Head light removal/replacement

[poorpeet]

I have just realised why my lights are so dim. The silver reflector on both sides is more oxidised light grey than silver!
Anyone ever replaced theirs? I assume that being held in by mastic I just need to run a stanley knife round them, clean off the old mastic from the body & bond on new units using Silkaflex or similar.
Is this right? Any tips?

[paul garabette]

The reflectors are mounted in the body and can be removed once the headlamp glass has been removed. Access is from the front of the car with the grill removed (Well, it is on my early car, but I seem to remember people talking about access hatches in the wheel arch on later cars). There are three wing nuts holding the reflector in place which on mine were completely rusted on and I had to struggle with each and snap them off with a pair of pliars to free the reflector. The reflector is also quite tight in the openning and needed some persuation to come free.

Fitting the new one is the reverse of removal! I ended up filing the openning slightly so that the reflector would move without getting wedged in the tight openning when the alignment adustment screws were turned.

I recommend that before you start you mark the centre of your light beam on the garage wall (any wall will do!) so that you can adjust the new one to a simillar alignment.

I ordered my reflector from TMS. You may be able to get one elsewhere....it is from a Scania truck! In case it helps the numbers on the reflector were Bosch 1 305 314 930. There were other markings aswell but I think that this is the part number.

Have fun. As ever ape like arms don't help and you will skin your knuckles undoing those wing nuts!

[chimjim]

i had a slight incident with the left headlamp lens and had to replace it, getting the surround off is a right pain in the arse. the mastic did its job very well. no tips, just thought i would share, good luck if you ever need to replace a lens!

[poorpeet]

Cheers Paul, Jim, Another job to be done. Any idea on the cost of the reflectors?

[paul garabette]

£30.55 each from TMS plus a few pence for wing nuts plus about £3 for a headlamp seal (rubber bit round the glass). I also had to get new adjustment/fixing screws, which I had destroyed in the process. They didn't come with the reflector and I got some at my local hardware store.