sweet these should turn out nice.
Denali Projector Retrofit R&D
Updated 11/1/2009 (go to post 18)! I will try to keep my terms consistent throughout. Just ask me if I confuse anyone.
I though I'd start a thread for those of us who are toying with the idea of retrofitting HID projectors. For my application, I will be using OEM Denali headlights and retrofitting Acura TSX projectors.
I'm still collecting parts for the final product, but have begun test-fitting on a prototype to work out all the kinks to ensure I get the outcome I want.
I was able to pick up a RH OEM Denali headlight off ebay for $30. It had been repaired and the outer lens was a little oxidized/cloudy.
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For Denaliano...yes it is OEM
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Repaired section
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First, I wanted to get to the halogen projector to see what kind of room there was for the TSX projector. I was hoping to remove the rear part of the projector housing. I began by removing the mounting bracket off the back of the headlight.
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Bracket removed.
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Next, I removed the two screws on either side of the projector housing hoping to remove it. No dice. It was sealed with some sort of adhesive. I then removed the three larger screws which released the entire projector and adjuster assembly.
Rear view of headlight housing
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Projector assembly
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I then removed the four small hex head screws that held the halogen lens and anterior projector cone in place.
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Notice the ridges on the top of the reflector bowl (to be referenced later)
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TSX projector bowl for reference
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Back to Denali projector pics
Rear view of halogen lens
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Cut-off shield
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Once I had the halogen lens free, I decided to compare it with the TSX projector lens. They appear to be the same dimensions.
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I placed the Denali projector lens holder over the TSX lens. It fit perfectly.
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...so I decided to see if the TSX lens would fit in the Denali projector housing. And it does!
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I buttoned the headlight back up. The TSX lens also fits the headlight opening perfectly.
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At this point, I installed the headlight to check light output. I wasn't sure what the outcome would be since I had a TSX lens in a Denali projector housing designed for a halogen bulb.
I wasn't impressed with the light output compared to the HID bulb in my stock headlight on the drivers side. Please keep in mind the Denali headlight was not aimed.
I took pics with and without the flash.
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A few points to note:
While the light output from the driver's headlight seems brighter, the light is scattered everywhere and poses a hazard for other drivers seeing as how it was designed for a halogen bulb.
The light from the Denali projector on the passenger side seemed a little scattered. I attribute this to the ridges on the reflector bowl (recall 4th set of pics above) and the design of the cutoff shield (it's markedly different from the cutoff shield in the TSX projector housing). The light cutoff wasn't very sharp at all.
That said, I will be using the entire TSX projector assembly and I'm relieved to know it should fit with a moderate amount of work. I've got to figure out how to get the back of the Denali projector housing off and securely mount and seal the TSX projector housing.
Stay tuned...
I though I'd start a thread for those of us who are toying with the idea of retrofitting HID projectors. For my application, I will be using OEM Denali headlights and retrofitting Acura TSX projectors.
I'm still collecting parts for the final product, but have begun test-fitting on a prototype to work out all the kinks to ensure I get the outcome I want.
I was able to pick up a RH OEM Denali headlight off ebay for $30. It had been repaired and the outer lens was a little oxidized/cloudy.
For Denaliano...yes it is OEM
Repaired section
First, I wanted to get to the halogen projector to see what kind of room there was for the TSX projector. I was hoping to remove the rear part of the projector housing. I began by removing the mounting bracket off the back of the headlight.
Bracket removed.
Next, I removed the two screws on either side of the projector housing hoping to remove it. No dice. It was sealed with some sort of adhesive. I then removed the three larger screws which released the entire projector and adjuster assembly.
Rear view of headlight housing
Projector assembly
I then removed the four small hex head screws that held the halogen lens and anterior projector cone in place.
Notice the ridges on the top of the reflector bowl (to be referenced later)
TSX projector bowl for reference
Back to Denali projector pics
Rear view of halogen lens
Cut-off shield
Once I had the halogen lens free, I decided to compare it with the TSX projector lens. They appear to be the same dimensions.
I placed the Denali projector lens holder over the TSX lens. It fit perfectly.
...so I decided to see if the TSX lens would fit in the Denali projector housing. And it does!
I buttoned the headlight back up. The TSX lens also fits the headlight opening perfectly.
At this point, I installed the headlight to check light output. I wasn't sure what the outcome would be since I had a TSX lens in a Denali projector housing designed for a halogen bulb.
I wasn't impressed with the light output compared to the HID bulb in my stock headlight on the drivers side. Please keep in mind the Denali headlight was not aimed.
I took pics with and without the flash.
A few points to note:
While the light output from the driver's headlight seems brighter, the light is scattered everywhere and poses a hazard for other drivers seeing as how it was designed for a halogen bulb.
The light from the Denali projector on the passenger side seemed a little scattered. I attribute this to the ridges on the reflector bowl (recall 4th set of pics above) and the design of the cutoff shield (it's markedly different from the cutoff shield in the TSX projector housing). The light cutoff wasn't very sharp at all.
