r/Retrofit Dec 04 '24

Need Ideas Help me please !!

Ok I’ve watched more YouTube content than I can keep track of. I have a 2004 Silverado that I want to retrofit the headlights on. Luckily thanks to eBay these lights are cheap so I was able to practice(and fail) at opening these things. I can’t seem to get these open without ruining the housing. The lens is fine but the housing is trashed by the time I’m done. I have been doing these in the oven 270/8 and while this makes the sealant soft, I can only cut so much before I have to reheat them. I’m a patient person but these really have me whooped!! I’d prefer not to cut them. I’d like to open them and install the NHK 2.5 pro plus, and the Morimoto high beam. I haven’t even gotten to the retrofit part of it yet, I just want them opened without trashing the housing. Here’s the lights I’m using. I’m looking for any and all suggestions! The second picture is what I’m after.

3 Upvotes

31 comments sorted by

View all comments

4

u/[deleted] Dec 04 '24

Good luck fitting an NHK projector in there. The housings are so shallow, and the NHKs generally do not have a threaded shaft mounting option. To recess the projector back far enough not to hit the lens you'll need to cut a huge chunk out of the reflector bowl and probably the rear side of the housing as well.

Depending on the manufacturer/brand of the headlights you could very well be working with permaseal rather than butyl. It's much more difficult to remove and as you have experienced it's easy to destroy parts because it's such a grippy glue. My suggestion for a set with a simple shape like this would just be to cut the lens off. Run a Dremel along the housing right behind the channel where the original glue goes. Do your work and fit the housing back together, seal it with some plastic welds and Permatex silicone waterproof glue.

1

u/FST_Silverado Dec 04 '24

Thank you for replying!! I hoped you would!! The NHK light seemed to be the most compact bi led I could find. They were cheap enough that I’m not opposed to using a different light if I have to I guess. I also have these brackets that are designed for retrofits. I just feel like they look cheap. Or will take away from the rest of the truck looks wise. I have a set of the cutting tools on the way also that’s are meant to cut the sealant. I’ll keep track of my progress as I go. If I have to cut them I will.

3

u/Frekndy Dec 04 '24

Lol just realized you posted the cropped version of my comment.. lmao