SHO Rod Posted January 28, 2013 Report Share Posted January 28, 2013 I ordered an recently received a complete set of taillights for my SHO for this project. Now I just need to get the wife out of the house long enough for me to throw them in the oven to get them apart. I tried a heat gun and while some of the glue started to curl up, the lens cover wasn't going to budge. My first car was a 1988 EXP. I remember I was able to get the headlights apart on that by using an air nozzle sealed against the opening for the headlight bulb capsule. I don't think I'll have the same luck with these. Does anyone have suggestions on what I should use to adhere and seal the lenses back on with? Automotive GOOP? -Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo42987 Posted January 28, 2013 Report Share Posted January 28, 2013 With my Acura CL taillight I was able to bake them in the oven for an hour. I don't remember what degree/time though. Because if you go to hot, you run the risk of cracking them. Which also if they are tinted you can't do it. Do some research, and you should be able to find some instructions somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpd1151 Posted January 28, 2013 Report Share Posted January 28, 2013 Place assembly onto a cookie sheet, Bottom rack of your oven, Set at like 210 degrees, Bake for approx. 10min to warm up the adhesive enough to promote separation. If adhesive's still being stubborn, toss 'em back and add a few more minutes. That is the procedure I followed when I pioneered the tail light halo's on my '07 Charger, which the "How-To" write up was used on AAC's website (at that time, unk if it's still there). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHO Rod Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Yep, I read elsewhere on this forum of a guy who baked his headlights at 250 F for 20 minutes to get them apart. Since I cannot set my oven for 210, but can for 250, that's my plan. All this discussion is making me want to drop my other projects and focus on this one. Unfortunately the 1 year old dishwasher that decided to stop working properly has moved to the top of my list as of yesterday through encouragement of my wife. -Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chad1140 Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 I believe Mobsteel is as close as you will find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHO Rod Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 I believe Mobsteel is as close as you will find. Hunh? Do they sell assembled LED taillights for the Taurus? -Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtlantisGreenMetallicSHO Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 I think the MobSteel comment was related to my comment on finding someone to produce a police interceptor grill. I did the same thing with almost every car I have owned in order to paint my headlight housings black. In the over at around 220 for 15-20 minutes and then pull it apart. When its time to put them back together re-heat and utilize a silicone product that the dealers use (I would have to ask them the name, I have long since forgotten, sorry). Unfortunately your "Honey Do List" is probably going to take priority for a while, unless you suggest a girls trip to somewhere like las vegas for the wife. - Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacoflyer Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Found a better image of those nice LEDs If you have success in installing them after baking the tail lights. If they are not rocket science nice cheap way for the tails to look awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHO Rod Posted February 17, 2013 Report Share Posted February 17, 2013 Well, baking the taillights didn't work. I did 20 minutes at 250 degrees. The lens wouldn't budge. A small section started to separate so I got my putty knife between the two pieces and slid it along, then the lens cracked. Went the other direction, lens cracked. The clear portion separated relatively nicely, but right where it meets the red is where it cracked, and none of the red areas wanted to separate from the housing. Since the LEDs don't rely on the reflector, I think the next thing I'll try is to cut away the reflector on the "clean" side of the foam seal and see if that gains me enough space to install the pieces. -Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHO Rod Posted February 18, 2013 Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 I have to give exLEDShop kudos for their response time to questions. They've never left me hanging. Last night I asked them about how to separate the tail light assemblies. I guess I should have just asked them sooner. 02/18/2013, 12:59 "Do you have any suggestions on how to separate the lens from the reflector housing? I tried 250 degrees F in the oven for 20 minutes. That was not sufficient to soften the glue." – Rodney Schmidt Reply 02/18/2013, 13:26 "These require the tails to be cut open. An oven won't work." – exLEDSHOP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHO Rod Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 The more I use my multi-tool, the more I like it. Tonight I decided to try step 1, cut open the taillights. A hacksaw and coping saw just weren't cutting it (pun intended) so I put the half moon cutter blade on the multi-tool and started cutting. That made very quick work of the job. I basically used the foam weatherstripping as my cutting guide, going around the outside of the foam. The cuts are not very noticeable through the lens (one would need to be looking for them to see them) so I think they will glue back together nicely. Next step will be to cut the rest open and start installing LEDs. -Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crash712us Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Very cool that this project is starting to make some head way. What sort of glue are you thinking of using to seal back up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHO Rod Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 What sort of glue are you thinking of using to seal back up? I plan to use a combination of my plastic welder to give the assembly structure, then either some clear epoxy or clear RTV. Since the cuts do make it in to the reflector area, I'm leaning more towards the RTV. I fear the epoxy may run between the LEDs or diffusers and cause inconsistencies in the appearance. The way the plastic melted and bunched up with the saw, I'm pretty sure it will flow pretty decent with the plastic welder. -Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHO Rod Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 I started a new thread detailing the modification of the first of the 4 tail lights. -Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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