This is for those of you de-lining, polishing, painting, or taking apart your MKIV headlights for any reason.
I've seen a lot of members use and recommend the use of silicone, FIPG, etc. etc. to re-seal the headlights. This is not the right way to do it. It's messy, it doesn't seal perfectly, and it makes it a PITA to take apart and re-seal later on if you've got any issues to take care of.
Do yourselves a favor and use some Butyl Tape. You can purchase it online or get some at a body shop or a auto paint supply store. I used the 5/16" roll, part number 4536 from Transtar Autobody Technologies. I got it from my shop. They told me it was about $10, but they just let me have it. I already did 2 lights and I estimate I have enough in that 1 roll to do 4 more.
It is the same stuff used to hold the plastic sheath to your inner door panel (the metal) and is also used to mount windows and windshields. It sticks real well and melts/gets tackier at bit of a lower temperature than the OEM headlight sealer... meaning you don't have to leave your lights in the oven that long. It seals GREAT, and it's REUSABLE which is something you can't say about silicone/RTV.
Butyl tape is not an actual tape. It's a rubbery bead, like a long twizzler I guess or some vacuum hose (but not hollow). You simply pack it into the groove in the headlight housing, and insert the housing in the oven for just a few minutes at 150 deg or so. You can touch it being careful not to get burned after a couple min. to test how tacky it is. Then you just press the lens on the light, you'll have to use some force whie the butyl tape oozes out of the way. Then you put the metal clips on.
Here is a link to one of the companies that makes/supplies it:
http://www.tat-co.com/version2/products_categories.asp?catid=6
It says on the box that it's not to be sold or used by the general public, so I don't know if you can purchase it online from this particular company, but at least it's a start... and you'll know what to look for when you try to find it at a paint supply store. As per Stefan (exvelocity) you can find it at AutoZone.
I've seen a lot of members use and recommend the use of silicone, FIPG, etc. etc. to re-seal the headlights. This is not the right way to do it. It's messy, it doesn't seal perfectly, and it makes it a PITA to take apart and re-seal later on if you've got any issues to take care of.
Do yourselves a favor and use some Butyl Tape. You can purchase it online or get some at a body shop or a auto paint supply store. I used the 5/16" roll, part number 4536 from Transtar Autobody Technologies. I got it from my shop. They told me it was about $10, but they just let me have it. I already did 2 lights and I estimate I have enough in that 1 roll to do 4 more.
It is the same stuff used to hold the plastic sheath to your inner door panel (the metal) and is also used to mount windows and windshields. It sticks real well and melts/gets tackier at bit of a lower temperature than the OEM headlight sealer... meaning you don't have to leave your lights in the oven that long. It seals GREAT, and it's REUSABLE which is something you can't say about silicone/RTV.
Butyl tape is not an actual tape. It's a rubbery bead, like a long twizzler I guess or some vacuum hose (but not hollow). You simply pack it into the groove in the headlight housing, and insert the housing in the oven for just a few minutes at 150 deg or so. You can touch it being careful not to get burned after a couple min. to test how tacky it is. Then you just press the lens on the light, you'll have to use some force whie the butyl tape oozes out of the way. Then you put the metal clips on.
Here is a link to one of the companies that makes/supplies it:
http://www.tat-co.com/version2/products_categories.asp?catid=6
It says on the box that it's not to be sold or used by the general public, so I don't know if you can purchase it online from this particular company, but at least it's a start... and you'll know what to look for when you try to find it at a paint supply store. As per Stefan (exvelocity) you can find it at AutoZone.
