DIY: Remove Orange casing from front corner indicator

Trondabron

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How i removed/am removing the orange casing from the front indicator to give a clean and schmexy looking headlight cluster.
This is done on a CC/CE (as my wagon appears to be both) but I'm sure they are exactly the same and the skillz/methods would be transferable to other shapes etc.
Also this method does not involve putting your lights into an oven to open the casing but boiling them in water.

Tools required:

Standard Philips head screw driver (mines appears to be a 2pt x 4inchs)
Slightly smaller Flat head screw driver
Large cooking pot
Stove/Barbeque/Campfire/ETC
Front corner indicator casing

Note:
For old light casings they can be very brittle and can crack/snap easily. Take your time and make sure the light housing it really hot! It wont/shouldnt melt/burn/catch alight in the water as it should max out at 100*C (unless you have it touching the hot plate or something)
I went to the blacktown wrecker (pick and payless) and picked up 2 light casings to practice on or use as spares depending on whether I stuffed it up or not, they cost me $9 a peice.


My spare lights
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Pretty much ready to go, waiting for water to boil
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While waiting for water to boil, remove the only visible screw
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Dunk it in the water, if possible use a much larger pot than I did, I couldn't fit the whole light in there. Also try to not let the light touch the pot itself as the metal can go above 100*C and will begin to melt plastic depending on how you are heating the water. If you smell a weird plasticy smell, that is the glue/bluetack/silicon stuff that seals the light, its very strong so its important to have the light really hot to make it as soft as possible.
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When the light is scorching hot (about 5-10 mins in the pot) remove it from the pot and begin to pry the front cover off, I found it easy to begin in the corner shown and work along the side with the 2 clips, then all the way around. If it starts out nice and soft, then begins to get harder and more brittle, or even begins very hard and brittle, the glue is not hot enough yet and you risk breaking the light. Put it back in the boiling water for a bit. Also remember that the longer you heat it for the more water will evaporate and your water level will go down, I had to top up a few time because it got low. if you have a large pot this may not be the case.
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Working my way around
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Almost there
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Got it!
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Now the front cover is off put it back into the boiling water to soften the glue/blutack/silicone stuff that holds on the outside chrome cover thing thing.
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Plate removed as such
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Unscrew the remaining 3 screws to remove the back reflector and the orange casing and the light should be fully disassembled.
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This is as far as I have got tonight, ill take the pieces to work tomz to cut away at the orange casing and probs neaten up the paint on the back of the casing, it has blue paint marks and such all over it.
Ill post further as I go.
 
awesome stuff, im gonna have to give this a try when i get my new tails, very interesting concept with the boiled water

p.s. love the nerf gun at hands reach followed by the empty guinness glass lol
 
Reflections there for a reason. A chrome bulb might of done the same thing if not would've been very similar to what your after.
 
NICE AS said:
Reflections there for a reason. A chrome bulb might of done the same thing if not would've been very similar to what your after.

I am going to leave the reflectors (reflections??)
A chrome bulb would not have done the same thing (I tried) as it was still covered by the orange casing and appeared the same. When I cut the front part off the orange casing today @ work (I'll try anyways, boss is back from holidays so probs cant get away with as much bludging :D) I will replace it all and take photos to explain further.
 
that orange lens would be on my 'first to do' list too.. luckily the CJs did not have this, only an orange bulb...

The silver coated bulb took care of this...
 
good diy, never thort of boiling water
i used a heat gun and a big cardboard box to open up my headlights, cut a small hole in the card board box and it acts like an oven
:thumbup:
 
What kind of glue is that stuff? It goes really hard when room temp.
And what kinda of sealant should I use when i close it back up? Just normal silicone/sikaflex/silastic?
 
i used some special sikaflex type stuff specifically for headlights

i assume anythign like that would do, just put lots of it on, dont want any leaks now, your indicator haousing will fog up if u have a leak in the rain
 
silicone would be ok, but as Res points out, a silicone adhesive (there is a difference!); such as Sikaflex (can be purchased in white or black from memory) would be most appropriate. But, if you have to redo stuff later, that Sikaflex really holds on!
 
Fail on my behalf today, I was painting the orange bit that was left after I cut the casing in half, and as I was inside the office waiting for paint to dry, the wind knocked over my little bottle of thinners onto one of the clear front covers of the lights and when I found it, the cover had crazed little lines all over it. To match them I put thinner on the other one hahaha, CBB'd getting another front cover. Maybe one day. Ill post fotos later when i get home.
 
i like the idea about the hot water, but would it effect the condensation that will get into the indicator?
 
DR1FT said:
i like the idea about the hot water, but would it effect the condensation that will get into the indicator?


Maybe... But I think all you have to do is let it dry out for a bit so all the moisture evaporates, or doing it on a really dry day, or just blowing hot air over it with a hot air gun just before you seal it back up, that way all the plastic is warm and evaporating the water on it, then wait a bit and seal it up.


Back to the indicators,
I stayed back after work today, to use the Dremel and cut away at the orange casing that I removed last night.

Marking out where to cut
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Cutting with the dremel
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Finished cut
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I primed and repainted the inside of the housing as the silvery chromey back was faded and stained, I used the $3 chrome paint can from super cheap auto.
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I also painted the remaining part of the orange case so it didnt stand out with a cool looking pearl silver touch up paint I found at work and wanted to try out.
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All assembled (except the outside shroud thingy) looking schmexy!
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Old vs. New
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As I found out now, the spare light case I got from the wreckers was apparently not for CC/CE, but was extremely similar so I missed the difference until I went to swap.

So if anyone wants my clear corners just holla. They are free to a good home.
 
well I thought I pulled them off a CC... but obviously I didn't. what do you want to put them on, ill google the car and see if it jogs my memory.
 
i dont want them i just thort it was pretty silly if u pulled them off something other than a cc
maybe they are off a galant or ol magna

best to check what ur pulling stuff off next time
 
yer i still don't know how i got it wrong haha. owell, it was a learning experience.
 
tryg said:
that orange lens would be on my 'first to do' list too.. luckily the CJs did not have this, only an orange bulb...

The silver coated bulb took care of this...
The CJ does have the side indicators on the front guards that are yellow/orange inside. They are a sealed light and need to be replaced a as a whole unit if the globe stops working.

I have thought about doing this to mine and fit a chromed orange globe.

Your end result looks great.
 
I meant the fronts on the older vehicles. You can get replacements for the CJ sides... (without orange lens).
 
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