M3lachsilber

Head Light Blackout
Author: Aaron Pursell
Type: Technical
Last Updated: October 29, 2003

Page: 1


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Blackhousing Headlights

This is a very time consuming process make sure you have the whole day to work on it and not rush it... its a bit pain in the *** with the evo lights but well worth the results in the end. It took me about 10 hrs to complete.... anyway enjoy the write up and have fun trying it out yourself ... here it goes....

Materials need:
1. Flat Black/ high/low gloss engine paint (I used 500F Flat Black Engine Enamel)
2. White/ Grey fast drying primer
3. 600 Grit Sand Paper
4. silicone/rubber sealent
5. tools (flat head, exacto knife, other various screw drivers)
6. cookie sheet w/ damp towel (big enough to hold headlights)
7. some gloves
8. rubbing alchohol
9. HAVE ATELAST ONE OTHER PERSON WORK WITH YOU THAT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING


How To:
1. Remove the front bumper for removal of the head lights....
2. Admire the stock evo intercooler... much bigger without the front bumper
3. Headlight removed....Rear view

M3lachsilber

4. This probably the hardest part... REMOVE EVERYTHING!!!
must remove all the rubber, bulbs, wires, harnesses, etc....
be very VERY careful when removing the HID bulbs... this is where a good vinyl gloves come in handy so you dont get a hint of oil on the bulb. If you ever touch it ... its over for the bulbs cuz once you turn it on it will blow out and you know how expensive HID bulbs are....It feels like your in mission impossible when removing the bulb
5. Put HID bulb in a safe dust free area like inside a plastic case of some sort...
6. With all removed.... wet a towel that is big enough to cover the entire cookie sheet and damp it then cover the cookie sheet.
7. Pre heat your oven to 225 degrees F
8. Place headlight facing down on the towel and put it in the oven.
(note: I did one headlight at a time just incase I messed up one of em atleast I'll still have the other...... and plus to remember where everything went on the light)
9. After 15-20 mins... do not exceed 20mins... take it out of the oven.

M3lachsilber

10. Don't wait for it to cool down..... start holding the plastic parts of the headlight (avoid metal areas which are VERY hot) have one person start using a flat head to seperate the headlight. Do not force the clips off... once you start to stretch the sealent use the exacto knife and start cutting away...
11. Once removed... take the 600 grit sand paper and start sanding the chrome piece... doesn't have to be completely unshiny.. after that use rubbing alchohol to clean off the area.
note: I also sanded the chrome piece dats for the blinker
12. I tried removing the orange reflector on the chrome piece but won't come off unless you break something so I left it on and used masking tape and completely covered the orange reflector
13. take the chrome piece out doors put newspaper or something on the floor and put the chrome pieces on the newspaper.
14. start primering... make sure you spray evenly over the piece.... do not spray over and over again which will clunk up .... Do not leave any shiny areas seen... COAT IT EVENLY 3 TIMES.... wait 15 mins between each coat!

M3lachsilber

15. After you completed primer process start painting over it... use same method as primering.... 3 EVEN COATS and 15min gap between each coat.
16. When completely dry... (wow it looks awsome already!) use windex and clean off the insides well.....then put the painted piece back up on the back of the headlight and use the silicone sealent to seal the headlight back up... very slowly squeeze the sealent out of the tube evenly not too much but enough. put the plastic cover back on and start pressing it together and wipe off the excess sealent....
17. Almost complete.....This is how it should look like. wow it looks AWESOME!!!

M3lachsilber

18. Take the headlight out of the oven start pressing the headlight together ... let it cool down and check around to see if it has been sealed completely and apply some more sealent around the edges again....
19. after the sealent is completely dried up..... put all pieces back together ..... once again becareful with the HID bulb.... its alot easier to attach the ballast and the ground first before u attach the bulb back up....
20. FINALLY....install headlight and bumper back on the car and .......

Here is some pics of the final product:

M3lachsilber

Here a link to the original thread, Thanks to HKS EVO VIII, for writing this up!

link doesn't work unless you are a member

Discuss thread HERE. .