Tailight Lenses/Birds?

Topic: Tailight Lenses/Birds? (Read 2785 times) previous topic - next topic

Tailight Lenses/Birds?

August 22, 2007, 02:44:21 AM

I've never had my tail lights off before, So im not sure how they disassemble...

Does anyone know off-hand if you can somewhat easily take just the outer red lens part off of an 83-86 Tailight assembly?
Or if you can remove just the bird emblem?

I'm just curious because my tailights have the plastic black/chrome birds~And the chrome looks like , However i like the look of the chrome birds...
So if i ever find some nicer ones at the yard i was wondering if i could swap out just the bird emblem or the lens instead of the whole assembly, And keep the costs down (25$ per tailight assembly!

)

Tailight Lenses/Birds?

Reply #1 – August 22, 2007, 02:53:03 AM

Do you have the plastic of the chrome bird? I'd think they come off, but I have no clue on how to do it. I wonder if they would look that bad with no bird at all now come to think of it

Tailight Lenses/Birds?

Reply #2 – August 22, 2007, 03:02:49 AM

Quote from: 84 Fila;171076

Do you have the plastic of the chrome bird? I'd think they come off, but I have no clue on how to do it. I wonder if they would look that bad with no bird at all now come to think of it

My birds are a black plastic with a chrome paint junk on them, I was just out looking at them and it looks like the birds would probably come off... I just dont want to wreck them.
It probably wouldn't look too bad without them, but there would probably be an inset of where the emblem was and maybe a hole or 2?.

Next time we find a broken tailight at the yard or something we should look into it, The heritage had broken ones but the broken parts/lenses weren't anywhere to be found.

Tailight Lenses/Birds?

Reply #3 – August 25, 2007, 02:00:07 AM

Did another search, And it looks like the lenses are held on by metal clips?

Has anyone taken off the lenses before, Specifically on a 83-84 Tail light and have any tips/advice?
I really don't want to end up breaking anything on mine...

Tailight Lenses/Birds?

Reply #4 – August 25, 2007, 09:46:44 AM

usually in addition to clips in some cases, the outter perimeter is sealed wtih glue.

Tailight Lenses/Birds?

Reply #5 – August 25, 2007, 06:22:09 PM

From the 84 shop manual:
Lens Replacement Rear:
1. The lamp assembly will not have to be removed from the vehicle to replace the lens.
2. Using a screwdriver pry off the damaged lens which is presently attached to the lamp body with a butyl seal.
3. Remove all of the existing butyl seal from the lamp body by sing with a small screwdriver.

I believe the "butyl seal' is a sticky on both sides rubber tape.

Tailight Lenses/Birds?

Reply #6 – August 25, 2007, 08:42:29 PM

Butyl seal is a putty-like black substance...it's sticky and softens with heat. There's a roll of it that came with one of my NOS taillight lenses. No knifing is required.

I've found that warm weather is the key to removing lenses successfully. Leave the taillight bolted to the car, as noted above. Basically, put a hand on each end of the lens, and pull towards you but not real hard. Wiggling the lens, or rocking right to left to right, is good. What you want to do is release the clips...the butyl seal will naturally separate by itself. The clips are, for the most part, along the upper edge. You'll hear the clips pop, then it's just a matter of wiggling the lens free of the housing.

Just take your time and BE PATIENT. It's very easy to apply too much pressure and then crack the lens.

Tailight Lenses/Birds?

Reply #7 – August 26, 2007, 03:13:45 AM

there not hard to swap out heres my pics form 3 years back. It does not take much time to do but its nothing a teenager can not do. As far as pricing goes on those tail lights don't get in a rush and just shop till you find some for the right price and in the shape you want/need.

This is my car stock all except the hood and it came with the wheels when i had it paid off the 1st time back in like 2004............So it just goes to show its gone a long way in kind of a short time i did not really put any money in it for the 1st year and a half.

Tailight Lenses/Birds?

