[JZiggy]

Starting to make plans for a retrofit. Lots of places recommend butyl rubber sealant for headlights between the lens and the housing. Some individuals say clear silicone is good enough.

What has worked for you? What do you recommend?

[Kanoe]

Isn't butyl rubber a fairly soft flexible product? I used it on boat windows before. i can't imagine it would like the heat of a headlight very much unless I'm not thinking of the same stuff.

[Ed_C]

Originally Posted by Kanoe

Isn't butyl rubber a fairly soft flexible product? I used it on boat windows before. i can't imagine it would like the heat of a headlight very much unless I'm not thinking of the same stuff.

There are higher temperature butyls used for headlights, you can actually buy it from Nissan dealers but apparently costs much more than the aftermarket stuff.

Diode Dynamics butyl Butyl Headlamp Sealant – Lightwerkz Global Inc

Video about the above Diode Dynamics Sealant Overview - Clean Up - YouTube

Morimoto RetroRubber Morimoto RetroRubber Butyl Glue – Lightwerkz Global Inc

Opening and resealing with butyl Opening & Resealing Automotive Headlights using Morimoto Retro Rubber - YouTube

[LittleCaesar]

I have used this a couple of times with good success:
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-...3242009&rt=rud

[Nobody Special]

I painted the insides of the housings on my '06 X-Runner, and a few minutes in the oven was enough to split each one open.
(OEM stuff was black too)

I used this to seal them back up and 13 years later, no water, fog or degradation issues.
I just used some from a new tube on a cracked humidifier tank.
Works well.

[Nobody Special]

Originally Posted by Kanoe

Isn't butyl rubber a fairly soft flexible product? I used it on boat windows before. i can't imagine it would like the heat of a headlight very much unless I'm not thinking of the same stuff.

It is soft. When I painted my housings, I think it was like 7-10 minutes in my oven and I pried them open by hand.
Low temp... Maybe 250.

[Drew76]

I've used the Nissan Stuff, works good. My retro is all chrome I may use the retro rubber in gray next time to try it. 3rd gen 4runner headlight housings are quite forgiving for retrofits, lots of room, all glass lens etc. My personal opinion is that anything less than a 3" lens looks small in the housing. I've only done a retro with OEM projectors nuts and bolts for mounting but the mini D2S seems quite appealing for ease of install in our housings with the threaded shaft and seem to be quite popular.

[spartacus]

Moromoto. Amazon.com: RetroRubber OEM Grade Butyl Headlight Sealant, Black: Automotive

[JZiggy]

I sprang for the gray retro rubber. Thanks guys!