BrianSD_42 Photo Journal Build Maintenance Thread
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BrianSD_42
New member
I'll send Will a message but I am not sure if he does the retrofits for money anymore. He wanted to do a trade so we made a trade.
Retrofits Update
I made the mistake of using my aftermarket housings for the retrofit. This was because when I upgraded to the clear lens EBAY lights just like Fightman, I didn't heat them up and swap only the lens => keeping my Toyota housings, I just swapped out the whole assembly and tossed the factory housings ...
Now I know better. Because I had the aftermarket housings I used them for the retrofit thinking it would be no big dead since with projectors you won't be using the shroud anyways.
SOLUTION:
I have to remove the housings, bake them, take the outer lenses off, remove the inner projector lens (just screws), cover the shrouds, lightly sand the housing, and paint it with primer then flat gunmetal grey.
Wish me luck. I will probably try to get it done next weekend. I will be doing the work myself. This part is pretty easy since I won't be removing the retrofit, instead painting around it using foam brush not spray paint.
:AK47:
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rickashay
New member
This is a common issue as the shroud (the gatling shroud in your case) only covers the front edge of the projector. Light will escape through the cracks/openings in the projector and reflect rearward off of the reflector bowls. A way to correct this without painting the housings is to open them up and seal the projector up behind the shroud with tin foil. You can wrap it tight enough that no light will escape and you will never notice it's there when you re-assemble.
EDIT: you may want to do this even if you paint the housing black. When I get home I will post a photo of some retrofitted headlights I did for a 4Runner in which I painted the housings black. You can still clearly see the light escaping and reflecting off the bowls.
EDIT: you may want to do this even if you paint the housing black. When I get home I will post a photo of some retrofitted headlights I did for a 4Runner in which I painted the housings black. You can still clearly see the light escaping and reflecting off the bowls.
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BrianSD_42
New member
thanks rickashay,
I would like to note that the bad light only showed up once we put the glass on. when Will did the on-truck alignment without the glasss, the cutoff was perfect with low beam lighting only. therefore I am pretty sure light will bounce back no matter what I do but I hope painting will cause the light to scatter and not reflect, ideally eliminating 90% of the bad light.
black seems a bit extreme, i'd prefer flat gunmetal or something similar.
I would like to note that the bad light only showed up once we put the glass on. when Will did the on-truck alignment without the glasss, the cutoff was perfect with low beam lighting only. therefore I am pretty sure light will bounce back no matter what I do but I hope painting will cause the light to scatter and not reflect, ideally eliminating 90% of the bad light.
black seems a bit extreme, i'd prefer flat gunmetal or something similar.
rickashay
New member
I may be confused with your issue. What projectors are those? FX?
If your getting any bad light with the lenses on that your sure you weren't getting before, then its the lens causing the issue.
rickashay
New member
Here is a photo of what I was talking about. These were on my truck when I was dialing in the horizontal alignment. You can see the light escaping from behind the shrouds. If the reflector bowls were still chrome, that light would make some brutal "squirrel finders" or cause the light output to look scattered.
20110517-IMG_8539 by Headlight Hookup, on Flickr
20110517-IMG_8539 by Headlight Hookup, on Flickr
Smog-guy707
New member
Man those are looking good! Great work!
rickashay
New member
I think you may have some adjusting to do on the projector itself if u want to get rid of that light above the cutoff. I had a set of Infiniti projectors that had a very similar light output when I got them. The cutoff was great but they had some bad spotting above. I later found out that in the main projector bowl there was a small reflector that was designed to throw light above the cutoff. I'm not sure the reasoning for it but it was definitely there on-purpose. I removed this peice and the issue was no more. I had to dissassemble the project itself, to get to this peice as it was behind the actual projector lens. Maybe try and grab some closeup pics when you pull your lights apart and I can try and point anything strange out that would cause this...
t4r4life
Elite Member
Here is a photo of what I was talking about. These were on my truck when I was dialing in the horizontal alignment. You can see the light escaping from behind the shrouds. If the reflector bowls were still chrome, that light would make some brutal "squirrel finders" or cause the light output to look scattered.
20110517-IMG_8539 by Headlight Hookup, on Flickr
that actually looks good, really creepy mean looking
BrianSD_42
New member
Thanks Matt.
