Decided to do one of the many fiddly jobs that will still need to be done so I can put it back together, cleaning up a set of taillights.
Thankfully i have around 3 sets of taillights for each side so I can pick and choose to make a really good pair. This however involves lots of cleaning as many of them were covered on overspray from previous repairs, etc. If you only have 1 set then you just need to be really careful - especially with the rubber seal - and do the best with what you have.
1st up select a light to dismantle and clean.
To begin with remove the wiring harness by twisting the globe holders anti-clockwise then pulling them out of the light.
Once this is done remove the 6 screws holding the chrome bezel in place. Use a #2 Phillips screwdriver and be very careful as the heads can strip easily if they are rusty. The chrome bezel should come off easily once they are all removed. Take note of which hole they come from as there are 2 different lengths depending on what size of the bezel they come from.
Next up is to remove the lenses. If you are lucky they will come off easily. If they are stuck to the rubber seal be very careful about getting them off. Out of all the taillights i pulled apart I only got 2 good seals, 2 poor seals that could be fixed if needed, and the rest crumbled into dust. The taillight will not go back together properly without this seal.
You then need to remove the seal from the light housing. This wasn't as hard as removing the lenses but care still needs to be taken to avoid damaging the rubber seal. At this stage your taillight is now just a collection of parts.
Next up is to clean off all the dirt. I used 2 buckets - 1 with soapy water to clean the parts in, the other with clean water to rinse them in. I found using a toothbrush and a pipe cleaner was helpful in getting into all the tight spots. After doing the above steps for all my taillights i was left with a tub of parts to try and organise and put back together.
Next up is to go through the parts and pick the best of the bunch to make your good taillight. Check for things such as cracks, chips, pitting and other damage. Once you have done this the polishing begins. For the lenses I used Mequiars Motorcycle Plastic Cleaner/Polish. For the chrome bezel I used Mothers Chrome Polish. For the lenses you will need to use plenty of elbow grease to remove any fine scratches. Deeper scratches or pitting may need a light sand with some really fine (ie. around 2000grit) sandpaper to remove the imperfections before polishing. The chrome bezel is a similar story however any sanding will damage the chrome. You will have to be content with just polishing them. Once all the polishing is done you should have a bunch of shiny parts ready to go back together. I got carried away and already put the rubber seal back on before taking the pic.
Putting it back together I found it easiest to start with the chrome bezel. Sitting it face down on something soft i then placed the lenses into it. I then put the housing complete with rubber seal on top before screwing it back together with the 6 phillips head screws, taking care to put the correct length screws in each side. Give the wiring harness a quick wipe down before re-installing. A simple mater of pushing the globe holders in and turning clockwise to lock them into place. The taillight should then be ready to be put back in, while you will probably be ready for a cold drink while you sit back and wonder what mischief you can get up to now your fingerprints have been rubbed off with all the polishing.
