Front PL/TS Lens Install Problem

[jrmunn]

It seems that everything about fixing up my 64 GMC turns into twice as much work as I expected. Now, I want to replace my faded and cracked front parking light/turn signal lenses. Rivets come with the new lens, but seem to attach to a housing that is inside the hood structure, with no obvious way to remove the housing or otherwise get to the rivets. As with my other pickup "projects", I am sure that I am not the first one to be doing this. Any advice on how to use the rivets or otherwise replace the lens would be greatly appreciated.

JRMunn

[FetchMeAPepsi]

IIRC the repops go on the inside of the hood and they're smaller. The only way to keep them looking stock is to buy them from a junkyard. Dont quote me on it but seems like i remember reading that. You can polish up the oold ones with plastix though. follow the directions and it works great. Here it is on amazon for 6.00

when youre done with your lights you can use it on the wifes headlights too. i did and it took the sun/age damage right off.wont fix the cracks though. dont know what id do about that

[Vernski]

Originally Posted by jrmunn

It seems that everything about fixing up my 64 GMC turns into twice as much work as I expected. Now, I want to replace my faded and cracked front parking light/turn signal lenses. Rivets come with the new lens, but seem to attach to a housing that is inside the hood structure, with no obvious way to remove the housing or otherwise get to the rivets. As with my other pickup "projects", I am sure that I am not the first one to be doing this. Any advice on how to use the rivets or otherwise replace the lens would be greatly appreciated.

JRMunn

JR the housings come out they have spring clips on the side of the housing you have to depress the clip there is 4 of them. Get someone to help you when you depress the clips have your buddy push out on the housing. They are hard to see the clips when they are installed use a bright light to see the clips from the back side. Be careful putting in the rivets you can crack the lens very easily. Good luck with the install..Vernski PS if you have use the old housing clean them up the best you can and spray with chrome like paint.

[jrmunn]

Vernski - Thank you for telling me how to get to remove the PL/TS housing. I am now able to get back to working on the truck and have one more question before taking out the old lens. Can you tell me how to secure the new lens rivets, which would seem to require pounding from the inside while holding them in place on the outside. I am concerned that pounding on the rivets will, as you point out, crack the lens. Is there a special tool I need to do this?

JRMunn

[Vernski]

Originally Posted by jrmunn

Vernski - Thank you for telling me how to get to remove the PL/TS housing. I am now able to get back to working on the truck and have one more question before taking out the old lens. Can you tell me how to secure the new lens rivets, which would seem to require pounding from the inside while holding them in place on the outside. I am concerned that pounding on the rivets will, as you point out, crack the lens. Is there a special tool I need to do this?

JRMunn

JRM I will do my best to explain the process, I don't have any pic's It sure would make it easier. The rivets are hollow and you need a tool it looks like a punch the end is re-cessed with a ^ in the tip this spreads the rivet apart to hold the lens on the housing. The hard part is holding the parts while taping with a small hammer if you have someone to help hold the parts or the hammer. The rivet has a flat end hold it against an anvil and tap on the other end with the hammer real easy, it don't take much of a blow to spread the rivet. The rivet tool should come w/lens kit if not maybe you might have to google for it. Any more roadblocks let me know..Vernski

[jrmunn]

Vernski - I was afraid that the answer would be to pound (tap) the rivets down. The lens kit I got does not have a rivet tool, and what I have in the garage is too long. I am thinking of drilling out the old rivets and using small screws in place of the rivets. This would, I think, be easier and I would not have to take out the light housing. Can you think of problems with this approach?

JRMunn

[Vernski]

Originally Posted by jrmunn

Vernski - I was afraid that the answer would be to pound (tap) the rivets down. The lens kit I got does not have a rivet tool, and what I have in the garage is too long. I am thinking of drilling out the old rivets and using small screws in place of the rivets. This would, I think, be easier and I would not have to take out the light housing. Can you think of problems with this approach?

JRMunn

JRM I not sure how that would work the screws would have to just the right length for it to work right. Anything is possible it might affect the stock look of it in someway but I'm not sure how. I'll study mine awhile and see what can be done..Vernski

[Vernski]

OK JRM it looks like if you used screws you would have to drill into the edge of the opening on the hood where the housing butts up use it as a template to mark where to drill the holes. You could use some flat blind nuts to secure the screw, what size depends on what size the drilled holes are hopefully not as big as the hole in the lens. Hope that helps out keep me posted..Vernski

[Rick]

Hi,

There is a special tool to remove the lens from the hood, which makes removal easy. However it can be done, with out the tool if you are careful.

The rivets you should drill out from the back. Use a bit that is the same size as the new rivets. The rivets they give with the kit have heads that are bigger than original, carefully sand them to the size of the original. When pounding the back of the new rivet, be very gentle, & be sure you have the head on a solid object. Like a punch, clamped in a vise.

If you are careful, the new ones will look just like original EXCEPT the word "cat eye" will be missing.