CHEERS
Another tip that has been posted is to upgrade to the headlight relays which will get all the voltage to the headlight bulbs. Combined with a clear lens can be great!!
http://www.73-87.com/7387garage/exterior/headlight_relay.htm
I am sure many of you have the dreaded yellow, dull, foggy headlight lenses. You can read alllll over the internet about how to sand/buff/and clean the lenses to get the oxidization out of them. I will show you how i removed the lens from the housing to clean the inside as well as restore the outside of the lens. You do NOT have to remove the lens from the assembly if you do not have water inside or the inside is clean! Im not a big fan of chrome. I have the headlights with the chrome rings around them and wanted to change them out for the ones without the chrome. A good friend of mine was scrapping a pickup and i had the opportunity to snag the headlights off of it. Unfortunately these guys had seen better days and one even had the fish tank effect on the inside of the headlight. (water inside the lens) Fear not! There is hope! Green mold had started growing inside the lens. So not only was it yellowish on the outside you could see green on the inside.
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
1) First step is to remove the turn signal lenses from the headlight housing. There are 3 small bolts that hold the turn signal lens on from the back. Remove them and the turn signal lens will come off.
2) This is where it gets fun. There is supposed to be a glue or seal around the plastic lens to keep it sealed. In my case one corner was already broken loose allowing moisture to enter. The lens is best removed with heat and a screw driver. BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THE LENS. It is a harder plastic and WILL crack. I have read you want to heat up your oven to 200F and lay the headlight assembly on the lowest rack for 3 min. Remove and try to pry the lens from the housing. If it wont come put it back in the oven for 2 more minutes and try again or until the glue gives way. In my case i took a heat gun and worked all the way around the lens until it was fully removed. With the heat gun just keep a distance as to not melt the lens
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
3) Now that you have the lens in one had and the housing in the other you can clean as needed. I just wiped out the lens with a micro fiber rag as to not scratch the reflective tape.
You must be registered for see images attach
4) I went to my local auto parts store and looked at shelf full of lens restore kits. There are a MILLION ways to go about this from the kits to buying the individual sandpaper and rubbing compounds. I chose the TurtleWax Headlight Lens Restorer for a couple reasons. It was 8.99 and i did not require any drills or air tools for the sanding pads. Something i could do on this rainy day on my desk. It included 4 sanding pads (1 has a double side), the spray lubricant, the rubbing compound and a lens sealer.
You must be registered for see images attach
5) You will want to use a screw driver to chip away all the old glue from the housing and the lens. The lens has a groove as you can see that you need to make sure everything is removed from. It really kinds pulled off in big chunks..Not a big deal.
You must be registered for see images attach
8) Now you will start by just cleaning the lens with soap and water to remove any dirt or mold (in my case) inside and out then dry. Take the spray lube and coat the outside of the lens and the number 1 sanding pad. This pad is what actually sands all the oxidization out of the plastic. You will want to stay on this step as long as possible or until all the yellow is gone keeping the lens and pad wet with the lube...haha..lube..
...anyway.. moving on. Once you feel you have got most the gunk out of the plastic repeat the same step with the number 2 pad keeping it wet. Work your way all the way to the 4th pad. (3 is on one side and 4 is on the other of one pad). Then rinse and dry. Take the lens compound and shake well. Apply to a rag and just rub it into the lens. You will see the compound clear the lens then it will have a hazy look to it. Don't worry that is it drying. After it has all dried take a new cloth and whip it all clean. You should now have a clear lens. Most the time you wont have any oxidization or yellowing on the inside of the lens. I do worn you about is using the white compound on the inside of the lens. There are a billion little cracks and crevices that the compound will stick as you can see if the 3rd pic below. You will have to use a toothbrush to get all the compound out of the cracks. After you have whipped it all down just apply the lens sealer and let it cure for at least 24hrs.
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
6) Now its time to assemble. While i was picking up the kit i looked at the sealants. I found this guy. I figured it would work best because of the groove that the lens sits in. It is by VersaChem part no 75009. It is a windshield and glass sealer. On the back it reads "Dries in one hour to form a resilient, touch, waterproof seal which resists vibration and extreme temperatures. Bonds to glass, metal, PLASTIC, concrete, and rubber." I know headlights produce some "extreme heat" so by "extreme temps" it should last. Making sure everything is good and clean apply the silicone inside the groove in the lens. Then take the light housing and install in on the lens. The lens will only go one way. The top corners are square and the bottom ones are round. Once installed you want to keep pressure on it. lay books on top of the assemble or use some clips to grap the lip all the way around.
You must be registered for see images attach
7) Once dry re install the corner lights and install back in the truck. Hopefully you wont have any more fish tanks in your headlights and they stay clear!
CHEERS
You must be registered for see images attach
Another tip that has been posted is to upgrade to the headlight relays which will get all the voltage to the headlight bulbs. Combined with a clear lens can be great!!
http://www.73-87.com/7387garage/exterior/headlight_relay.htm
Last edited:
