Removing tail lights

Post by **Piazza_man** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 7:59 am

Could anyone tell me if there is an easier way of removing the tail lights that's sealed with that black gunk/sealer. The black sealer is sandwiched between the outside body skin and tail light. I don't want to ruin the paintwork or crack the lenses if I can avoid it. The black sealer is usually flexible and stays that way for a very long time, but after 26 years I think it may have hardened up. I'm thinking there might be a paint friendly solvent to break the sealer down. I'm keen to get the HBL tail lights on now.

Post by **wedgenut** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 3:28 pm

It isn't just sealer, they have a rubber gasket between the lamp and the body. They put sealant on the gasket to body side but not on the lamp to gasket side so you should be able to push the lamp assembly out (once you have removed the 7 nuts and metal frame of course. Once the lamp is out you can either leave the rubber sealed to the body for your new lamps to bed against or peel it off carefully using some turps if necessary, that won't harm car paint but should soften the sealer that is sticking the rubber gasket to the body.

Post by **Piazza_man** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 6:12 pm

I see. So the metal frame is on the inside of the boot space area, and it has to come out? I was hoping to leave that in because the HBL frame looks the same. I have threads poking out through the holes of the metal frame and I tried using a rubber mallet to push and bang against the threads, and hopefully pop the tail lights out. Looks like I'll need to take the metal frames out then. Thanks.

Post by **wedgenut** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 6:33 pm

Yep take the frames off they are held by the nuts against the inside frame of the body so the lamp can't come out until you take them off. With the frames off push firmly on the lamp body on the end nearest the boot lock and it will start to come away.

Post by **Piazza_man** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 9:30 pm

Sweet. Thanks bud.

Bugle · Post by **Bugle** » Sun Sep 02, 2012 11:48 pm

The HBL metal clamps look a fair bit different to the originals I don't think the originals would work anyway. I wonder why they had to go change the plug too...
There's actually something left of the rubber gasket? Every tail light i've got has a few remaining chunks of it after it has gone rock hard and cracked.

Post by **wedgenut** » Wed Sep 12, 2012 8:38 pm

That's a bit odd, maybe its the Aussie ambient conditions, I have taken lamps out of 83 -86 models in the past and the gasket is still flexible and intact, the gasket to body sealant is a pig to clean off it though. It is a closed cell urethane type gasket as far as I can tell.