jsciullo Posted October 14, 2003 Posted October 14, 2003 Need some help. The little metal reflector that sits inside the headlight has fallen off- again and is rattling inside my headlight. The last 3 times that this has happened I had the whole headlight replaced under warranty. I dont think Im going to get away with it this time. I can remove the headlight but cant seem to figure out an easy way to get to the inside of the headlight. There is a small phillips head screw that loosens so you can remove the headlamp off the bike. Once off the bike you have to completely remove the the screw that is held on with a square nut that seems to be unremoveable without trashing either the screw or the nut. Once that happens there is a wire mesh that secures the reflecter to the glass lens. I dont even have a clue as to how to get that off or get it back on. Anyone done this before? Any suggestions would be great!!! Dont want to trash the whole thing if I dont have to. Thanks, Jim
jrt Posted October 14, 2003 Posted October 14, 2003 Unfortunately, I would suggest you do trash it. I found that the light pattern wasn't very good after the reflector fell off mine (I also had it replaced under warranty). The beam just wasn't focused very well. Of course, the reflector was just lying in the housing- that may have had something to do with it. Could you go for an entirely different headlamp? cheers, jason
dlaing Posted October 14, 2003 Posted October 14, 2003 Oh lucky you! This is a hidden benefit because once you remove the low beam guard you will have a superior beam of light, that will not meet DOT standards but will give you more light where you need it. The trick is to remove the low beam guard. What I did took nearly an hour, but I was able to squash it with a combination of various pliars and then pull it out of the hole where the light blub goes. Be carful not to put too much pressure on the glass reflector or you could end up with broken glass everywhere and bloody hands. I did need to put some pressure on it, as the rim of the bulb's hole or socket aided in squashing the guard. Gloves may be a good idea.
jsciullo Posted October 14, 2003 Author Posted October 14, 2003 What kind of pliers did you use? I thought about that as well as the metal thingy does not seem to be very robust. Im just not sure if I have the right tools to get the job done. Jim
al_roethlisberger Posted October 14, 2003 Posted October 14, 2003 The whole headlight assembly comes apart pretty easily once you remove the bottom screw, and pull the reflector from the bucket. It just takes a firm, but careful pull. Just lift up from the bottom, as there is a tab that the reflector seats into at the top of the bucket housing. Once out, here is one warning: Wear gloves, or clean the outside of the silver plated reflector with glass cleaner before lighting the lamp again! Ask me how I know If you do not, the next time you take the reflector out, you'll see all the nice neat fingerprints all over the outside of the reflector where the oil from your hand has burnned the "silver" and evaporated it away... leaving clear plastic I don't think this has any real effect on the lamp, as the the inside of the reflector is coated as well, but I would guess it helps keep the temps down inside the bucket. Anyway, just something to be aware of. To get into the lamp itself, you simply have to gently pry the trim ring up around the back edge and it will snap off.... and snap right back one when done. No big deal. Also, again, be really careful not to touch the reflector. If you leave a finger print, it doesn't seem to harm this side of the reflector, but the coating is extremely soft. If you try to wipe it off even with the softest of clothes, it will just scratch the reflector and leave a "dull spot".... If you do get a print on the inside reflector, I'd recommend just leaving it. It's not very noticeable once the lamp is back together. If you have the lamp apart, I'd also take the opportunity to clean the inside of the glass lens. Mine got kinda dingy and foggy after a while, and a good cleaning made a big difference. Bottom line though, I'm not impressed with the lamp. It seems cheaply made, and worse not easily serviceable. Surprise surprise al
docc Posted October 14, 2003 Posted October 14, 2003 Al is right about the disassembly. The lamp will come apart to remove the low beam guard. After receiving my warranty replacement I was immediately impressed with a fuller more focused beam. When mine craps out again I think I'll try to fit a unit from the V-rod. Kind of an MV Brutale look.
DougInMA Posted October 14, 2003 Posted October 14, 2003 Jim, I just completed removing my low beam guard from my headlight about ten minutes ago… Mine is a Bosch unit, not sure if any others were used. Remove the headlight from the housing. After the headlight has been removed, there are 8 clips that retain the headlight to the rim, 4 on each side of the phillips head screw retainer, they look like a bunch of wires. Press down on the straight side of the last clip and swing it from under the lip on the rim. Do the same for the remaining clips. The headlight can now be removed from the rim, top first. There is a rubber gasket between the reflector and the glass front. Mine was merely pressed in place and came apart using a screwdriver and gentle prying action. Assembly is in the reverse order. As was mentioned above, keep the inside of the reflector clean and fingerprint free. Haven't had time to check out the resulting beam, so not sure how it is at night, I was never impressed right from the beginning so anything would be an improvement. Hope this helps. Doug
dlaing Posted October 15, 2003 Posted October 15, 2003 Drat! I did it the hard way! I tried to get the clear glass lens or headlight face off of the parabolic reflector, but I thought is was permanently glued on!!! So I slowly mashed the bulb guard with vice grips and needle nose pliars
jrt Posted October 16, 2003 Posted October 16, 2003 That just prolongs the enjoyment, David. Cheers, Jason
jsciullo Posted October 16, 2003 Author Posted October 16, 2003 So are you saying that you have to completely remove the philips head screw? That was my assumption and it the screw is where Im having the problem. I can only remove the screw to a certain point. At that point the square metal nut doesnt go any further. I dont want to strip the screw. If you dont have to remove the screw all the way - sounds like this is going to be easy. Can someone confirm the screw removal? Thanks, Jim
DougInMA Posted October 16, 2003 Posted October 16, 2003 Jim, After the headlight is off the bike, you don't have to remove the screw to disassemble the headlight. The screw, square nut and bracket are only used to keep the headlight in the shell. Removing the wire clips will enable you to remove the headlight from the rim. Once removed from the rim, you can gently pry the glass away from the reflector. Regards, Doug
Guest captain nemo Posted October 17, 2003 Posted October 17, 2003 Are you guys saying that removing this thing will inclease the intensity and focus of my light even though I run a high beam at all times?
dlaing Posted October 17, 2003 Posted October 17, 2003 Are you guys saying that removing this thing will inclease the intensity and focus of my light even though I run a high beam at all times? I would say it will increase the over all brightness and evenness not the intensity and focus of both the low and high beam. It will be more offensive to oncoming traffic when in low beam. And you will be more likely to see things that are above the "cut off" edge of the Low-Beam. In high beam, I imagine the difference of offense, focus, and brightness is marginal. If the guard has scratched the reflector mirror up alot, you may lose focus. PS, I ain't no expert.
docc Posted October 18, 2003 Posted October 18, 2003 In high beam, I imagine the difference of offense, focus, and brightness is marginal. This is completely true. The only difference i noticed was in the low beam.
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