Okay, well since I've seen several people gawking at the results of modifying their headlamps to accept OEM projectors from other modern vehicles, I decided to give it a try. In this writeup I will be detailing the installation of low beam d2s projectors from the new Acura TSX into my 90-91 jdm accord one piece headlights. The entire process took me about 30 man hours to complete, but a lot of that time came from preparation and constant refitting, etc. So I'd suggest you don't start a project like this unless you have a few days or preferably a good week to work on the retrofitting process, and ideally have a backup set of headlights just in case. I could be wrong, but I believe I'm the first to retrofit projectors into 4th gen JDM one piece housings (or at least first to post it)
A few things to note...the 4th gen jdm one piece lenses are EXTREMELY cramped for space vertically, and just a word of warning, you will NOT be able to fit an HID projector with a 3" lense without extensive modifications and cutting. TSX projectors house 2.6" lenses, which are the smallest available on the market, and it's still an extremely tight fit which requires some cutting. So be warned, your stock housings will have to be cut up quite a bit.
List of tools you will need:
- tsx projectors
- of course a pair of ballasts and d2s bulbs
- wrench w/ various socket sizes and different flathead screwdrivers
- metal cutters
- 2000 grit sandpaper (optional)
- dremel (makes job a LOT easier)
- (2) 1 ounce kits of JB Weld (I suggest the regular formula as opposed to the quick formula)
- drill w/ various drill bits
- (8) 2.5" bolts or longer w/ plenty of matching nuts
- bag of #8 washers
- outdoor caulk (clear)
- adhesive promotor for spray paint
- high temp black spray paint (I use Duplicolor low gloss black engine paint)
- plenty of masking tape
- Mothers Mag & Aluminum polish
- Plastic polish (I used Novus #1 and 2)
- microfiber non abrasive towels/cloths
- a leveler (lasers are much easier to use)
- tape measure
- a level area to aim your projectors
Ok, first step is removing the bumper, and I will not delve into the details of removing the bumper. That information can be found easily on a search.
Once the bumper is off, remove the headlights. Since I used 90-91 one pieces, there is an extra chrome trim piece that goes around the headlight housing. Remove this. Stick the headlights inside an oven one at a time for 7 minutes at 250 degrees. Carefully pry the headlight lense from the housing so that you can gain access to the reflectors. Once you get the lenses off, you'll notice that the black trim piece is inside the lenses, while the low and high beam reflectors remain screwed into the main housing. To remove the lowbeam reflector (which you will be mounting the projector on), you will need to loosen the following three items on each headlight by rotating each counterclockwise:
Note the gold bolt which is a hex bolt, and the two 'aiming adjusters', which can be loosened by using a screwdriver and rotating each counterclockwise using the 'teeth,' but that method is quite extensive and unnecessary. Simply take a very small screwdriver (I used one used to repair glasses), or any other very strong, small tipped object and insert it into one of the three holes and rotate counterclockwise.
After you loosen all three thoroughly, the low beam reflector housing should come right out and you should have the following from each headlight:
At this point, you'll want to remove the chrome headlight 'cap' on each lowbeam reflector by removing the screws that hold them in the back, along with the bulb retaining clips.
Grab yourself a cardboard box and one of your TSX projectors, and, using a razor, create a template which accommodates the rear portion of the projector housing. You'll want to mount the projector with about 2.5 inches of the housing protruding through the cardboard, any more or less and you'll either have a hard time changing bulbs and/or losing foreground lighting because the projector will be mounted too far back into the housing. Ideally you'll want to have the rear of the d2s bulb flush with the outside lip of the headlight opening.
Using this cardboard template, center it on each of your lowbeam reflectors and create a cutting guide using a marker.
Now you're ready to have fun
Gather up your wits and just remember that 'you'll be fine as long as you take your time.' Grasp that trusty dremel and cutting wheel and begin making the incisions along your outlines, making sure to stay as close as you can to the marked guides.
Next, take your tsx projector housings and, using those 2.5" bolts (or longer) and matching nuts, secure the bolts to the housing, and test fit the projectors into the created openings and mark off the 4 points where the holes need to be drilled to fit the bolts which will anchor the projectors to the reflector housings. Drill the holes a little larger than the actual width of the bolts so that you can make adjustments just in case the projectors are crooked.
Remember to keep the projector centered...this is very important for the final presentation, especially if you want them to look matching and well done. You'll notice that I did not have enough funds to purchase a dremel and did EVERYTHING by hand...using a traditional drill and tons of prying and a sanding bit.
Not bad for a job done without a dremel, eh?
At this point, clean both reflectors thoroughly with soap and water and then rubbing alcohol and paint those suckers with that high temp black spraypaint. (I HIGHLY suggest this step, as any chrome will just contribute to stray light and glare, and defeats the purpose of the ultra sharp projector cutoffs)
At this point you should have what looks like the following:
If you haven't already done so, it's probably a good idea to paint the black trim piece that fits inside the lenses as well, just to cut down on time and wait. An optional step, if you are not going to use shrouds, is to paint the tsx projector housings themselves. I chose to do this, as the BMW Xenon shrouds which I originally intended to use had no chance in hell of fitting. Plus the tsx housings are great in the sense that they are fully enclosed and come with a stock 'chromish' bezel. Just be EXTREMELY careful if you're going to paint them, and be sure to remove the lenses and bezels and mask the projector assembly off intricately to ensure no paint gets onto the chrome reflector bowls, or else you're screwed.
