Following Brian V's instructions on clearing my 97 tails, I'm stuck after i pulled out the taillight unit. I cant seem to seperate the black plastic housing and get to the orange part that i need to replace. What am i supposed to do ?

 

Did you remove the small 4 screws that hold the lens to the actual housing?

 

yes ive removed the 5 small black screws that connect the black housing to the lens, heated all around and tried to pull it off. instead, i chipped off a corner. after several more attempts i gave up. i'm trying again tomorrow. am i doing anything wrong ?

 

You need to heat them for a long time, almost to a point of melting the housing. Then they will come apart.

 

i'm not sure where exactly to heat them do i heat the center part with the black glue or do i heat around the edges of it all. does it fall apart after enough heating or do i pull?

my last attempt was i heated all around the edges of the entire thing and i pulled damn hard and it came off only slightly.

 

if the edges are heated enough you should need that much force to pull it apart. if the lense dont come apart throw them back in the oven and heat it some more.

 

Keep heating the edges, spread them a little heat them up some more and spread the lens. Keep doing that till they come apart.

 

thanx. will try that again tomorrow. oven? i used a heat gun

 

The alternate method of heating the light assembly involves baking the whole thing in an oven instead of using a heat gun.

 

heat evenly in back and forth motions, going over the same spot.. heat the housing around the edges and don't hold it in one spot, keep moving.
Everyone cracks their 1st set or 2nd and 3rd

when you attempt to pry the lens from the housing, use extreme caution and don't force it. If it's not going smooth, then keep heating it. When you pry it, never grab the corners.. use the bottom of the light 1st. I also use a flathead screwdriver to help me out a little bit. but pull on other sides evenly, keeep heating, pull.. keep heating pull.. etc.. patience is the key

 

where can i find the full set of instructions?

 

i used the oven method, about 225 degrees for 10 minutes and they came off pretty easy, but i did crack one lense, try the oven method if you can't get the heat gun to work

 

i think i will try it 2nite and let u guys know what happen

 

...the oven method definitely works best as it equally heats it all up making for an easier seperation...

 

haha thanx for the help man.

Nyce Maxima: shouldve told me a little sooner =P i've cracked both lenses on that one frail corner that sticks out haha and i melted the lense with the heat gun so theres this big orange blob. lol. anyways, thanx guys

 

yeah i cracked mine but i got it done wanna see?

 

Is there a full set of instrctions for doing this some where? Can some one give me a link?

 

not sure if it's still online, but I found the write up from "NickStam" to be one of the better ones with nice pics and directions.

otherwise, www.BrianV.net has one, then www.maximadriver.com should have it.