pikey7

I was just out giving the car its bi-annual wash & wax, and I noticed that disgusting black stuff to seal the lights has over the years melted, and formed a horrible dripping mess.

Now, I understand that the lights are reasonably easy to get out, but do i need to replace/reseal the lights with something, and if so, what?

Plus, what's the easy way to clean that mess up!??

Thanks

PCinDC

The lights aren't that difficult to get out, but be careful not to crack them while removing. You'll be amazed how well that 15 year old goop holds them on.

As far as cleaning that mess off, there is no easy way to do it. I'd recommend a mild solvent and water it down - you're going to be working on an area that most people will notice (especially since you have a modded 89 951). I used some stuff called Krud Kutter. It worked, but it took an afternoon. It's not a bad idea to scrape off the excess and then go to work on whats left.

As far as resealing it, I used a small amount of weather strip sealant, making sure I had a good bond all the way around. Unfortunately it's about the best thing to use, and in another 10 years, you're going to most likely be looking at the same problem with the dripping goop. The only other option would be to use the clear, removable weather stripping substance thats used around home windows. That would work too, but I can't vouch for how it would end up looking.

HTH

IceShark

Heat the edge of the lens with a heat gun or hair drier to help seperate the lens from body. Turpentine will cut the caulk off, sort of. Should only take 20 minutes a lens and you don't have to worry about melting original paint.

Guess you could reseal with silicone RTV but that doubles as an adhesive and with all that surface area you may not be able to remove them again very easy.

If you want to go with the original, that stuff is called butyl strip caulk. I assume its used in Sweden and available in auto supply stores or at a body shop. Another idea is to use marine bedding caulk, the stuff that is used to seal deck hardware that has to be removed some day. That stuff is usually good for 20 years.

Robert D

I was told to use a product called Girdle Tape. I believe it can be found at glass installation shops...try a porsche/body shop. Jones Autowerks (Porsche Shop) in San Antonio, TX told me about this product so you may try calling them. It is supposed to work very well.

Bruce '89 s2

I used white silicone bath sealant. I DO have a white car though - perhaps they're available in different clours..I do agree the black gunge is horrible.

Manning

I bought windshield seal at Autozone to reseal mine. One had a leak and it kept dripping on the bulbs and burning them out(halogen convertion units). The windshield seal came in a yellow box kind of like a pizza box and was like a thick sticky black ribbon (same as what Dan is describing I think). After I clean off the old sealant with some of that bug and tar removal spray and a plastic putty knife I cut the new seal to the right size and pressed it in place.

It is best to do this on a hot day or with a hair drier handy to help soften the seal enough for the light assembly to squish into place.

Also, the bug and tar remover solvent worked like a charm, only taking about 10 minuted to clean up the mess left after scraping the bulk off with the plastic putty knife. And it didn't hurt the paint.

Manning

I think Dan will agree that if you use marine bedding caulk, DO NOT use 3M 5200 or you will never get the light assembly back off the car. At least not easily.

IceShark

Oh Yeah! Don't even dream of using 5200! You will never ever get the lens off in one piece and you will probably have to sand it off the body. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

pikey7

Thanks guys, I'm off down the hardware store! I already have some tar remover gunk from when i drove through some concrete left on the road by some cowboy builders (thought it was just mud until i went to wash the car 3 days later!), so i'll try that.

944Targa-fan

I recently removed my rear light units. Haynes manual says: "apply gentile pressure to the back of the light units and they will come out."

No way!

I used the cars scissor jack and blocks of wood to get them out. Place the blocks of wood between the light unit and the rear seat so you won't damage them.

For sealing the light units I used the type of sealant that comes on a roll, brand was 3M. So far the lights haven't leaked.