The Corner Trim in the Headlight Lense

[jsoto]

Other threads go with heat gun *localized heat*, pick-pull- pry, then move on to a different spot and rinse, repeat the same process

I'm going to give it a whirl this Sunday. I think the heat is more to keep the plastic soft so you don't crack it.

I know alot swear that it's a b1tch or impossible to do, but if you jump on headlight retrofitter forums, they all do it....just time, patience and depending whether you sacrifice a little plastic and rebuild and just spend more time prying/picking/pulling

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by jsoto

Other threads go with heat gun *localized heat*, pick-pull- pry, then move on to a different spot and go on.

I'm going to give it a whirl this Sunday. I think the heat is more to keep the plastic soft so you don't crack it.

I know alot sweat that it's a b1tch or impossible to do, but if you jump on headlight retrofitter forums, they all do it....just time, patience and depending whether you sacrifice a little plastic and rebuild and just spend more time prying/picking/pulling

looking forward to hearing the results man! take some pics as you go too!

[Ricky Bobby]

some have reported good use using a hook blade like these on a utility knife, but you're right, the heat just helps keep the plastic from cracking:

Pack of 5 Utility Knife Hook Blades

[jsoto]

Ricky -

What are you waiting for.....
Heh.

A cheaper alternative is to buy a set of brand new aftermarkets....those covers should bake out so easily. I don't know about comparative quality differences

[mrbmwx5]

Giving you guys some idea.....How I do it.

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by jsoto

Ricky -

What are you waiting for.....
Heh.

A cheaper alternative is to buy a set of brand new aftermarkets....those covers should bake out so easily. I don't know about comparative quality differences

I was considering the $200 ebay housings (the ones that look like facelifts), and swapping the internals of my OE xenon headlights (seals, leveling motors, projectors, hardware, etc) as its been done before.

However, if you report back that its not too bad to open with some time picking and prying, I may consider popping mine open too, throwing some rings in, removing waffles, and removing the amber.

Either way my headlights are being opened, if I keep my stock xenon's I will do it carefully, but if I am just swapping internals on a set of ebay headlights I will just use a dremel and cutoff wheel and cut them open in 5 minutes and they will be sacrificed.

[jsoto]

Heh. For me, it's all about timining. I have only X hours I've accounted for to work on this on Sunday. I will at least *try* to start 1 and finish one. Never ending chore list.

Saturday is spring cleaning. Time to PW the exterior, the flooring, get the chairs and such unwrapped and out, etc. Never enough time.

Hence I'd rather have a 2nd set to deal with ...rather than deal with a set that I need *in use*

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by jsoto

Heh. For me, it's all about timining. I have only X hours I've accounted for to work on this on Sunday. I will at least *try* to start 1 and finish one. Never ending chore list.

Saturday is spring cleaning. Time to PW the exterior, the flooring, get the chairs and such unwrapped and out, etc. Never enough time.

Hence I'd rather have a 2nd set to deal with ...rather than deal with a set that I need *in use*

In the same boat man, spent all weekend this past one pruning trees and getting rid of all the branches I took down, I'm wayyyyy overdue for powerwashing of the exterior (we didn't get to it last year since we were redoing a lot on the interior and the old lady that lived in our house before use i'm sure skipped a few years, looks bad), and this weekend I have to cut our 1.7 acres for the first time, and start to dig out and edge the mulch beds so I can get mulch down before the weeds really start popping up.

Always something man, let me know how u do, if its basically impossible I'm buying a set of these, spraying the chrome shroud black to look more OE, and swapping all the internals of my headlights:

2001 2003 BMW E53 x5 Halo Projector Headlights Lamp Head Lights Set Left Right | eBay

[jsoto]

Sunday project may be delayed. I reached out to one guy with references to a solvent that helps on the seal....

Some permaseals being better than others - Fords permaseal, etc is bakeable BUT the BMW permaseal is total finger wrenching, bone wrenching all handwork involved (dremel speeds it up....but it's still all handwork).

I'm going to investiagate and sniff up that solvent route to see what it entailed and what level of sucess is it.


FWIW, while the ebay link looks *okay*, hopefully - dimensionally, everything transfers over. I'm hoping it does but the angle of the shot makes it look smaller overall than the OEM

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by jsoto

Sunday project may be delayed. I reached out to one guy with references to a solvent that helps on the seal....

Some permaseals being better than others - Fords permaseal, etc is bakeable BUT the BMW permaseal is total finger wrenching, bone wrenching all handwork involved (dremel speeds it up....but it's still all handwork).

I'm going to investiagate and sniff up that solvent route to see what it entailed and what level of sucess is it.


FWIW, while the ebay link looks *okay*, hopefully - dimensionally, everything transfers over. I'm hoping it does but the angle of the shot makes it look smaller overall than the OEM

Thats what I've heard about the BMW permaseal, total pain in the ass! Just ask X5SND member Spencer in his "brighter angel eyes" thread, he took the insane amount of time and patience to open the lights with picks he sharpened as he went on a bench grinder (he told me it took hours just to open one!) so I most likely will not be skinning my hands to get these open.

And just so you know, a few years ago those ebay headlights I mentioned were very popular on here, and if you dig deep searching "ebay headlights" from members like Gixxerboy63 and mrbmwx5 (Tom) you will see that all Xenon internals for the most part swap over. That's why I'll be doing a set of them after my next round of repairs is over with