I haven't fixed the issue yet. About a month ago I moved into a new condo with a new roommate and it turns out the oven only comes up to 185 F. She said she should buy a new one next week.
I hope to bake the housings, prime and paint them in the next few weeks.
JadatheRottweiler
New member
once you go black, you never go back!!
BrianSD_42
New member
So I figure it is time to give an update to this long thread. I haven't been able to fix my projector setup because I don't currently have a working oven. I just moved into a new place around Halloween and the oven only comes up to 170F because the bottom burner is blown out. I realize that sounds pretty ghetto but this is actually a really nice place near the Ocean in Carlsbad, CA. My landlord happens to live in TX and he is 91 so that has slowed things down a bit. A few days ago I received a phone call from my landlord and we are getting a new oven in a few days. Once that happens I will try and fix the lights by painting the housings black.
Other than that not much to update. The truck is still running strong. It has been roughly 8,000 miles since I had both heads replaced. I feel I made out pretty good on black Friday. I picked up an Intel 160 GB SSD for $130 OFF. I plan on putting it in my Macbook Pro and dual booting between OS-X and Ubuntu. Yes I have Win7 on my desktop so don't start with the MAC hate :artist2:
On last thing, I am looking forward to the release of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. It will be the first Android 4.0 phone in the US and I hope to pick one up around New Years.
Other than that not much to update. The truck is still running strong. It has been roughly 8,000 miles since I had both heads replaced. I feel I made out pretty good on black Friday. I picked up an Intel 160 GB SSD for $130 OFF. I plan on putting it in my Macbook Pro and dual booting between OS-X and Ubuntu. Yes I have Win7 on my desktop so don't start with the MAC hate :artist2:
On last thing, I am looking forward to the release of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. It will be the first Android 4.0 phone in the US and I hope to pick one up around New Years.
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BrianSD_42
New member
**** Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas / Holidays ****
I finally have a working oven and a few days off so I will try and paint / fix my headlight housings this afternoon. Wish me luck.
:guitar3:
I finally have a working oven and a few days off so I will try and paint / fix my headlight housings this afternoon. Wish me luck.
:guitar3:
Kung
New member
BrianSD_42
New member
It's a dude and my GF lives in a separate apartment. Separate apartments prevent minivans.
In fact my new roommate Rob was just hired by my company last week after I referred him for an open position. We will have different management but work in the same office.
:gun6:
We had the same thing happen - a ton of guys who used to work closely with us, but not WITH us, just got hired by the NEC I work in on base.
BrianSD_42
New member
*********************************************************
Projector Retrofits Fixed
*********************************************************
Since I had my projector retrofit done by another T4R member several months ago I have wondered why there was some noticeable light above the cutoff line. The retrofit was done by Will in exchange for my wheels; nice guy and very helpful throughout the deal.
Will did a great job aligning the lights and cutting the housings. The issue that [edited] I previously thought was a problem is actually whats known as "squirrel finders" and that apparently the small light reflected up above the cut-off is standard on OEM Lexus and Acura projectors.
I decided to take apart the projectors and put tin foil behind the shroud after getting some advice from RiskAshay about this ...
I also placed tin foil behind the shrouds, blocking all the back-light. This was pretty difficult since I couldn't remove the projectors.
**** Pics ****
Before adding tin-foil behind the shroud
After the tin-foil
:spider:
Final thoughts
I put the housings back together without painting them. Despite the light above the cutoff line they are pretty awesome and light up the road very well. :thumb3:
Projector Retrofits Fixed
*********************************************************
Since I had my projector retrofit done by another T4R member several months ago I have wondered why there was some noticeable light above the cutoff line. The retrofit was done by Will in exchange for my wheels; nice guy and very helpful throughout the deal.
Will did a great job aligning the lights and cutting the housings. The issue that [edited] I previously thought was a problem is actually whats known as "squirrel finders" and that apparently the small light reflected up above the cut-off is standard on OEM Lexus and Acura projectors.
I decided to take apart the projectors and put tin foil behind the shroud after getting some advice from RiskAshay about this ...
I also placed tin foil behind the shrouds, blocking all the back-light. This was pretty difficult since I couldn't remove the projectors.
**** Pics ****
Before adding tin-foil behind the shroud
After the tin-foil
:spider:
Final thoughts
I put the housings back together without painting them. Despite the light above the cutoff line they are pretty awesome and light up the road very well. :thumb3:
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