headlamp installation??

[chima]

hi everybody,
thanks to matt at TMS TVR i have received my original headlamps and reflectors...
but now i have a big problem !! bacause of no my car has some strange headlamps installed i dont have any idea of how the originals has to be installed !!! and theres no other tvr that i can check !!
i have the bible but theres no detailed picture of the lamp and reflectors connection on it ...
so i have no idea?
can anyone post some pictures about this?? ( i have the headlamo glass + the reflector + a 0 shape plastic sealand no idea how to connect them )
thanks

[chima]

[M@H]

In November tvrheart said:

I had to take my Headlamp glass off a few weeks ago as the beam deflector had came off inside the unit. This is how I did it in brief: Remove inspection hatch in front wheel arch, undo wing nuts holding light fairing in place, remove fairing carefully as it is also mastic'ed in various places. This will now expose the glass, use a sharp blade to cut the mastic which is all that holds the glass in place at this stage (or remainder of glass in your case perhaps - could use masking tape to prevent shattering over bodywork). In the Haynes tradition, refitting is a reversel of removal, be sure to clear all the old mastic off so that the new stuff will stick. Also, where the Headlamp glass has vertical lines on, make sure these will be vertical when the job is finished (I learnt the had way and forgot to take into account the fact that the car was part-jacked up at an angle, doh!) and don't use to much mastic otherwise it will be visible inside the unit. Refit the fairing, it is not too hard to line up with a certain amount of jiggling. Make sure you use plenty of sealant, dum dum in my case to prevent leaks.

[chima]

thanks M@H,
but because of i dont have the orijinal lamps installed on my car, the way thet they are installed now is just totally different ...
i am afraid the only way thet i can understand how to install the originals ones are by seeing some pictures....

[trefor]

Have you got the second edition of Steve's bible - I'm sure there is info in there.

To be honest, if you've got a hole to fill with the new headlamp and no obvious fixings the thing to do is use that really sticky sealent stype stuff, or fibreglass (Isopon P38 in the UK) to 'stick' the headlamp bowl in place, making sure you get it upright (90 degree angle etc.). It should be reasonably obvious how the headlamp cover fits.

Have you asked the factory for help?

T/.

[chima]

trefor said:

Have you got the second edition of Steve's bible - I'm sure there is info in there. T/.

yes i have the 2nd addition of the bible but theres only 1 picture shoving how to take off the cover ...
obviously you dont need the pictures when you see the real one in front of you ...my problem is i dont have the original lamps fixed ...so i dont have any idea of how they are supposed to be fixed...

i sent an e mail to TVR also.... lets see...

[shpub]

I don't think you have all the parts. There should be a metal ring assembly that attaches to the bodywork. This has the screws in it to adjust the beam angle. This is the bit that is in the bible and is usually covered in black mastic. This also hold the glass to the reflector. Without this ring, it will not fit together.

[chima]

thanks steve,
god ill cry now!!
ill ask for that piece... but i cant put it on without the pics !!
desperate!

[Big Al.]

Chima, I'll give it a sticky, that keeps it to the top of the Chim forum postings.

Hope this helps find your pics.

[the dodger]

Looking at the LH pic in the bible it looks like the cover just slides on over the two plastic T-shaped mountings at the bottom. But the RH pic shows two long screws (?) attached to the cover (cowl). Steve states this is the later type and early ones used mastic. On my '94 there is no evidence of mastic whatsoever but I'm not going to try to remove them unless I need to!

Any clarity available on this Steve?

[Revon]

I had to remove and replace my glass because the adjusters wouldn't adjust. Here's my [long] descrption of the fitting on my 97 Chimaera:

First the cowling was attached with 2 wingnuts/studs on each cowling. One stud is vertical in the middle of the cowling, the other is mounted at 45 degrees towards the middle of the radiator/numberplate. Both wingnuts can be reached through the grill aperture. You may find the stud comes away from the cowling if the wingnut is seized, and will need bonding back on. There are a number of spacing washers (8-10) between the cowling and the wing to correctly align the cowling. Make sure you don't mix them up.


The reflector bowl is located by 3 screws (approx 45mm x M4) which attach to the bowl by 3 small spigots. The spigots locate in plastic bushes on the outer rim of the reflector. The screws pass through threaded holes in the spigots, and use wing nuts to adjust the position of the reflector. These 3 screws locate the reflector in 3 holes in a fibreglass flange in the wing approx 60 mm behind the area where the glass is bonded to the wing. In between the wing and the reflector are 3 long springs to tension the reflector away from the wing flange. The head of the screw is nearest the front of the car, then the spigot, then the spring, then the fibreglass, then the wingnut towards the back of the car. This wingnut is accessible through the access panel in the front wheelarch.

The glass lense sits in a rubber seal, and is bonded into the wing aperture using sticky stuff ( I used all purpose black silicon sealant from my local DIY superstore). Remember to keep the vertical lines on the lense vertical (as others have said)

If this makes it clear as mud send me an email and I'll send you a diagram to confuse matters further

The usual disclaimers on manufacturers variations apply, and watch out for cuts from the headlamp aperture - I have a nice scar.