RotorNutFD3S
12-29-2011, 07:25 PM
This is a relative easy and inexpensive project to complete, however it does take some time and patience to do it properly. I highly recommend that you handle the parts while wearing latex gloves, especially the projector shrouds or any of the chrome pieces. They easily pick up oily fingerprints and when cleaned improperly, can lightly scratch, leaving a hazed finish.
This setup is easy to complete (no cutting or modification to the housings or projectors required) and the parts are relatively inexpensive while being of very good quality.
* I assume no responsibility for you screwing up your headlights, getting pulled over, or any other problematic issues you may encounter.
For this project I'm using Morimoto Mini H1 Bi-Xenon projectors (with Mini Gatling shrouds) from theretrofitsource.com. These projectors have low-beam/high-beam capability and include parts to make the retrofit a mostly bolt-in affair.
First, we have the projectors:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/5021006991_773873a844_z.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4089/5021008285_86736d5a6c_z.jpg
Then we have our donor headlight assemblies: remove the rubber boot, bulbs, and unscrew/remove the clip that holds the main bulb in place:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4103/5073246045_4e38ee26ab_z.jpg
Preheat the oven to 220°, while it's warming up, prepare a cookie pan by covering it with aluminum foil (helps prevent the pan from stinking of burnt plastic, although no odor is really produced). Place the headlight in the oven for 10-12 minutes, I found it worked best to use the rack in the middle. Time will depend on your oven obviously, less time is better.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4086/5073246379_db004c59e6_z.jpg
Put on a pair of soft leather or vinyl gloves and remove the headlights from the oven. Carefully use a flat head screwdriver and pry the lens from the housing, too hard and you'll damage the housing or lens, they're plastic so they get soft when hot. If the housing doesn't want to come apart easily, put it in the oven for a couple more minutes. When it's at the proper heat it will come apart easily with just a little assistance with a screwdriver. The sealant will stretch as you pull the two pieces apart, just let it break, making sure that the sealant doesn't get on the lenses. (Reinstalling the lenses is the opposite of these steps, heat and push back together, but we'll get to that later.)
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5073246751_fecf9a3bdd_z.jpg
After removing the reflector lens (it's clipped in) I loosely mounted the projectors in the housing to see what things will look like:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4148/5073843350_7609157889_z.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4103/5073247461_bd80bc530f_z.jpg
My donor headlight lenses were a little foggy so I started some polishing work on them (3M Restoration Kit, goes in your drill, works really well):
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5094689695_9ddd960403_z.jpg
Here's the hardware you'll need: very small M3x8mm flat-topped Philips head machine screws (in stainless) and 7/8" fender washers. The fender washers sit between the projector and the headlight reflector and seat the projector in the correct position. The screws hold the bulb retainer in place and need to be flat-topped so the bulb can be installed properly.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5290/5304551105_c22e6ce562_z.jpg
The provided H4 adapter ensures that your projector is straight and level. Here's the back side with the hardware installed (note: the top of the screws may end up being slightly above the bulb mount platform, this is ok):
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1111/5109799888_5ffaa78d4c_z.jpg
So now your headlights should look something like this (lens on loosely):
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1105/5109226421_b1b28221cf_z.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1413/5109226665_f0b883d954_z.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1375/5109226911_60cc85ec6d_z.jpg
Here are a couple modifications you should do and are recommended by some on HIDPlanet, but are not required (As of 12/2011: I was in The Retrofit Source's new store here in Atlanta the other day and they say these modifications are no longer needed with the newest offering of these projectors, so if you're the type to do things for peace of mind you might find yourself doing them anyway). First here's the cutoff shield as sent by TRS (make sure you do not ruin or change the bend in the actual cutoff shield):
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5288/5298399269_ab22be47ce_z.jpg
Notice that there are 2 "D" shaped holes in the shield, these will throw some light up into the air, so if little things like that bother you, get some aluminum flash and make a block-off plate:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5009/5298400165_b7cc32c978_z.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5209/5298400911_c98975054f_z.jpg
Some people reported that most of the Gen I solenoids and some of the Gen II solenoids were sticking when alternating between low beams and high beams, (these projector units are Gen II and Gen III just came out), but preventative measures never hurt. Here's the solenoid plunger as sent:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5284/5299002484_3c7e85af5f_z.jpg
Get your drill, both medium and fine grit sandpaper, and sand the tip just a bit, careful not to take too much material off:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5122/5298401699_4390429db9_z.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5203/5299003288_28b0830f56_z.jpg
Then spray with graphite lube (which is for high-temp use, good here since HIDs create a ton of heat):
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5208/5299003680_b45fe08911_z.jpg
This setup is easy to complete (no cutting or modification to the housings or projectors required) and the parts are relatively inexpensive while being of very good quality.
