Black housing projectors with HID's

240m3srt

240m3srt

New member
Just finished my black housing projectors with HID's. I like.
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looks good, ya i wondered when someone with a black 4runner was gonna black out the housing when they put in projectors and HIDs. i want to do it but i think it might look a little funny with my thundercloud colored 4runner.
 
Did you just paint the stock housings black? How did you re-seal the housing lens, and have you had any problems with moisture getting in? What projectors did you use?

Nice work, you setup looks pretty damn good!
 
lol nice justin... ya i felt is wasnt worth the price tag of $60 for me personally since i could use that money for much better stuff.

willy, there is actually alot of info on how to do this just so that u know since alot of guys might tell u that anyways... it looks like he just painted the stock housing black and the shroud and pieced it all back together. In order to take apart and reassemble the housing u just need to put it in the oven and pry it open then do it when time to seal it and silicone it after to ensure its water tight.
 
xskydivingdudex said:
hes got the gatling gun shrouds... i was gonna get those when i get my HIDs but they are like $60 for the pair.
Click to expand...

You can get them new for $45-50 depending on if you want chrome or gunmetal.
Can also be had usually around $20-30 from ebay and other forums.

I have some for mine, but don't think will work out. Not deep enough to cover my projector all the way, probably bad retro on my part. Still working on it though. Never seem to have time anymore.

Trying to figure out if I want to black mine out or keep it chrome.

Looks nice.
 
I got them for free when I purchased my projectors!!!

Can't wait to do mine. I have some 07 350Z biXenon's but they're a little too big then I feel comfortable working with. So I purchased Morimoto's
 
xskydivingdudex said:
lol nice justin... ya i felt is wasnt worth the price tag of $60 for me personally since i could use that money for much better stuff.

willy, there is actually alot of info on how to do this just so that u know since alot of guys might tell u that anyways... it looks like he just painted the stock housing black and the shroud and pieced it all back together. In order to take apart and reassemble the housing u just need to put it in the oven and pry it open then do it when time to seal it and silicone it after to ensure its water tight.
Click to expand...

xskydivingdudex, thanks for the info. I have read every thread I could find on YotaTech and this site on the retrofits. I understand the process, but I never heard how well that method of resealing the headlights work, in fact, one of the guys that did that still got moisture in his housings.

I want to do the projector retrofit, but only if I can seal the headlights back up to be as tight as they were before I removed the lens, since I live in Oregon...

I guess I just want to hear how well this reseal has held up for those who have done it.
 
well the best thing is to make sure u reheat the headlight in an oven and once out make sure u press the lens to the housing so that it is stuck close together and then to silicone with with a fair amount so that it becomes watertight. So many people on various threads i have read, seem to put too little silicone or do not use it at all which creates moisture and so the reseal has ultimately failed. Id say just make sure u dont use too much but also not too little (silicone) around the rim of the housing.
 
This was a huge learning process for me. The whole thing ended up taking about 2 weeks, and it really tested my patience at times. I had seen other retrofits in person and my biggest complaint was that the fit and finish did not look clean like factory. So i took my time and made sure i did it to my satisfaction.

I first ordered a set of extra headlights (sabersport ebay) so i could retrofit them off the vehicle and keep the truck driveable. I then ordered a set of FXR projectors and HID's from theretrofitsource.com, who worked with me very well on getting everything right throughout this process. I baked the headlamps in the oven but this is where i decided to do things a little different. I removed all the factory glue from the headlamps and the lens, its VERY sticky and each headlight required going in and out of the oven multiple times, because the glue cools and thus hardens quickly. I used a 4" hole saw for perfect cuts, and drilled my holes for the FXR projectors. I was about to start making brackets when i decided to go a completely different route(add 3 days). I purchased a set of the Minimoto plug and play projectors and started the entire process over on the original headlights(also sabersport) that were on the truck. They provided a 3 pronged bracket that is the shape of the original H4 bulb base. You must tap this in from the back to get a perfectly flush seat. I guess they expect the tension to hold it in because the original clip is too chincy for me to trust and theres not any way to get it on properly with the rear of the projector housing sticking through. So i used 250 degree black epoxy on the front and rear of the bracket, fusing it to the housing permanently(add 12 hrs for epoxy to set). The new projectors slide in from the front and attach with a nut, but one of the housings threads stripped(add 3 more days for a new projector). The nut must be VERY tight otherwise you will get minor movement in the assembly. It also helps to use red locktite. I drilled a small hole just beside the main opening and passed through the highbeam wires, then sealed it off with black silicone. I waited around for night to come and mock tested the headlight pattern on the road to ensure alignment. After i was satisfied i filled the entire back end with black epoxy...the projectors will never be comming off the housings. Finally i removed the projector lens and cleaned everything off for final assembly. I sealed the headlamps with black silicone sealant(rated 450 degrees). No baking. Btw, the shrouds come free with the Minimoto projectors. Also, the H1 style Bulbs do not sit flush in their housings so you will need to take a file and go around the entire bulb base to get a perfect fit. You will also want to bend the clips ever so slightly for a more snug fit now that the bulbs are fully seated.


