Ok, first let me preface this with the fact that if anyone can screw up the simplest mods...it's me. In fact, my usual process goes as follows...

1. Decide to mod
2. Begin mod
3. Break something
4. Fix something
5. If I didn't spend enough time on 4 then go back to 3 and repeat.
6. Finish mod
7. Stand back and be proud of a mod done myself...but regret doing it.

Anyway, I don't know if some years or models or whatever used different silicone sealer than others, or if they just get harder as the years go by, but one trip through the oven was not enough to get these things apart. By the time I got a corner loose the stuff had cooled and hardened again and were NOT coming apart. The first headlight took three trips through the oven, the second one took two...because I was more aggressive with the second one.

In the process of pulling the cowling out, let's say I broke some plastic here and there. Crap. That took some time to repair. Rino glue worked pretty darn well.

Now here's where things get really ugly. Due to my aggressiveness of pulling them apart, it appears the black plastic backing was kind of soft...in my pulling I managed to pull them out of shape and they cooled that way. The backs wouldn't mount to the truck (I tried) and wouldn't fit back to the fronts. The second one was way worse than the first so I cannot attribute it to too many trips through the oven. Anyway...two nights after work were spent with the oven and my wife's hair dryer (Thank goodness she thinks forums are stupid and won't see this) finally managed to get them back to their original shape.

Back to the silicone sealer. No amount of additional trips through the oven or use of the aforementioned hair dryer would allow me to get the stuff out. I finally got frustrated and decided to bring out the big guns. Mr. Dremel. I was afraid of punching through the black plastic but it seems to be just barely harder than the silicone and I was able to grind out the silicone without damaging the plastic...which is a minor victory for me so I must have spent enough time running through steps 3 and 4 to not have to go through it again with this. Use of a grinding tool for tearing up the silicone and a grinding wheel for cleanup left me with clear channels.

I managed to get them put back together, siliconed both in the channels and an extra bead around it for extra sealer without getting too much silicone on my hands, clothes, hair, etc. If I find I ever have to pull these bad boys apart again, I'll just buck up and buy some hellas.

So...it's all done. Was it all worth it? If you ask me today I'd say hell no. Maybe a week from now when the pain is all gone I might tell you that it's worth it. I have found that when I paint motorcycles I hate the process and find it wasn't worth the time and swear to never do it again. After a year I am happy with the process and in two to three years I find myself breaking open the painting supplies box again. I guess I'm either stupid or a glutton for punishment.

I'll post some daylight pics this weekend, but here we have a yellow truck with black headlights....at night.

 

I have to say, they look really good! Yeah, it was worth it!

Your "process" sounds just like mine in my projects, but I've never expressed it so eloquently. Thanks for a good read.

- Jack

(PS - would I try this? Not after reading your post!)

 

End result is spectacular.

 

Nice job! Looks good from the pics! Your story is why I try and not do too many mods "on my own".

 

I was actually going to paint mine white to match but after I pulled a spare one I had apart I said "screw that" it was a few trips to the oven as well.

 

Looks fantastic.

I'm thinking I will just buy a pair of HD headlights. Then once I have the new ones in I will try and peel the old ones apart just for the hell of it. Worst case scenario, I trash my old headlights. Best case scenario, I have two sets and can sell the other one.

 

Thanks for the positive comments. I'm really not trying to turn anyone off of this...but I do know that there are less mechanically inclined folks out there than I am. Most of the threads I've seen make it seem really simple...and it kind of is. But I also wanted folks to know of some of the possible pitfalls so they could either avoid them or perhaps choose to go a simpler route.

Heck, I figure that's why we are here, to share experiences and let others learn from the pain. If my thread is going to be a long one...then I try to entertain as well. Thanks again.

 

In defense of the "do-it-yourself-ers," it takes a lot of man-power to get them apart. Mine were also bent outta whack, but I "forcefully" made them fit. I had to re-aim my heads afterwards because they were pointed way up in the air.

It does look good though, and after a week or so you'll be happy. I ruined a good shirt and a good sweater doing mine, but it was worth it.

Tony

 

I actually drove to work today so I snapped a few pics this evening. Weather is crappy, but at least it isn't cold at the moment.

 

Again, looks really good, makes me want to do it that much more.

Good job man Do you feel like it's worth it now?

 

Wow, I'm sure if we looked up the term "sexy" in the dictionary, that pic would be there ^^^

 

Those do look really good, makes me almost wish I didnt buy the after market black ones and could of saved some money!

 

Good job! The black looks great against the yellow, I love it!!! Sounds like you had a rough time. I used my leatherman for most of it, that is one awesome tool!

 

Ask me after this weekend...it'll have been a week then and the pain might be a distant memory.

I have a gerber. Fantastic tool. I ended up choosing that after using a friends leatherman and hated the plier tool because the way the whole thing folded around you ended up with all the edges pointed toward your hand. Newer models are much better now though. However I've had the Gerber for over 10 years and despite the file snapping off when used as a pry bar (not it's intended purpose) it's still fantastic.

However, for some reason my Gerber, my exacto blade, screwdrivers and pliers were no match for that silicone. I think it took like an hour per headlight with a dremel to grind that stuff out of there. Yours looks like it came out nice and clean. Like I said, I don't know if the stuff hardens over the years or they used different compounds but that stuff was seriously very hard.

Wow, thanks! Considering that I drool over so many of the trucks on here, that's quite a compliment. I've got some other plans for the truck over the next year, conservative plans, but I think it'll continue to improve. This is but the first of the many mods to come.

 

Has anyone tried to get them apart with a sharp razor? I haven't taken mine out before so I don't know how the sealer is. Is the factory sealer hard or would it be possible to CAREFULLY slice through it with a razor? Sounds like the oven works but I have read about a lot of damage and warped plastic. Thinking of doing ptm on my (or spare) headlights and ptm an fx4 grille.