* I assume no responsibility for you screwing up your headlights, getting pulled over, or any other problematic issues you may encounter.
For this project I'm using Morimoto Mini H1 Bi-Xenon projectors (with Mini Gatling shrouds) from theretrofitsource.com. These projectors have low-beam/high-beam capability and include parts to make the retrofit a mostly bolt-in affair.
First, we have the projectors:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/5021006991_773873a844_z.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4089/5021008285_86736d5a6c_z.jpg
Then we have our donor headlight assemblies: remove the rubber boot, bulbs, and unscrew/remove the clip that holds the main bulb in place:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4103/5073246045_4e38ee26ab_z.jpg
Preheat the oven to 220°, while it's warming up, prepare a cookie pan by covering it with aluminum foil (helps prevent the pan from stinking of burnt plastic, although no odor is really produced). Place the headlight in the oven for 10-12 minutes, I found it worked best to use the rack in the middle. Time will depend on your oven obviously, less time is better.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4086/5073246379_db004c59e6_z.jpg
Put on a pair of soft leather or vinyl gloves and remove the headlights from the oven. Carefully use a flat head screwdriver and pry the lens from the housing, too hard and you'll damage the housing or lens, they're plastic so they get soft when hot. If the housing doesn't want to come apart easily, put it in the oven for a couple more minutes. When it's at the proper heat it will come apart easily with just a little assistance with a screwdriver. The sealant will stretch as you pull the two pieces apart, just let it break, making sure that the sealant doesn't get on the lenses. (Reinstalling the lenses is the opposite of these steps, heat and push back together, but we'll get to that later.)
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5073246751_fecf9a3bdd_z.jpg
After removing the reflector lens (it's clipped in) I loosely mounted the projectors in the housing to see what things will look like:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4148/5073843350_7609157889_z.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4103/5073247461_bd80bc530f_z.jpg
My donor headlight lenses were a little foggy so I started some polishing work on them (3M Restoration Kit, goes in your drill, works really well):
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5094689695_9ddd960403_z.jpg
Here's the hardware you'll need: very small M3x8mm flat-topped Philips head machine screws (in stainless) and 7/8" fender washers. The fender washers sit between the projector and the headlight reflector and seat the projector in the correct position. The screws hold the bulb retainer in place and need to be flat-topped so the bulb can be installed properly.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5290/5304551105_c22e6ce562_z.jpg
The provided H4 adapter ensures that your projector is straight and level. Here's the back side with the hardware installed (note: the top of the screws may end up being slightly above the bulb mount platform, this is ok):
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1111/5109799888_5ffaa78d4c_z.jpg
So now your headlights should look something like this (lens on loosely):
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1105/5109226421_b1b28221cf_z.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1413/5109226665_f0b883d954_z.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1375/5109226911_60cc85ec6d_z.jpg
Here are a couple modifications you should do and are recommended by some on HIDPlanet, but are not required (As of 12/2011: I was in The Retrofit Source's new store here in Atlanta the other day and they say these modifications are no longer needed with the newest offering of these projectors, so if you're the type to do things for peace of mind you might find yourself doing them anyway). First here's the cutoff shield as sent by TRS (make sure you do not ruin or change the bend in the actual cutoff shield):
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5288/5298399269_ab22be47ce_z.jpg
Notice that there are 2 "D" shaped holes in the shield, these will throw some light up into the air, so if little things like that bother you, get some aluminum flash and make a block-off plate:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5009/5298400165_b7cc32c978_z.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5209/5298400911_c98975054f_z.jpg
Some people reported that most of the Gen I solenoids and some of the Gen II solenoids were sticking when alternating between low beams and high beams, (these projector units are Gen II and Gen III just came out), but preventative measures never hurt. Here's the solenoid plunger as sent:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5284/5299002484_3c7e85af5f_z.jpg
Get your drill, both medium and fine grit sandpaper, and sand the tip just a bit, careful not to take too much material off:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5122/5298401699_4390429db9_z.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5203/5299003288_28b0830f56_z.jpg
Then spray with graphite lube (which is for high-temp use, good here since HIDs create a ton of heat):
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5208/5299003680_b45fe08911_z.jpg