Another step I took (though perhaps of not much benefit), was wetsanding the inside of the lense holder assembly with 2000 grit automotive sandpaper, and then following up with several coats of Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish, which transformed them from a dull hue to a very shiny reflective surface. Who knows, maybe I gained 2 percent output or more color...but maybe not
***Editing post to add link to another post with pictures***
Link to another thread that has pix of a similar project:
http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthre...715#post806715
A few things to note...the 4th gen jdm one piece lenses are EXTREMELY cramped for space vertically, and just a word of warning, you will NOT be able to fit an HID projector with a 3" lense without extensive modifications and cutting. TSX projectors house 2.6" lenses, which are the smallest available on the market, and it's still an extremely tight fit which requires some cutting. So be warned, your stock housings will have to be cut up quite a bit.
List of tools you will need:
- tsx projectors
- of course a pair of ballasts and d2s bulbs
- wrench w/ various socket sizes and different flathead screwdrivers
- metal cutters
- 2000 grit sandpaper (optional)
- dremel (makes job a LOT easier)
- (2) 1 ounce kits of JB Weld (I suggest the regular formula as opposed to the quick formula)
- drill w/ various drill bits
- (8) 2.5" bolts or longer w/ plenty of matching nuts
- bag of #8 washers
- outdoor caulk (clear)
- adhesive promotor for spray paint
- high temp black spray paint (I use Duplicolor low gloss black engine paint)
- plenty of masking tape
- Mothers Mag & Aluminum polish
- Plastic polish (I used Novus #1 and 2)
- microfiber non abrasive towels/cloths
- a leveler (lasers are much easier to use)
- tape measure
- a level area to aim your projectors
Ok, first step is removing the bumper, and I will not delve into the details of removing the bumper. That information can be found easily on a search.
Once the bumper is off, remove the headlights. Since I used 90-91 one pieces, there is an extra chrome trim piece that goes around the headlight housing. Remove this. Stick the headlights inside an oven one at a time for 7 minutes at 250 degrees. Carefully pry the headlight lense from the housing so that you can gain access to the reflectors. Once you get the lenses off, you'll notice that the black trim piece is inside the lenses, while the low and high beam reflectors remain screwed into the main housing. To remove the lowbeam reflector (which you will be mounting the projector on), you will need to loosen the following three items on each headlight by rotating each counterclockwise:
Note the gold bolt which is a hex bolt, and the two 'aiming adjusters', which can be loosened by using a screwdriver and rotating each counterclockwise using the 'teeth,' but that method is quite extensive and unnecessary. Simply take a very small screwdriver (I used one used to repair glasses), or any other very strong, small tipped object and insert it into one of the three holes and rotate counterclockwise.
After you loosen all three thoroughly, the low beam reflector housing should come right out and you should have the following from each headlight:
At this point, you'll want to remove the chrome headlight 'cap' on each lowbeam reflector by removing the screws that hold them in the back, along with the bulb retaining clips.
Grab yourself a cardboard box and one of your TSX projectors, and, using a razor, create a template which accommodates the rear portion of the projector housing. You'll want to mount the projector with about 2.5 inches of the housing protruding through the cardboard, any more or less and you'll either have a hard time changing bulbs and/or losing foreground lighting because the projector will be mounted too far back into the housing. Ideally you'll want to have the rear of the d2s bulb flush with the outside lip of the headlight opening.
Using this cardboard template, center it on each of your lowbeam reflectors and create a cutting guide using a marker.
Now you're ready to have fun
Gather up your wits and just remember that 'you'll be fine as long as you take your time.' Grasp that trusty dremel and cutting wheel and begin making the incisions along your outlines, making sure to stay as close as you can to the marked guides. Next, take your tsx projector housings and, using those 2.5" bolts (or longer) and matching nuts, secure the bolts to the housing, and test fit the projectors into the created openings and mark off the 4 points where the holes need to be drilled to fit the bolts which will anchor the projectors to the reflector housings. Drill the holes a little larger than the actual width of the bolts so that you can make adjustments just in case the projectors are crooked.
Remember to keep the projector centered...this is very important for the final presentation, especially if you want them to look matching and well done. You'll notice that I did not have enough funds to purchase a dremel and did EVERYTHING by hand...using a traditional drill and tons of prying and a sanding bit.
Not bad for a job done without a dremel, eh?
At this point, clean both reflectors thoroughly with soap and water and then rubbing alcohol and paint those suckers with that high temp black spraypaint. (I HIGHLY suggest this step, as any chrome will just contribute to stray light and glare, and defeats the purpose of the ultra sharp projector cutoffs)
At this point you should have what looks like the following:
If you haven't already done so, it's probably a good idea to paint the black trim piece that fits inside the lenses as well, just to cut down on time and wait. An optional step, if you are not going to use shrouds, is to paint the tsx projector housings themselves. I chose to do this, as the BMW Xenon shrouds which I originally intended to use had no chance in hell of fitting. Plus the tsx housings are great in the sense that they are fully enclosed and come with a stock 'chromish' bezel. Just be EXTREMELY careful if you're going to paint them, and be sure to remove the lenses and bezels and mask the projector assembly off intricately to ensure no paint gets onto the chrome reflector bowls, or else you're screwed.
Another step I took (though perhaps of not much benefit), was wetsanding the inside of the lense holder assembly with 2000 grit automotive sandpaper, and then following up with several coats of Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish, which transformed them from a dull hue to a very shiny reflective surface. Who knows, maybe I gained 2 percent output or more color...but maybe not
***Editing post to add link to another post with pictures***
Link to another thread that has pix of a similar project:
http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthre...715#post806715
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lol
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