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| Foggy Headlight. https://www.slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=22334 |
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| Author: | emsvitil [ Mon Mar 19, 2007 10:06 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Foggy Headlight. |
The headlight on my motorcycle (but this would apply to any non-sealed beam headlight) is bit foggy on the inside. After removing the H4 bulb what can I use to clean the inside out. I was thinking of swishing Isopropyl or denatured alcohol inside of it and letting dry out.......... I want to clean it out, but don't want to screw up the reflector.......... |
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| Author: | SlantSixDan [ Tue Mar 20, 2007 7:28 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Foggy Headlight. |
Quote: The headlight on my motorcycle (but this would apply to any non-sealed beam headlight) is bit foggy on the inside. After removing the H4 bulb what can I use to clean the inside out. I was thinking of swishing Isopropyl or denatured alcohol inside of it and letting dry out. I want to clean it out, but don't want to screw up the reflector.
Headlamps get that foggy appearance on the inside for two reasons: Buildup of cooked dust, dirt from condensate, and deposited offgas from sealing materials, or a dead reflector overcoat. The reflector is made out of vapour-sputtered aluminum with a silica or lacquer overcoat to prevent oxidation of the very thin aluminum layer. Once the overcoat breaks down, the reflector's dead. Washing the lamp is possible if done carefully. If it's foggy due to dirt buildup, washing will clean it. If it's foggy due to dead overcoat, washing will usually finish it off and either it won't unfog or you'll see the reflector shiny stuff go down the drain when you rinse the lamp out. To degas headlamps: Remove the lamp assemblies and remove the bulbs. Place one or two drops of transparent liquid dish detergent in each lamp. (e.g. regular green Palmolive, regular blue Dawn, regular yellow Joy or Ajax, etc...pick something you can see through and that does NOT contain any kind of hand lotion.) Fill each lamp about 3/4 full of hot distilled(!) water. Cover the bulb hole (the factory shipping cap is nice, but the clean palm of your hand or the bulb itself will work, too) and vigorously shake/slosh/swirl the lamp to agitate the hot soapy water. Do this over a sink, and hold on with both hands so the lamp doesn't slip from your grip, fall and break. Then, remove the bulb hole cover, turn the lamp bulb-hole-down, and swirl the lamp to cause the water to drain from it in a circular fashion. Repeat, then rinse the lamp repeatedly with hot distilled(!) water until all traces of soapsuds are gone. To dry the lamps, place them lens-down in your clean kitchen oven and close the oven door. Turn the oven to Bake/350 for 3 minutes, then turn the oven off and leave the door closed. In about an hour, your lamps should be thoroughly dry. If your oven is gas instead of electric, you'll probably need to run the oven for 5 minutes to get it up to temperature before turning it off. There may be the odd water spot here and there when the lamps are dry; don't worry about it. |
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| Author: | emsvitil [ Tue Mar 20, 2007 2:08 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Thanks, I need to get some distilled water and I'll give it a try. I don't think it's the reflector, but I am pretty close to the coast. And if it matters, it's just the upper half of the lamp that's foggy. (It's a 5.25" round sealed-beam lookalike lamp) |
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| Author: | emsvitil [ Tue Mar 20, 2007 6:34 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Thanks |
That did the trick. Glass front and aluminized plastic reflector........ Are all H4 sealed beam replacement lamps like that? |
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| Author: | SlantSixDan [ Tue Mar 20, 2007 7:56 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Thanks |
Lenses can be glass of several different types or polycarbonate. Reflector can be stamped steel, cast aluminum, thermoset resin, moulded thermoplastic... |
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| Author: | emsvitil [ Tue Mar 20, 2007 8:06 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Out of curiousity, what are Cibies made of? |
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| Author: | SlantSixDan [ Tue Mar 20, 2007 9:18 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Quote: Out of curiousity, what are Cibies made of?
Stamped steel reflectors & optics grade soda-lime glass.
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| Author: | BigBlockBanjo [ Tue Mar 20, 2007 11:35 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Hey Dan, A bit off subject....but not enough to start a new thread. What do you consider to be the best bang for the buck on headlight upgrades? Any particular favorite? Stock sealed beams never facinated me much........I like the look of those "clear-face" lights, but I think they are import junk. 
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| Author: | slantvaliant [ Wed Mar 21, 2007 7:09 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Heeeeeeere's DAN! |
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| Author: | SlantSixDan [ Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Quote: Hey Dan,
You're right, all the clear-lens and "diamond cut" lamps are Chinese junk. And many of the lamps without window-clear lenses are also Chinese junk. The best bang for the buck really depends on how well you want to see (how big a bang do you want) and what your budget looks like (how many bucks can you spend). Good headlamp lens-reflector units start at $60 and go up to $239 (each!). You'll definitely want to put in relays to bring full power to the headlamps and take the workload off the headlamp and beam selector switches (and greatly reduce the current load going through the A1A circuit through the ammeter...), parts kit to do that is $45. And good bulbs run $9 to $20 apiece depending on what type you're after. Doing it up right is costly, especially if you're used to buying $12 sealed beams, but the upgrade pays for itself immediately with the first deer/moose/kid you don't hit, y'know what I mean? A bit off subject....but not enough to start a new thread. What do you consider to be the best bang for the buck on headlight upgrades? Any particular favorite? Stock sealed beams never facinated me much........I like the look of those "clear-face" lights, but I think they are import junk.  Hit my site, ask me questions. |
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