Hi

Water has been sitting in the bottom of this lens for some time and has rusted/eroded the coating.
Is this light toast or can it be separated and recoated? From what I have read I don’t like my chances of finding a replacement.
If salvageable I intend to go down the LED conversion route.

Thanks Matthew

 

You can remove the lens and have it recoated.

Someone here did it in the past, but the thread escapes me at the moment.

 

The usual sources dont sell new ones anymore?

 

We have a brand new H4 with a broken lens for $100

 

^^ That would be your best option. Transfer your old lens onto this and be on your way for way less effort and $$$ than trying to recondition your existing assembly.

 

Thanks for the reply's
Mark i will email you.

 

That was me. It turned out pretty nice, especially the reflectors. My lenses are still a bit pitted; I need to polished them more.

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...oration-2.html

 

Old and New (thanks Mark)
Lens seperate as per the many YouTube videos 175F for 10min
Now just a matter of polishing the lens and re-sealing.
Looks like butyl rope is the way to go to re-seal, I did wonder if a local windscreen company would have this.
What is the best for polishing the lens? Looks like there are plenty on offer at my local auto store.

Thanks

 

Warning: Do Not Polish The Reflector. Ok to clean it with rubbing alcohol but absolutely minimum abrasion. -Maybe- light rubbing with mcrofiber towel at most but just to dry, not to polish. The reflective metal-spray coating is extremely thin, and any polishing will scrub it off and leave you with just the steel cone. No fingerprints either!

There's a parallel thread about cleaning the headlights while assembled, using raw rice in rubbing alcohol swished around inside to do the hard work.


TheRetrofitSource.com has some great guidance for putting the lens back on. They sell the vinyl adhesive for the lens. Roger may have some too, since he's selling the replacement lenses in plastic for folks to do DIY replacement.

 

Dr Bob. Isn’t the lens the glass part and the reflector the silver part. Don’t polish the reflector- correct?

 

Correct! I'll update the post. Thanks!

 

And about polishing the glass lens: The kits at the parts store are for acrylic (plastic) lenses. They won't do a thing for your glass that's pitted from road debris. For that you'll be hunting for something recommended for polishing windshield glass. I think cerium oxide paste is the weapon of choice, with a buffer.

 

Yes.

Don't try to find it at your FLAPS.

I found it at a glass place (windows, doors, automotive).
It came as a small tub of powder, with instructions on making it into a paste.

 

And a reminder that Roger has replacement lenses available in acrylic. Once you are set up to do one lens replacement, you can do both almost as easily. so they match. A bit of your favorite PPF will do wonders to preserve the lens surface, BTW.

 

Paint protection film.