Hello All,
I wanted to provide an update on this... I had trouble with the pictures of the disassembly process but I took plenty of pictures when putting things back together. I hope this is useful for someone looking to have theirs redone, especially considering the current price of the headlights brand new. I'm very pleased with the end result, and I'd only do a couple things differently in the future if I were to do this again.
As I explained in the first message, I had taken the main reflector and the turn reflectors to have them refinished. They came back in great shape, much better than I expected. Here's a picture of each.
The fog reflectors however, were too far rusted to be re-plated, so I tried something different. After media blasting these and applying some etching primer, I gave them a couple coats of "bumper chrome" aerosol paint. The result was suboptimal in my opinion, but the lights worked ok. If I were doing this again, I'd probably choose to replace them with new ones.
(Part # Reflector - Foglight / parking light - 000 826 35 78 - Expect to pay about $100 each)
Also, I had removed the main reflector units by driving the alignment screws. I then cleaned these thoroughly with WD40 and a soft metallic brush, to remove any dirt and rust from them that would complicate reassembly.
So, to put these back together, I started with the main reflectors. After driving the screws back in place, the rubber bumps need to be put back in place. I used a pair of long nose pliers (be careful! Rubber can become brittle with age).
Next, I put the fog reflectors in place. Again, first driving them with the alignment screw and then locking the rubbers in place with the pliers.
After this, the turn indicators need to go back in. These are really easy as they are held in place with two metallic clips that screw in place with a flat head screw driver. Once in place, the circuit needs to go back in place. This is not too tricky to do, just need some patience to put the circuit back in place and twist the brackets to hold it in. Finally, the brown wire needs to be soldered back in it's place.
Once this is done, there's only a few steps left... Above all, do not forget to put the turn indicator light bulb in place at this time, as it will require to remove the metallic clips again to put it in if you do not do this at this time. I decided to use an amber turn bulb as I was unable to locate the original amber plastic that covers the indicator (I guess they did not have amber bulbs back then?). The rest of them can be put in place with the glass in place with great ease.
Next, the seal for the headlight lens will need to be replaced before re-fitting the glass
(Part #000 826 57 80 64 - About $15 each). It's a little tricky to get it in, ingenuity and patience definitely help. After the glass is in place, replace the six metal clips that secure the glass against the chassis. I chose to set the clip on the glass side and to pull it from the other end. I found it relatively easy to do this using a thin flat head screwdriver to pull them from behind and into their place on the aluminum chassis.
A tip on the glass lenses: I put mine in the dishwasher and ran them through a full cycle. They came out looking exactly like new...
Most of the lightbulbs are easy to find at your local autoparts store, except for the main light bulb and the fog bulb. I ordered these from two different places:
Main bulb*: $14 - Type 48884 (
http://store.candlepower.com/)
* - I decided to use the upgraded 60/55 W bulb. The original one is a 45/40 W - Type 48121 - $11.75
Fog Light Bulb: $2.5 - Type #635B (
http://www.replacementlightbulbs.com/lampshardtofind.html)
Going over the numbers, I spent $35 for the main bulbs, $9 for the fogs, $ 12 for the Turn, Parking and Driving bulbs (I did not get the correct ones, so I haven't fitted them yet), $35 for rubber seals, $130 for Chroming, $10 for the aerosol paint and primer, and less than $3 for the steel wool I used to polish the reflectors. I did also buy a new lens as one of my HL had one with a rock chip on it... I got this one for $120 delivered but probably should not count against the total cost of the refurbishment if you're starting with good but old looking units.
There is only one more thing needed to complete the project. That is two sets of the main seals, the ones going between the Headlight and the body. The part # is 000 826 62 80 and should cost about $30 each. I had a friend give me these for free
After all is set and done: Voila! I got myself a
brand-new refurbished set of headlights for about 300 bucks!
I will complete this writeup later and add it to the tech manual once I get my full membership.
Regards,
Andres G
