Rear Lens Repair.

 

Mr. Lucas strikes again

If you have a se5a onward you will no doubt be aware that the lights at the back are - dim - to say the least. The reasons for this are two fold, the poor electrical connections and the amount of muck that has accumulated behind the lenses. Trying to remove the lenses you will find the fasteners are desparatley rotted into one lump and here is your first project. Remove the lens without smashing it.

I think the best way to do this is to heat the fasteners and slowly pull the lens from the back of the car.

What are you doing with that blowtorch .. NO ... the petrol tank.... *BOOM*
I think pre-heated pliers or a hot soldering iron is the order of the day

Then the redundant fastener can be safely fettled and disposed of. Gently tap the hole in the lens where the fastener went with 2ba taps and replace the fastener with a nice brass 2ba screw and washer. - Job done.

If however you have been unfortunate enough not to use heat to remove the lenses then you will probably have snapped one of the internal pillars off the lens like this.

 

This one had been snapped by a previous owner - and left to rot.

 

 

Normally this will involve a call to the supplier and the consequent flexing of the credit card but ....

 
  You realy must be prepared to lose one here - and I don't mean a finger. It could shatter easily  

First apply a 10mm slot mill to clean the hole - carefull now and just to the depth of the original drilling (moulding).
just take it real easy - no cutting fluid and quite a fast speed but slow feed..

 
         
  Tap them before you fit them - or you will just snap them again. Gently on the melted out ones.

 

 

Cut yourself some 10mm perspex rod pillars - 15mm long and drill and tap them 2BA - best done on a lathe but not impossible otherwise.

 
  Maybe cut the heads off and use nuts. Just as good, and a little more flexible.  

Ready to refit. The new pillar is stuck in with superglue in this case but I guess some epoxy would do.

It's on the right,

Pop them back on and give yourself a pat on the back (and wallet).

 
         
 
     
 

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