Fog Light Build

[OC455]

It's been done before as shown in previous threads.

The Perm-a-Seal is a ***** to get apart on the OEM fog lights. I started a few days ago on one fog light and didn't even come close to opening them. I started at 210 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Tonight, I started at 225 degrees F for 25 minutes, and started using a plastic interior tool so not to mar up the housing or lens. Didn't get it, used a flat blade screw driver and got a bit further. Back in the oven. Couple of minutes later, used a paint can lid opener (paint can key). Probably the best thing I used to open the fog lights. Started on the other fog light. Same heat and time, used the paint can key, and I got the lens off in about a minute and half with ease.

I have the Morimoto Matchbox projectors to go in the fogs. Going to use Duplicolor Black Chrome on the sides of the fog light housing and tape off the reflector bowl part of the housing to remain chrome. Use the black chrome on the micro Gatling shroud. I'm hoping it will give the fog light a "tinted" look without diminishing light output.

Have pics in a bit.

 

[JB1]

Custom fogs is high up on my list

 

[OC455]

Custom fogs is high up on my list

I'm hoping to have some more time to get these done this weekend. At least painted and getting the projectors mounted. Need to order the Morimoto butyl sealer for these. I cracked one of the tabs by accident, but it is still attached.

Will see how it goes.

 

[JB1]

some say the aftermarket ones are easier to open

is there a how too thread on doing this mod?

 

[2010 Infantry Vet]

Following

 

[OC455]

some say the aftermarket ones are easier to open

is there a how too thread on doing this mod?

From what I have gathered, it is the same process, 220-225 degrees F in an oven, about 15 to 20 minutes, pull them out and work around the edge of the lens and pull it off. I used the paint lid can opener because it was thin enough to get in between the lens and housing, and it was easy to pry the lens out from the housing even with the Perm-A-Seal in there. Just work around the edges and having the tabs on the lens clear the housing points.

As far as mounting the projectors into the housings themselves, I have not quite gotten it figured out yet. The Morimoto Matchbox projectors have a silicone grommet?, that goes between the projector and the light housing. The threaded portion of the projector goes through the hole and it fits through it without any modifying the hole itself. It looks like I will have to trim off the plastic part that the OEM bulb twists and locks into, to get the lock washer for the projector to sit against the back of the housing and to get the lock nut to secure tight to the lock washer.

So far that's what I'm thinking to get the projectors set into the fog housings.

 

[blackbetty14]

Not hard to do, aftermarket cheapy housings open a lot easier! I put mine it at a higher temp... 245*F+ for about 10 min, flat head screw drivers or get a housing opening pliers (Harbor Freight sells them for $7), retrofit source sells them for $10 I think... I haven't used them yet.

The matchbox uses the same back as the MH1 so it fits in the hole with the silicone grommet, no mods. You need to trim the 9006 bulb holder off the back, then thread the nut on the back with a washer (H4 that comes with the projector) works well. After that its just wiring the high beam solenoid through the housing, drill a hole or run it through the vent like I do. I also ran profile switchback halos... just more wiring. The fun part is going to be aligning them horizontally and then keeping them from rotating in the housing! Theres nothing to stop them from rotating, I eventually decided just the epoxy the H4 washer to the housing after getting it where I wanted it.

I don't use butyl on the fogs (2nd set so far) and I just clip them back together and use a smidge of black RTv on the edge to seal them up. Makes taking them apart a lot easier and very unlikely they will leak.

Ive also never had any luck with the black chrome paint, Ive tried the kit on a set of projector shrouds and the chrome shroud actually causes the paint to not stick evenly even after cleaning. Roughing the surface would help but then you loose the chrome shiny look. It was a waste of money for me.

 

[OC455]

Not hard to do, aftermarket cheapy housings open a lot easier! I put mine it at a higher temp... 245*F+ for about 10 min, flat head screw drivers or get a housing opening pliers (Harbor Freight sells them for $7), retrofit source sells them for $10 I think... I haven't used them yet.

The matchbox uses the same back as the MH1 so it fits in the hole with the silicone grommet, no mods. You need to trim the 9006 bulb holder off the back, then thread the nut on the back with a washer (H4 that comes with the projector) works well. After that its just wiring the high beam solenoid through the housing, drill a hole or run it through the vent like I do. I also ran profile switchback halos... just more wiring. The fun part is going to be aligning them horizontally and then keeping them from rotating in the housing! Theres nothing to stop them from rotating, I eventually decided just the epoxy the H4 washer to the housing after getting it where I wanted it.

I don't use butyl on the fogs (2nd set so far) and I just clip them back together and use a smidge of black RTv on the edge to seal them up. Makes taking them apart a lot easier and very unlikely they will leak.

Ive also never had any luck with the black chrome paint, Ive tried the kit on a set of projector shrouds and the chrome shroud actually causes the paint to not stick evenly even after cleaning. Roughing the surface would help but then you loose the chrome shiny look. It was a waste of money for me.

My Matchbox projectors came with two lock washers, a small one and the larger one. Which is which?

