'94 Explorer Headlight assembly R/R

[Rooster]

My passengers side head light assembly is filling up with moisture, especially after it rains. I drilled a couple of small holes on the bottom of the housing assembly to drain. This really has not helped my situation, now I am growing mold (?) and it still retains moisture. My Haynes fix it book is very vague on the removal procedure. It states I need to remove the grill assembly, a couple of screws and plastic rivets. What do I replace the plastic rivets with once I cut them out? Any quick fix? Once I get the housing out, can I use silicone to fix the leak?
Thanks
Rich

 

[Green94]

The plastic rivets are on the panel that hold your rubber cover down on the radiator support. You don't have to break them to get them out, they're 2 piece and the inner piece pops out. There's a couple screws you'll have to remove and then the grille just snaps out. After that the assembly should come right out. You could try silicone to fill the holes, but make sure you dry it out really good before doing this. I'd wash out your lights to get the mold out and dry them with a hairdryer, what I used on my mustang lights once. I skipped that on my X and bought new lights off Ebay. Good luck.

 

[Rooster]

Green94,
Thank you for the reply and the gouge on the grill removal.
r
Rich

 

[Bob Pederson]

Additional info on headlight assembly repair.

I just happened to replace my pass side headlight on my '94 last week. Green94 was right about the two-piece plastic retainers for the rubber strip across the top of the grill assembly. Slip a fine screwdriver inbetween the two pieses and pry up the top piece about 1/4". The retainer assembly will then simply pull out. I would recommend that you pull the battery so you can easily get tothe lamp assembly between the battery and front sheetmetal. After pulling the rubber strip off, you can see to remove the three or 4 screws holding the center grill piece on. You can then remove the two screws holding the plastic chrome surround that holds the pariking and turn lights. The bottom of this surround plugs in to three metal clips at the bottom of the plastic piece. just gently pull the bottom of the esctucheon forward off of the clips. Disconnect the two lamp assmblies and the escutcheon comes off. There are 4 screws holding the Headlight assembly to the frame sheetmetal. Two are on the outer fender edge and two more hold the assembly to a 9 inch long bracket that then bolts to the front sheetmetal. You shpuld now have the entire headlight assembly falling in to your waiting arms. If you are getting water in to the lens assembly, there must be a crack in the plastic lens someplace or there maybe a leak through the headlight lamp o-ring. Don't try to remove the headlight adjuster assemblies thinking you will just replace the lens. They are not removable without breaking them. Ask me how I know. Ford does not carry the individual adjusters anymore so if you break them, you will have to find another total headlight assembly at the junkyard. Again, ask me how I know. $45.00 and I had to repair some cracked plastic at that. Good luck with your repairs.

 

[Rooster]

Bob,
Thank you for the extra gouge on the removal procedures! I took your "ask me" points to mind when I performed this task yesterday. Everything went smooth until I tried to remove the grill and the light assembly. Apparently, from time they melded themselves together. What a pain it was to remove them from the clip assemblies. Otherwise, it went as described. I cleaned out the headlight and sealed it with RTV, I hope it will work. Again, thank you and Green94 for the assistance.
r
Rich

 

[Jason94sport]

Yep same here, I had a real hard time pulling them out. Thank god I was replacing them with the clears. I ripped apart the housing cause it would not dislodge from those bottom clips. PITA if your lights have never been removed before.

 

[nascar_intimid]

I just bought my 94' and your telling me you can't go to the part store and pick up a headlight for these. Is it an insert type...wow news to me

 

[Jason94sport]

You can buy the bulbs, not the actual headlight assembly.

 

[bmxking5]

I pulled out my headlights as well as the corners and replaced them with clear corners and new headlights (from ebay). The headlights turned out to be some no-name brand in Asia and a few months later, began to collect moisture. We siliconed the bulb in place, thinking that not allowing air in would solve the problem, but it only made it worse. I left the bulb out one night and all of the moisture was gone the next morning which proved that if more air flows through it will stop collecting moisture. So I just took a small dremel and made a hole below in the housing below where the bulb goes and now I don't have anymore moisture in my lights.