Dodge Magnum Forum - Opening up Dodge Magnum headlights to install HALOS

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  • Opening up Dodge Magnum headlights to install HALOS

    by
    riperoo
    Published on 05-31-2010 01:19 AM
    60 Comments Comments
    Ok, here we go, first time opening headlights up, and if this helps anyone or you if you like the write up, please feel free to add to my rep, I can always use more beans, although my wife will disagree. Speaking of my wife, this post is dedicated to here, hopefully that will offset the great deal of pain I will have to endure if she ever finds out I had car parts in her oven!!

    First Pic, a perfectly beautiful, functional headlight, courtesy of Greenking!


    Back side of the same headlight, make sure you remove as much as you can, nuts, bulbs and wiring and such.

    http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/DSC00211.jpg

    In the oven, I love you Doreen!!


    In the over for 30 minutes at 250


    Out of the oven and starting to GENTLY pry with a small screw driver, sucker is hot and even the mechanic gloves were starting to get warm, be real careful at this point, work the driver in, the trick is to penetrate the seal and work it through.


    Work it in, the lower inside corner on both lights as they sit installed on the car, seemed to have the most prominant gap to start with, I worked it back and forth about and inch or two from the corner,


    Just enough to get my fingers in


    Work smoothly and consitently, you can see that silver tab, when that lets loose, it pops, you are going to Sh** you pants and think you broke something. Put full steam ahead, even if you did break something, too late now, the epoxy will fix it later


    You get near halfway and it just starts to go


    Bam, it is apart



    Here they are apart, the reflector kinda just falls out, held in with a couple of tabs and held in place by the clear cover against the inner housing.

    http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/DSC00230.jpg

    Now this was a nice suprise, I intended on taping off the reflectors and painting the outside of them, I had no clue that the reflectors were a seperate piece, no worries about peeling the chrome off.

    http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/DSC00231.jpg

    This is the sealant left on the outer rim after removal,

    http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/DSC00214.jpg
    http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/DSC00215.jpg

    Well that is it for stage 1, now to paint, halos and LED strips, it this helped anyone I would appreciate you hitting my rep, I will return the favor.
    This article was originally published in forum thread: Opening up the headlights for HALOS part 2, with Pic goodness started by riperoo View original post
    Categories:
    1. Exterior Styling
    2. SRT8
    3. SXT
    4. SE
    5. R/T
    Comments 60 Comments
    1. HemiLover's Avatar
      Lookin good man! If I may offer some advice, make sure you get ALL the old sealant out of the housing and off of the lens before resealing. You'll probably need to use a heat gun. Then use alcohol to clean it up real good before sealing it all back up with black RTV silicone sealant. I did mine over 6 months ago and have zero leaks or condensation. Also make sure the lens is fully seated into the housing when sealing it up or your headlights may not line up with the body lines on the car correctly.

      Oh and be real careful with the chrome reflectors as that stuff peels off real easy
      Reply
    1. riperoo's Avatar
      Here they are apart, the reflector kinda just falls out, held in with a couple of tabs and held in place by the clear cover against the inner housing.



      Now this was a nice suprise, I intended on taping off the reflectors and painting the outside of them, I had no clue that the reflectors were a seperate piece, no worries about peeling the chrome off.



      This is the sealant left on the outer rim after removal,




      Well that is it for stage 1, now to paint, halos and LED strips, it this helped anyone I would appreciate you hitting my rep, I will return the favor.
      Reply
    1. riperoo's Avatar
      Quote: Originally Posted by HemiLover View Post
      Lookin good man! If I may offer some advice, make sure you get ALL the old sealant out of the housing and off of the lens before resealing. You'll probably need to use a heat gun. Then use alcohol to clean it up real good before sealing it all back up with black RTV silicone sealant. I did mine over 6 months ago and have zero leaks or condensation. Also make sure the lens is fully seated into the housing when sealing it up or your headlights may not line up with the body lines on the car correctly.

      Oh and be real careful with the chrome reflectors as that stuff peels off real easy
      Thank HL, will do, I will take your advise, I ain't rushing this, had the extra set of of lights i got off of Greenking, just so I could take my time, little bit at a time. Like the heat gun idea, wasn't even thinking of that, was thinking more along the line of peeling and scraping, heat guns seems like the way to go. I owe you some rep, wouldn't let me leave it for you, says i have to pread it around before i give it to you again, must have hit your recently.
      Reply
    1. krewkut125's Avatar
      Very nice write up so far! What color are you going to paint everything? Again man very nice work!
      Reply
    1. riperoo's Avatar
      Quote: Originally Posted by krewkut125 View Post
      Very nice write up so far! What color are you going to paint everything? Again man very nice work!
      Thanks for the kudos KrewKut, as far as paint, I have been debating between gloss black and color matching, I am going for the overall sleeper look on my ride, but since I am Dark Blue anyway, either would work, I am leaning towards the color match, think that would look sweet, but then again so would the black, damn I am so cofused!!!
      Reply
    1. Magmania's Avatar
      Great work Riperoo.
      You have probably passed the biggest hurdle.
      Beans for you!
      Reply
    1. riperoo's Avatar
      Quote: Originally Posted by Magmania View Post
      Great work Riperoo.
      You have probably passed the biggest hurdle.
      Beans for you!
      Thanks Man, I hope that is the hardest part, right back at you wid da beans.....
      Reply
    1. riperoo's Avatar
      hey, who ever left me some Rep, saying It was making them too nervous to do theirs, drop me a PM man, I can walk you through it, it ain't near as hard as you think. Yeah, it is scary, but all it is is heat and screwdriver, anyone can do it.
      Reply
    1. StPaulGuRu's Avatar
      So what are you going to do with the old lights?
      Reply
    1. riperoo's Avatar
      Quote: Originally Posted by StPaulGuRu View Post
      So what are you going to do with the old lights?
      hanging on to them, I am stashing every stock part I take off, might come in handy some day.
      Reply
    1. MadDad's Avatar
      Looks great! Personally I'd do the blue color match -- why duplicate a stock headlight. I used my dremel tool when I removed my sealant -- quick and easy -- and I strapped the lenses tight with my handy-dandy cargo straps when I closed them up to ensure no "gaps" in the reseal.
      Reply
    1. DA H.N.I.C.'s Avatar
      Great pics, man!!
      Reply
    1. lowriderman3's Avatar
      Great work man!!
      Reply
    1. JRob007's Avatar
      Nice write up and pics! Definitely go with the color match!!! it will look !!! Can't wait to see the end result!!!
      Reply
    1. MagWag's Avatar
      doin good so far! I think te dark blue would be ALOT slicker! ull love it man, beans for the write up!!
      Reply
    1. riperoo's Avatar
      ^^^Just noticed MagWag is almost at 3000 posts^^^ come on man, get posting!!!
      Reply
    1. Scharnhorst's Avatar
      Question: what exactly occurs that can screw up the headlights? I mean how does water get in it after you've sealed it or what
      Reply
    1. FloridaRT's Avatar
      Good write up with the photos............

      Bob
      Reply
    1. Chapah's Avatar
      Wow...nice crisp and sweet pics!

      Thanks for doing this post!
      Reply
    1. lilcardwell's Avatar
      I think color matching would look awesome. beans to you for your write up! Thanks for sharing the photos and explanations. oh BTW ..............
      I'm telling your wife!!!! J/K
      Reply
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