If you are looking to do this yourself and wish to make your retrofit with the larger projectors (like FXR's) that have higher light output you might be interested in the housings i was originally working on. The work is half done as they are already separated and cleaned of glue. Looking back i would keep the FXR's, then cut a flat piece of metal to serve as the backplate, and drill your 4 mounting holes to make it serve as the bracket. Then just attatch it to the housing with black epoxy, the stuff makes a permanent bond. I have my old HID's and the unused housings here if anyone is interested:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/class...using-headlamps-ready-projector-retrofit.html
 
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I have received a few PM's regarding the retrofit process and a lot of people want projectors for their 3rd gen but dont have the time to spend, or dont wish to hassle with the down time of their vehicle.

I would be willing to make another set or two for forum members. I would use the same method as i did on mine. I am by no means a retrofit expert, but 2 weeks of making mistakes and correcting them taught me a few things. The epoxy and silicone i chose seem to have held up great against vibration and heat. I have yet to see any moisture in the housings. The light output at night and overall newer appearance of the vehicle is stunning.

Please understand the biggest aspect of building these is TIME. If you have plenty of it just relax and go slow and you will be fine. If not PM me and we can discuss what is necessary to get a set of completed projectors in your hands.
 
Suppose I could do a write up on my Morimoto's D2R's when they arrive! Good job on the retrofit Qaulity install there!
 
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240m3srt said:
I first ordered a set of extra headlights (sabersport ebay) so i could retrofit them off the vehicle and keep the truck driveable. I then ordered a set of FXR projectors and HID's from theretrofitsource.com, who worked with me very well on getting everything right throughout this process. I baked the headlamps in the oven but this is where i decided to do things a little different. I removed all the factory glue from the headlamps and the lens, its VERY sticky and each headlight required going in and out of the oven multiple times, because the glue cools and thus hardens quickly. I used a 4" hole saw for perfect cuts, and drilled my holes for the FXR projectors. I was about to start making brackets when i decided to go a completely different route(add 3 days). I purchased a set of the Minimoto plug and play projectors and started the entire process over on the original headlights(also sabersport) that were on the truck. They provided a 3 pronged bracket that is the shape of the original H4 bulb base. You must tap this in from the back to get a perfectly flush seat. I guess they expect the tension to hold it in because the original clip is too chincy for me to trust and theres not any way to get it on properly with the rear of the projector housing sticking through. So i used 250 degree black epoxy on the front and rear of the bracket, fusing it to the housing permanently(add 12 hrs for epoxy to set). The new projectors slide in from the front and attach with a nut, but one of the housings threads stripped(add 3 more days for a new projector). The nut must be VERY tight otherwise you will get minor movement in the assembly. It also helps to use red locktite. I drilled a small hole just beside the main opening and passed through the highbeam wires, then sealed it off with black silicone. I waited around for night to come and mock tested the headlight pattern on the road to ensure alignment. After i was satisfied i filled the entire back end with black epoxy...the projectors will never be comming off the housings. Finally i removed the projector lens and cleaned everything off for final assembly. I sealed the headlamps with black silicone sealant(rated 450 degrees). No baking. Btw, the shrouds come free with the Minimoto projectors. Also, the H1 style Bulbs do not sit flush in their housings so you will need to take a file and go around the entire bulb base to get a perfect fit. You will also want to bend the clips ever so slightly for a more snug fit now that the bulbs are fully seated.
Click to expand...

I was actually thinking about buying the Morimoto Mini projectors. Would you not recommend them because of the problems you had with the H4 adapter plate, and lightbulb fitment issues you had? Also, are those sabersport headlights glass or plastic?

Thanks for all of your information on this!
 
Whiplash Willy said:
I was actually thinking about buying the Morimoto Mini projectors. Would you not recommend them because of the problems you had with the H4 adapter plate, and lightbulb fitment issues you had? Also, are those sabersport headlights glass or plastic?

Thanks for all of your information on this!
Click to expand...

I would still totally recommend them. Its just that im not sure what they expected to hold the plate on from the back side. Maybe you can bend the factory clip and make it work but considering its responsible for holding an entire projector housing firmly in place, i just went with epoxy and never looked back.

The bulbs need to be ground down all around the edges and you may also wish to shave down the 2 little nipples(it will make sense when you see them). But i would still recommend these too.

The sabersport headlights have a glass front lens.
 
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