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cracked taillights? I found a great, easy fix

G Guest
My taillights were cracking around each screw hole. Fractured from stress, maybe flexing of the body, not sure, but both taillights looked like crap around the holes.

I went to my hobby shop, and bought some THIN CA glue.

Any hobby shop will know what you're asking for, you want THIN CA.

I carefully applied it to the backside of the fractures, and watched my cracked taillights go back to looking like brang new!

The thin CA is VERY thin, and wicks it's way into the fractures, and even if it doesn't look like they're fixable, this is worth a try.

The only spots I couldn't make look like new were where some of the colored plastic had actually broken off.

I'm going to find some red "something" (the red gel part of "prell" toothpaste comes to mind lol) to fill those spots (maybe a piece of red Gummy Bear!), but I cannot relay to you how good this works to fix your cracked taillights.

Just wick it in from the backside, carefully, and watch the cracks go away!

Be careful, the thin CA is THIN, work slowly, add just enough to cause the fractures to disappear. IT WORKS!

I'd post "after" pics, but they just look like new lenses.
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MT mike the snake (Guest)
I HAVE to believe that others have the same spider cracking around the holes in their taillights.

I think it's a standard thing on our cars from body flex.

I'd love to hear if anyone else tries using this thin CA glue to fix their taillights. It's like magic!

Carefully wick the thin CA in and watch the cracks all disappear. My Euro taillight lenses look like new now!
jfb05177jfb05177Member
Inspecting and cleaning my lenses is a long time away, But I will remember when I do.

I have used CA to repair cracked lenses before. My "trick" to promote curing is to use isopropel alchol (either mister or wipe) to wick in some moisture (water) after the glue. My last repair was for structural and not visable so I don't recall if the accelearant caused any clouding

I'm still trying to get a list of bulbs and LED replacements
Last edited by jfb05177
R 1Rocketship (Guest)
quote:
Originally posted by JFB #05177:
Inspecting and cleaning my lenses is a long time away, But I will remember when I do.

I have used CA to repair cracked lenses before. My "trick" to promote curing is to use isopropel alchol (either mister or wipe) to wick in some moisture after the glue. My last repair was for structural and not visable so I don't recall if the accelearant caused any clouding

I'm still trying to get a list of bulbs and LED replacements
Isopropyl ( Rubbing Alcohol) comes in various strengths, the HIGHER the strength the LESS water content. Use at the very least 90% alcohol.

Use the HIGHEST strength possible as WATER does NOT assist adhesion & actually diminishes adhesion.

DAMN I'm SMART!!!...Mark
MT mike the snake (Guest)
Not sure about alcohol, but water sets off CA glue.
It worked for me using it very sparingly. Extra will cause hazing.

The thin stuff, left in the open, so as to not cause haze as it kicks off.

CSI uses the haze emitted by CA to get fingerprints off of stuff they normally wouldn't be able to.
jfb05177jfb05177Member
The alcohol has some water in it and being in solution breaks the surface tension to allow it to wick.

I should not have mentioned, since my particulair need for curing was for rapid strenght, where as allowing the slow curing with only atmospiric humitity should give clearer look.

your statement about "flex" got be wondering if a rubber ring under the bolt head would be benificail.
R riverratMember
Isn't CA glue super glue? Are the lens made of acrylic? Super glue and acrylic don't mix well. I'm not saying anyone is wrong but I want to make sure before I try it. Water or humidity normally cures super glues. A
lcohol will help and acetone will cure it immediately, but might leave hazing. Baking soda will also cure immediately. Nitromethane will cut superglue.
Thanks
MT mike the snake (Guest)
On my taillights, I noticed an array of different "washers". One O-ring, a couple tapered white plastic things, and two screws had nothing.

I'm going to source out some O-rings and install them on all the screws.

These, along with a loose mounting (ie don't tighten the screws down super tight) I think would go a long way towards preventing the cracking on the taillights.

In the meantime, those that DO presently have cracks, the thin CA trick works a charm. It brought my taillights back to almost new looking, save for the two small chunks of colored plastic that actually broke off.
MT mike the snake (Guest)
Whatever the materials, the CA works perfectly.

A couple things about CA though. It MAY not mix with acrylic, and if thick CA that takes a lot longer to cure (say, if you were gluing something together with it) it might not turn out as hoped.

Also, if not used sparingly, ANY extra leftover CA will leave hazing as it kicks off.

On my taillights, I wicked the thin CA in, carefully watching until it filled the cracks, very carefully and slowly. The finished part came out perfect.

If you are sloppy with the CA you can end up with white hazing around wherever the CA was applied.

The thin stuff is thinner than water, so just carefully wicking it into the cracks you can watch the cracks disappear as it wicks in, stop when the cracks are gone, leave to cure in an open area.



quote:
Originally posted by RiverRat:
Isn't CA glue super glue? Are the lens made of acrylic? Super glue and acrylic don't mix well. I'm not saying anyone is wrong but I want to make sure before I try it. Water or humidity normally cures super glues. A
lcohol will help and acetone will cure it immediately, but might leave hazing. Baking soda will also cure immediately. Nitromethane will cut superglue.
Thanks
markiv4280markiv42804280 racing is life .....everything else is just waiting
the lenses are acrylic plastic , so i used a product tenax 7r for model building ,i used plastruc modelers cement to fill a couple of small voids,multiple layers to allow curing 1200 grit wetordry and a little rubbing compound.. i machined the washers from soft delrin and found some filister head stainless machine screws turned the head to fit in the lens

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