Reply #8 – September 07, 2007, 10:06:27 PM

Score!
Just got back from the yard, and they got in yet another '83 bird.

The tailights are nearly perfect~the lenses at least.
I just went ahead and bought the whole assemblys since it would have costed 12.50ea for the lenses alone, And only an extra 5ea for the whole assy.
Heh, And thats for tailights over 20inch too... The small tailights cost 13.50 for the whole assy or 12.50 for the lense only? *shrugs*.

Anyway,
Wow... the lenses sure do come off easy, I wasn't even trying to pull them and they came off/unglued when i was pulling the assy's from the body.

Now i gotta clean em up, Re-Glue em and install em. :hick:

I also picked up a probe wing that looked semi decent laying on the '83 in the yard, but i'll probably just sell it instead of using it.
Then got an uncracked fat console lid, Manual drivers seat track, and im hitting myself because i forgot the un-broken grille off the '83~need to go back and get it.

Tailight Lenses/Birds?

Reply #9 – September 07, 2007, 11:41:21 PM

Metal clips hold them together not the seal. That and the butyl seal is a rubber seal with sticky on it. Butyl is the same rubber they use alot to make that seal that seals the edge of the speaker cone to the basket. Very flexible rubber.

Tailight Lenses/Birds?

Reply #10 – September 07, 2007, 11:45:34 PM

I got a little ldea brewing today. I was at a local street fair in my town and I saw an 86 Tbird. I looked at it and noticed the lights on it. I talked the owner into lettimg me look in the truck to see the arangement of the lights. Apart from the backup lights, they look close. Now I have a set of 86 lenses ( no cracks, still good condition) and good 84 housings ( big crack in the lense and they don't match). I got to thinking.... can I just re-arange the bulbs in the 84 harness and put 86 lenses on the same assembly?

Sorry for the total thread jack, it just kinda came to me. I thought I'd get complained at for a seperate thread while this sorta pretains to this one

Tailight Lenses/Birds?

Reply #11 – September 08, 2007, 04:34:24 AM

Quote from: ipsd;175044

Metal clips hold them together not the seal. That and the butyl seal is a rubber seal with sticky on it. Butyl is the same rubber they use alot to make that seal that seals the edge of the speaker cone to the basket. Very flexible rubber.

Yea,
The passenger tail was more in the sunlight, So when i pulled the lens out the black sticky junk looked like venom (symbiote suit) from spider-man. :hick:

Quote from: 84 Fila;175046

I got a little ldea brewing today. I was at a local street fair in my town and I saw an 86 Tbird. I looked at it and noticed the lights on it. I talked the owner into lettimg me look in the truck to see the arangement of the lights. Apart from the backup lights, they look close. Now I have a set of 86 lenses ( no cracks, still good condition) and good 84 housings ( big crack in the lense and they don't match). I got to thinking.... can I just re-arange the bulbs in the 84 harness and put 86 lenses on the same assembly?

Sorry for the total thread jack, it just kinda came to me. I thought I'd get complained at for a seperate thread while this sorta pretains to this one

No prob, I also checked into the bird swapping~Looks like they are glued on, Would rather not break anything finding out.

This junkyard is crazy man... seems like everytime i go in, Theres a new fox.
Theres like 5-6 right now, Mostly cougars.

Tailight Lenses/Birds?

Reply #12 – September 08, 2007, 07:21:29 AM

No, not the bird swapping, swapping out the entire lense. I'll know after it stops raining if it will physicaly work or not

Tailight Lenses/Birds?

Reply #13 – September 08, 2007, 07:45:29 PM

Quote from: 84 Fila;175099

No, not the bird swapping, swapping out the entire lense. I'll know after it stops raining if it will physicaly work or not

I cant get pictures and stuff of the 83-84 assemblys~disassembeled if you need them.

Tailight Lenses/Birds?

Reply #14 – September 09, 2007, 01:15:49 AM

I *should* be trying this tomorow, as it rained most of the day here today. I'll include py camara phone pics of course. I give it 50/50 chance at best to work.