hunterdan
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 7, 2018
- Posts
- 844
- Reaction score
- 781
- Location
- SE PA
- Ram Year
- 2019 classic
- Engine
- 5.7 Hemi
So, figured I'd start a somewhat diy for a simple projector retrofit into the quad housings. End goal is using basic chrome housings, paint the surround black, keep the reflectors chrome and keep the oem reflector high beam, which will be augmented by the projector high beam.
So, ordered all the parts Wednesday morning.
Parts list is accurate, except I switched from the profile peak turns to diode dynamics switchback 3157s. I also had a set of ballasts to use, so I didn't order those.
Also ordered some jb kwik weld to hold the shrouds on.
Once I got home from work, I stripped the housings down, removed bulbs and wiring harness and threw the first one in the oven for 10 minutes at 225 degrees.
Pulled it out and slowly worked the edges with a flat screwdriver trying to separate all the glue. Top and bottom are easy, it's the sides that get tricky. Had everything pretty loose, then popped back in the oven for another 7-10 minutes to reheat. Worked the inner side (closest to the grille) and once the clips were loose, was able to start peeling it apart, and it came apart fairly easily after that. You can see the glue separate from the lens, so just take it slow.
Once I got the lens off, I popped the other light in and worked on removing the remaining glue from the housing. This is the hard part. Using a flat screwdriver I was able to work it and pull up chunks, but once it got cold, forget it. Pulled the other housingnout and repeated the process. This one fought me a bit more, took 3 hearings, and bumped the temp to 250, but less time. The higher temp seemed to really help. Once they were apart, I focused on removing the glue. Heating them at 250 for 5 minutes at a time seemed to really help speed the process. Getting all the glue out is only going to help the reseal process. It's a pain. But not impossible. I popped the reflectors out, will be reusing them, but need them out so I can paint the housings. Next step is cleaning up the frames and hitting them with some black.
This is the first time I've attempted something like this, so keeping the build simple. Plan is to have the housings painted by Friday, parts should all be here by Friday, and final fitment/install should be completed by Saturday.
So, ordered all the parts Wednesday morning.
Parts list is accurate, except I switched from the profile peak turns to diode dynamics switchback 3157s. I also had a set of ballasts to use, so I didn't order those.
Also ordered some jb kwik weld to hold the shrouds on.
Once I got home from work, I stripped the housings down, removed bulbs and wiring harness and threw the first one in the oven for 10 minutes at 225 degrees.
Pulled it out and slowly worked the edges with a flat screwdriver trying to separate all the glue. Top and bottom are easy, it's the sides that get tricky. Had everything pretty loose, then popped back in the oven for another 7-10 minutes to reheat. Worked the inner side (closest to the grille) and once the clips were loose, was able to start peeling it apart, and it came apart fairly easily after that. You can see the glue separate from the lens, so just take it slow.
Once I got the lens off, I popped the other light in and worked on removing the remaining glue from the housing. This is the hard part. Using a flat screwdriver I was able to work it and pull up chunks, but once it got cold, forget it. Pulled the other housingnout and repeated the process. This one fought me a bit more, took 3 hearings, and bumped the temp to 250, but less time. The higher temp seemed to really help. Once they were apart, I focused on removing the glue. Heating them at 250 for 5 minutes at a time seemed to really help speed the process. Getting all the glue out is only going to help the reseal process. It's a pain. But not impossible. I popped the reflectors out, will be reusing them, but need them out so I can paint the housings. Next step is cleaning up the frames and hitting them with some black.
This is the first time I've attempted something like this, so keeping the build simple. Plan is to have the housings painted by Friday, parts should all be here by Friday, and final fitment/install should be completed by Saturday.