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Separating EA82 headlamp asembly


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Anyone have experience separating the lens from the reflector? ! have in mind custom installation of led daytime lamps and possibly a halo ring, and further possibly having the reflector plated. 

 

I am assuming to cook the assembly in an oven. Has anyone worked with ea82 headlamp assemblies?

Edited by MilesFox
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Somewhere on here, if I remember, was a write-up for doing a 'proper' HID setup where the poster removed the glass in order to polish out the refractor ridges (? I'm taking a guess as to what those are actually called).

Turbone posted that link directly above your post.

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Put it in the oven for no more than 2-3 minutes.  Make sure you do not overdo it.  It is better to put it back in the oven for another minute then get it warped or get the glass cracked.

 

assemble it back with urethane.

 

Good luck,

Sam

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Fox, 

 

yours should come apart pretty easy as the glue is old. I have taken my old set apart to get the water out of them and to reseal them. I agree with the heat, dunno if I would stick it in an oven, a Heatgun or a Blowdryer would work well in my opinion. Then work your way around the edge with your finger tip or Screwdriver.

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Put it in the oven for no more than 2-3 minutes.  Make sure you do not overdo it.  It is better to put it back in the oven for another minute then get it warped or get the glass cracked.

 

assemble it back with urethane.

 

Good luck,

Sam

 

 

Fox, 

 

yours should come apart pretty easy as the glue is old. I have taken my old set apart to get the water out of them and to reseal them. I agree with the heat, dunno if I would stick it in an oven, a Heatgun or a Blowdryer would work well in my opinion. Then work your way around the edge with your finger tip or Screwdriver.

 

Have either of you done this before?

 

I had no problem with mine after they sat in a hot oven for 20min.

And I did this to several headlight units.

The buckets are METAL and it takes a temp of 900+deg to melt glass.

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I considered the oven idea. So it is 300 degrees? i was assumng lower like 125 or 150.

 

Otherwise, i would cook them to separate them, and then i could leae them in the oven to coola down on their own before handling them if warping or breakage can be an issue. 

 

PArt f my necessirt is to cure condensation, with the opportunity to make some custom mods. 

 

Thanks for the link Rob. What you did is what i had in mind Not sure if i want to do projectors or not. I would like to ion coat (yellow) the lenses like the fog lights you see, and consider gold plating or some kind of gold coating for the reflector, and yellow bulbs with cool white led running lamp.

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Have either of you done this before?

 

I had no problem with mine after they sat in a hot oven for 20min.

And I did this to several headlight units.

The buckets are METAL and it takes a temp of 900+deg to melt glass.

 

Yes, I do it every day of my life. Cause can't get enough you see.

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I considered the oven idea. So it is 300 degrees? i was assumng lower like 125 or 150.

 

Otherwise, i would cook them to separate them, and then i could leae them in the oven to coola down on their own before handling them if warping or breakage can be an issue. 

 

PArt f my necessirt is to cure condensation, with the opportunity to make some custom mods. 

 

Thanks for the link Rob. What you did is what i had in mind Not sure if i want to do projectors or not. I would like to ion coat (yellow) the lenses like the fog lights you see, and consider gold plating or some kind of gold coating for the reflector, and yellow bulbs with cool white led running lamp.

 

You can pull the unit out after 10min to see if they will separate, but I did crack one not letting it cook long enough.

 

Yes, I do it every day of my life. Cause can't get enough you see.

 

Thanks for showing us how brilliant you are.

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I agree with the heat, dunno if I would stick it in an oven, a Heatgun or a Blowdryer would work well in my opinion

 

 

DON"T USE A HEAT GUN!!!  Put em in the OVEN

 

You want the entire glass lens to heat up at the same time.  Heating one edge only will crack the glass.

 

A blowdrier isn't hot enough but a heat gun definately is hot enough to crack the glass.

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Have either of you done this before?

 

I had no problem with mine after they sat in a hot oven for 20min.

And I did this to several headlight units.

The buckets are METAL and it takes a temp of 900+deg to melt glass.

You probably fried bacon and eggs on top of it!

 

Mine got separated in TWO minutes.

 

Sam

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So if this technique can be used to separate the marker lens, what would be an appropriate heat range for the oven? the marker lens has condensation, and i am considering coloring the lens orange, or installing a strip led inside, plus it needs sealed anyway.

 

I would consider the taillights, but i don't want to rik breaking them trying to remove them as all the plastic on my car is brittle.

 

I appreciate the good advice from everyone.

 

Tom's comment cracks me up.

 

Not sure if i have a hair dryer, but i do have a 1949 magic chef oven

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So if this technique can be used to separate the marker lens, what would be an appropriate heat range for the oven? the marker lens has condensation, and i am considering coloring the lens orange, or installing a strip led inside, plus it needs sealed anyway.

 

I would consider the taillights, but i don't want to rik breaking them trying to remove them as all the plastic on my car is brittle.

 

I appreciate the good advice from everyone.

 

Tom's comment cracks me up.

 

Not sure if i have a hair dryer, but i do have a 1949 magic chef oven

Like I mentioned above, put the headlight in the oven, glass down, on the rack.  The moisture will evaporate through the hole.  Use the lowest possible oven settings.  Mine got separated in about 2-3 minutes. 

I primed and painted the lens with aluminum based paint but it did not come out very bright.  It still looks a little dull.  I sealed it back with urethane that I got at Amazon for about $11.00 shipment included. 

 

If you need more information let me know and I dig up more details from my archives.

 

 

 

 

 

Regards,

 

 

Sam

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The oven trick worked for me.  The reflective bucket was kind of rusted.  I tried some 'chrome' paint... didn't work very well.   Headlights still suck on the '85 GL.  I will go with HID when I have some time this summer.  Unless somebody wants to offer to sand and polish my lens.   Until then, I drive the '83 4 headlamp model.   Why, oh why did Subaru stop making that?  Best car, EVER.

  Remember to put in a batch of cookies to bake... no sense in wasting energy ... and it makes a great snack for later.

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I could see painting the reflector if projectors are used. I could go ghetto-gold for the effect, but that would be too ghetto for this car. Blackout could be a consideration with a projector beam, and perhaps eyelids as well if the reflector is not necessary for the projector.

 

maybe some kind of gold foil like you see on intercooler wraps and such.

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