My FX-R Projector Retrofit Thread

[eThirtyAaron]

Any updates?

[colombacho]

did this project die?

[glucklich21]

But.......have you looked into the "snorkel" of the OEM headlights? I think there is more to it than that? Other then just an air way - I think they did something....Maybe a compound that prompts humility to transfer in and out? Any guesses? I'm lost on it.

It's literally a bunch of plastic balls inside a tube. This is why I like the Bosch bucket over the Hella bucket. The vent is built in. No weird snorkel thing to protrude out the backside. Perfect for retrofitting

However Hella's design is better. The contact of all of the balls closes up most of the gaps that water could pass through. Instead of having a few non direct openings to the outside, you have tons. The vapor can still escape while keeping other bits out too.

The Bosch's design downfall is the opening is about 5mm in diameter. While not directly exposed to the outside, air gets in. What travels with air is dust. The inside of Bosch's can get really dirty (and full of dead gnats) as a result. Hella's don't have that as the balls act as a filter keeping most of the particles out.

[DER E30]

No BMW has ever had any degree of humility.

Hahaha

[Wh33lhop]

Maybe a compound that prompts humility to transfer in and out? Any guesses? I'm lost on it.

No BMW has ever had any degree of humility.

[george graves]

Good to know, didn't think about moisture.

Yea. As it turns out....You can't seal moisture out of a large enclousure, unless you have a good surface area of a gasket (not an o-ring) a large area.

Who ever designed the BMW outside air temp sensor thought they could, and that why they always fail. (I encapsulate mine - and that's why they never fail)

But.......have you looked into the "snorkel" of the OEM headlights? I think there is more to it than that? Other then just an air way - I think they did something....Maybe a compound that prompts humility to transfer in and out? Any guesses? I'm lost on it.

[clavinZERO]

Subscribed. So close I can taste it. I would be SO in for a purchase if these end up being made and sold for all Ellipsoid variations (smiley, non-smiley, US, Euro, etc.)

Been waiting on something like this for years.

[santas"e30"]

Wow crazy write up I would be more then happy to send you a new set of lights once you get these completed :)

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[bmwman91]

been waiting a while to see that part done. very cool!

also, the aluminum tape has work 100% perfect for my retrofit, although as you say does not look OEM. the key was recreating vents at the OEM locations. when I inadvertently closed all the vents on my first retrofit, it caused moisture to get trapped inside and had no way to get out. its impossible to seal them 100% so use vents to your advantage.

not sure if OEM hella/bosch euro projectors have the vents, but my DEPO brand ones did.

Good to know, didn't think about moisture. I was thinking about small vents just for heat purposes, but trapped condensation is also an issue now that you mention it. Yes, the housings had vents, but they were all chopped off when I modded them. As of now, aluminum tape looks like it is going to be the way to go.

[tightithrash]

amazing work. subd. love lights done correctly. please sell these. i would totally be on board.

[straight6pwr]

been waiting a while to see that part done. very cool!

also, the aluminum tape has work 100% perfect for my retrofit, although as you say does not look OEM. the key was recreating vents at the OEM locations. when I inadvertently closed all the vents on my first retrofit, it caused moisture to get trapped inside and had no way to get out. its impossible to seal them 100% so use vents to your advantage.

not sure if OEM hella/bosch euro projectors have the vents, but my DEPO brand ones did.

[Frog]

Damn.. I am working on a retrofit and would have bought adapters..

[bmwman91]

I have incorporated the last of my design updates that I got from trying out the 3D printed prototypes. Since I have a fairly sizable stack of 7075-T6 aluminum discs (10.5" x 0.88"), I am going to mill these myself. It's going to be a lot of work, but it is more fun than working on baseboards for my house (it is only a matter of time before my wife gets tired of me doing the headlight project before the house lol).

Next weekend is my wife's birthday so I will probably not do much then, but the weekend after that I do plan to try to crank at least one of these out. Pics to come...

[bmwman91]

Uugh, I need to get my butt in gear and send out the CAD files. As you know I was busy OCD'ing my garage lighting system, which is now done, and it is AWESOME.

I'll see about implementing the final design improvements and getting an order out to a machine shop by the end of next week.

[AndrewBird]

Any idea when you will have a set of aluminum adapters made?