 

[blackbetty14]

Those aren't lock washers, they are housing washers, they lock the threaded shaft in a H4 or H1 housing. The large washer/housing adapter (has 3 tangs sticking out at 12/4/7 is H4) the other small one with 1 tang is a H1 adapter. They are designed to fit into a H4 of H1 housing to keep the projector from moving around. Neither will "lock" the projector into the housing on ours (9006) as we don't have a H4 of H1. Using either will work as they are both larger than the 9006 hole.

 

[2010 Infantry Vet]

So let me get this right, you are putting Morimoto matchbox projectors in factory or aftermarket fog light housings. Is there a bracket to hold the projectors in the lights?

 

[OC455]

Those aren't lock washers, they are housing washers, they lock the threaded shaft in a H4 or H1 housing.

I guess my terminology for those was off...LOL.

 

[OC455]

So let me get this right, you are putting Morimoto matchbox projectors in factory or aftermarket fog light housings. Is there a bracket to hold the projectors in the lights?

Just the threaded shaft of the projector itself. Let me get some pics posted of how they look.

 

[blackbetty14]

When I think of a lock washer I think of a serated washer that uses tension to keep a nut tight lol sorry.

 

[blackbetty14]

Here is how the back of the housing will look its the matchbox or a MH1 7.0.

 

[OC455]

OEM housing with the lens pulled. Backside of the housing showing the OEM 9006 bulb mount. The Matchbox projector next to the housing. The projector and the silicon gasket, two housing washers and the locking nut. Inside of the housing showing the size of the hole for the light. Projector fitting through the OEM bulb hole. The back of the fog light housing showing the the threaded shaft of the projector through the OEM bulb hole. And then the nut on. I think I will use the larger housing washer because it has a bit of a concave to it, to help keep it in place.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[JB1]

Excuse my ignorance....are those wires for a HALO?

Are you going to use HID bulbs or LED?

 

[blackbetty14]

Excuse my ignorance....are those wires for a HALO?

Are you going to use HID bulbs or LED?

No, in OC455's pics the red and black are the solenoid wires. They activate a electric solenoid that pulls the cutoff sheild down to turn the low beam output into a high beam. The matchbox is a Bixenon projector that means the projector is both a low beam and high beam (dual function). They also produce low and high beam projectors but you need 2 projectors to do the same job as a bixenon. You can choose to not use the high beam function on the matchboxes as most people dont use this function in a fog application, plus you need to activate them with the high beams lol. I use splitters off my high beams so they activate with my headlights bc I'm a lighting freak. But you could cut them, or secure them in the housing and not run the wire out the housing to make your life easier and just leave the matchbox as a low beam only projector.

Im my pics above his you can see the thin red/black which are the solenoid wires but the black/green braided covered wires are my Halo lights.

 

[BrIgthWte17Ram]

couldn't you modify the projector to remove the shield all together?

No, in OC455's pics the red and black are the solenoid wires. They activate a electric solenoid that pulls the cutoff sheild down to turn the low beam output into a high beam. The matchbox is a Bixenon projector that means the projector is both a low beam and high beam (dual function). They also produce low and high beam projectors but you need 2 projectors to do the same job as a bixenon. You can choose to not use the high beam function on the matchboxes as most people dont use this function in a fog application, plus you need to activate them with the high beams lol. I use splitters off my high beams so they activate with my headlights bc I'm a lighting freak. But you could cut them, or secure them in the housing and not run the wire out the housing to make your life easier and just leave the matchbox as a low beam only projector.

Im my pics above his you can see the thin red/black which are the solenoid wires but the black/green braided covered wires are my Halo lights.

 

[blackbetty14]

couldn't you modify the projector to remove the shield all together?

Not easily. The Sheild isn't actually connected to the housing my more than a small tab on the ends which it rides like an axle. The solenoid pulls it down on an ARC and a spring pushes the shield back up when the solenoid is not being activated. Why would would want to remove the shield? It would essentially act like a high beam and throw light everywhere. If anything you want to lock the shield in place. leaving the solenoid not hooked up keeps the spring pushing the shield up were its suppose to be for low beam, you could literally never use it as a high beam by just leaving it alone lol. Worst case is that the shield could bounce around like a hair but you will never be able to see it in the beam output.

Fixed LOW BEAM projectors have the cutoffs bolted to the housing where the lense meets the metal bowl (like sandwiched together). It keeps it locked in forever which is good for that type of single beam projector. Essentially a high beam projector is the same but just doesn't have the cutoff shield in there.

 

[JB1]

No, in OC455's pics the red and black are the solenoid wires. They activate a electric solenoid that pulls the cutoff sheild down to turn the low beam output into a high beam. The matchbox is a Bixenon projector that means the projector is both a low beam and high beam (dual function). They also produce low and high beam projectors but you need 2 projectors to do the same job as a bixenon. You can choose to not use the high beam function on the matchboxes as most people dont use this function in a fog application, plus you need to activate them with the high beams lol. I use splitters off my high beams so they activate with my headlights bc I'm a lighting freak. But you could cut them, or secure them in the housing and not run the wire out the housing to make your life easier and just leave the matchbox as a low beam only projector.

Im my pics above his you can see the thin red/black which are the solenoid wires but the black/green braided covered wires are my Halo lights.

Thanks for the explanation, that is nice and I agree would be great to wire it up like you did. I sure wish you had a full write up with what parts you bought/links, I really want a set