Experience painting lights..2009+ ??
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Member
Joined: Aug 2010
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From: Rohnert Park, CA
Experience painting lights..2009+ ??
Hi All,
I've been thinking of giving my heads and tails the HD treatment. I've searched and seen lots of info and the tutorials here regarding this, but all seem to be on 2008 or older models.
Would like to hear from anyone that has done the lights on a 2009 or newer model. Any special tips you'd care to share as far as dis-assembly, re-assembly, paint choice, etc?
Also, has anyone successfully taken apart the 3rd brake light for painting? I have read that they beefed up the adhesive on these to combat leaking problems.
Thanks,
Mike
I've been thinking of giving my heads and tails the HD treatment. I've searched and seen lots of info and the tutorials here regarding this, but all seem to be on 2008 or older models.
Would like to hear from anyone that has done the lights on a 2009 or newer model. Any special tips you'd care to share as far as dis-assembly, re-assembly, paint choice, etc?
Also, has anyone successfully taken apart the 3rd brake light for painting? I have read that they beefed up the adhesive on these to combat leaking problems.
Thanks,
Mike
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 488
Likes: 1
From: MI
You won't find a whole lot here, but there is more information in the illumination forum where members open up the headlights to install HID projectors. I'm actually in the middle of that, opened up my '09 headlamp housings on Sunday and plan to spray them for the H-D look also.
Our housings are put together with a permaseal, it is a pia to deal with but can open them up with a little patience. Put in oven at 230 for 20 minutes, pry off the permaseal off the outer clear housing. Keep putting in the oven for a several minutes until you have gone around the housing. I found prying the housings apart the easiest if you start at the corner of the turn signal lamp. Start there and eventually you will be able to get your hands in there. The first housing I did took me 2 hours, the second in less than 45 minutes.
You will need to reseal them back and therefore need to clean out the permaseal in the grooves before re-assembly. The best product for this is butyl tape.
To paint the chrome trim piece I will be doing the following: sanding off the chrome, clean with prepsol type solvent (I'll be using SEM Plastic Prep), spraying with primer (Bulldog Adhesion Promotor), painting with Krylon Fusion, and finally spraying a clear (Krylon also). Make sure that you allow these to cure before putting your housings back together to prevent fogging up the lenses.
If this seems a little over the top, you can pick up the H-D lights for about $240.
As far as the 3rd brake light, all Ford did was use a different type of gasket.
Our housings are put together with a permaseal, it is a pia to deal with but can open them up with a little patience. Put in oven at 230 for 20 minutes, pry off the permaseal off the outer clear housing. Keep putting in the oven for a several minutes until you have gone around the housing. I found prying the housings apart the easiest if you start at the corner of the turn signal lamp. Start there and eventually you will be able to get your hands in there. The first housing I did took me 2 hours, the second in less than 45 minutes.
You will need to reseal them back and therefore need to clean out the permaseal in the grooves before re-assembly. The best product for this is butyl tape.
To paint the chrome trim piece I will be doing the following: sanding off the chrome, clean with prepsol type solvent (I'll be using SEM Plastic Prep), spraying with primer (Bulldog Adhesion Promotor), painting with Krylon Fusion, and finally spraying a clear (Krylon also). Make sure that you allow these to cure before putting your housings back together to prevent fogging up the lenses.
If this seems a little over the top, you can pick up the H-D lights for about $240.
As far as the 3rd brake light, all Ford did was use a different type of gasket.
Thread Starter
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Member
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 32
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From: Rohnert Park, CA
Thanks Stormsearch. Yes, in doing a little more looking seems this might be other categories to post this in. Curious about the HD's you mention...where are they available at that price?
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 488
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From: MI