I'm afraid this is a really dumb question, but I ahve been working on this for a couple of days.  I removed all the nuts from the tail light asemblies, but they are being stubborn.  I can't seem to remove them and I'm afraind of breaking them.  Any advice??

they are sealed in with a thick, nasty black sealant.  you essentially have to cut them out.  pulling on them always breaks them, done it a ton of times so proceed carefully.  if it's not coming out then that black sealant is in the way.

 

*** and ther'es always the possibility/probabilty that there's still one more bolt...and then still one more bolt...and then....

 

you are wise to proceed cautiously and ask, they break often.

Hye, thanks so much!  That is what I expected, but you would think it would be easier. 

you would think it would be easier. 

 

i pretty much think it's always going to go quick since i've done them a few times before...and it's always more effort than i think.  i'm pretty sure they handed a caulk gun to an ADHD 4 year old and lock them in the trunk for 4 hours, and paid them 15 cents. 

what might be smart is to do it like they do windshields/glass - get a long thin metal line (piano string kind of thing, guitar string, bailing twine, etc) - and run that through and then just work it back and forth like a saw cutting your way around the sealant.

a heat gun from the inside should help soften that black stuffs grip. It has unbelievable resistance to removal - worldwide it seems !

a heat gun from the inside should help soften that black stuffs grip. It has unbelievable resistance to removal - worldwide it seems !

 

+1

 

Also.....you will want to loosen if not completely remove the rear bumper......and take out the center light first.  Bumper first.

 

Failure to do this will certainly cause trouble and likely you will chip the lower corner of each turn signal and the corners of the center section.