Removing The Old Silicon

[xbxradxsx]

I took apart my headlights so that I could paint the bezels, and I can't get the silicone out of the groove in the gray part for crap. I got it off the lenses fairly easily. I was wondering if anyone that has already had the trouble could help me out. I've already put them in the freezer and tried that approach, but that just seems to make it where the silicon is harder, but won't flake or peel off. Any help please. This is bugging the crap out of me. At this rate, it'll take me 5 hours just to get the old silicon off.

[Menace]

I really cant help yah there man, Im planning on doing my headlights somtime this weekend. If you get it done plz poist pics and tell me how so I dont go through the same poop that you did.

[alerored04]

i had the same problem, i never figured it out, i got sick of dealing with it so i put the silicon covered parts back in the oven to soften it up, put more silicon over the top of the old stuff to get a good seal, and stuck em back together. not the ideal solution but thats what i did. good luck with it cause its a b****.

[alerochick242]

I didn't take out all of the old silicone, I just cleaned it up a bit. I left the old silicone in the gray part, put a bead of new silicone on the clear part. Before assembling the two parts, I took a heat gun to the gray part to soften the old silicone, then quickly put the two parts together. It has been a few weeks since I did my headlights, and no leak, even while driving through a downpour a week ago. But like you I figured that it would take like 5 hours to get it out, so I just said "screw it." Just make sure that after you put the headlight back together to make sure the headlight is sealed all the way around with new silicone. I also let my headlights cure for 24 hours as recommeded on the silicone tube before reinstalling them.

[Mr_White]

some people have used the freezer I gess it makes the silicone brittle & easy to remove

[cgriffin]

and some people are idiots.......

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

put it back in the oven and scoop all the goop out with a small screwdriver.

[Nik1128]

I put the grey ficture of the headlight in the freezer, then took a hair dryer and a medium sized flat head screw driver to it. Worked like a charm.

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

^ you could have skipped the freezer step. it's pointless. your car haas been in colder places than most in-home freezers can get (seeing as you live in Minnesota) and the hair dryer is heating the silicone, just as the oven I prescribed would do. Making silicone cold once it has already dried is really pointless.

[Nik1128]

Good point.

I initially put it in the freezer then immediatly tried take out the old silicone... That didn't work. Then I tried taking my blow dryer to it.

[gre0481]

They've been using this stuff for years. it's tacky but pliable. I wouldn't think it would be silicon in the general sense. It's heat reactive. the cooler it gets, the firmer. Use a blow dryer, or if you have access; a heat gun.

I'm not crazy about shoving a headlight assembly into the oven.

I'm not sure if it's the same stuff GM's been using for years, but they used it on the tails in my 87 fiero. I had to replace the chrome bezels in that, and use some plastic polish on the lense (get rid of yellowing from age)

The stuff is reuasable, but if it's caked with dirt/sand, just use another form of water/heat resistant sealant. If it's clean, ball up the old stuff. Roll it like you were rolling a clay snake in pre school. You'll have one long string of goop, it should be pliable, and sit it back where you took it from. (I reckon it would be some seam around the edges). If I do mine, I'll probably heat it up with some pressure applied to the back, to mnake sure it seals up again.

If you don't have a good seal, the moisture will get caught. That'll cause short bulb life, and deteriorating chrome.

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

^ I don't think the stuff in Alero headlights is the same as that stuff.

if you have the oven on for up to 250 degrees (one of the lowest temps gas ovens can get up to) your headlight will be fine for a bit. 20 minutes is good to liquify the silicone (10 minutes is good to make it pliable). I'm pretty sure the lights get hotter than 250 when lit up, so you don't have to worry about warping the lens or the rest of the assembly.