That said, I will be using the entire TSX projector assembly and I'm relieved to know it should fit with a moderate amount of work. I've got to figure out how to get the back of the Denali projector housing off and securely mount and seal the TSX projector housing.
Stay tuned...
1 - 20 of 39 Posts
Ask and you shall receive. I had some time today and decided to work on fitting the TSX projector to the Denali headlight housing.
As always, I took lots of pics and did not resize them so there will be good visuals to go with my narrative.
To separate the Denali halogen reflector bowl from the mounting bracket, place it in a preheated oven at 250 degrees for approx. 10 mins.
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After I had the two pieces separated, I wanted to compare the Denali projector assembly with the TSX one. They are very similar in size. The main difference, as you can see, is the TSX is just a bit shorter than the Denali. My initial concern was if the TSX lens would end up being recessed too much and negatively impact the light output (more on this later).
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I then wanted to see how the TSX projector bowl fits with the Denali mounting bracket.
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As you can see in the pic below, there is a ridge on the mounting bracket. The TSX projector has tabs that won't let it sit inside that ridge. Hence, the problem with sealing.
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Also, when I added the alignment bracket, it impeded the fit further.
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It's time for some surgery! If you recall from a pic in the first post, the TSX projector had a serious cut-off shield. I started to remove material from the Denali bracket to accommodate that.
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My goal was to have the TSX reflector housing sit flush to minimize the sealing needed. I went slowly and did a lot of test fits. This was the result.
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I also had to relieve some of the material from the adjuster bracket so it wouldn't push the TSX reflector bowl off center.
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At this point, I decided to test fit the whole assembly to see how things were shaping up. Turns out the Denali mounting bracket didn't have enough room to allow me to sandwich the TSX reflector bowl from the rear and the TSX lens housing from the front. My solution was to mount the projector as one unit from the rear. Unfortunately, this pulled the lens further back from the opening in the headlight housing.
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Here's the OEM assembly for reference.
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At this point, I wasn't happy with the fit, look or functionality. I started looking at the OEM Denali projector assembly.:hmm:
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I got an idea I thought might work. It looked like there was enough room for the TSX projector cut-off shield.
...and there was! I had to be sure it was centered and level, drilled the holes for the aligning pins and retaining screw. And voila!
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I was able to keep the shield level and aligned. I'll also note at this point that I plan to swap the TSX lens as well. I already verified it's fitment in my first post. I didn't want to risk damaging it.
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As always, I took lots of pics and did not resize them so there will be good visuals to go with my narrative.
To separate the Denali halogen reflector bowl from the mounting bracket, place it in a preheated oven at 250 degrees for approx. 10 mins.
After I had the two pieces separated, I wanted to compare the Denali projector assembly with the TSX one. They are very similar in size. The main difference, as you can see, is the TSX is just a bit shorter than the Denali. My initial concern was if the TSX lens would end up being recessed too much and negatively impact the light output (more on this later).
I then wanted to see how the TSX projector bowl fits with the Denali mounting bracket.
As you can see in the pic below, there is a ridge on the mounting bracket. The TSX projector has tabs that won't let it sit inside that ridge. Hence, the problem with sealing.
Also, when I added the alignment bracket, it impeded the fit further.
It's time for some surgery! If you recall from a pic in the first post, the TSX projector had a serious cut-off shield. I started to remove material from the Denali bracket to accommodate that.
My goal was to have the TSX reflector housing sit flush to minimize the sealing needed. I went slowly and did a lot of test fits. This was the result.
I also had to relieve some of the material from the adjuster bracket so it wouldn't push the TSX reflector bowl off center.
At this point, I decided to test fit the whole assembly to see how things were shaping up. Turns out the Denali mounting bracket didn't have enough room to allow me to sandwich the TSX reflector bowl from the rear and the TSX lens housing from the front. My solution was to mount the projector as one unit from the rear. Unfortunately, this pulled the lens further back from the opening in the headlight housing.
Here's the OEM assembly for reference.
At this point, I wasn't happy with the fit, look or functionality. I started looking at the OEM Denali projector assembly.:hmm:
I got an idea I thought might work. It looked like there was enough room for the TSX projector cut-off shield.
...and there was! I had to be sure it was centered and level, drilled the holes for the aligning pins and retaining screw. And voila!
I was able to keep the shield level and aligned. I'll also note at this point that I plan to swap the TSX lens as well. I already verified it's fitment in my first post. I didn't want to risk damaging it.
Next came getting the projector assembly to mate up with the mounting bracket. The TSX cut-off shield was the main piece causing fitment issues. I trimmed material slowly until the flange from the projector assembly sat flush. This also address the sealing issue.
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This was the end result of the trimming.
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I was able to put everything back together and get the headlight mounted on the truck. All I have to say is WOW:head3: The light output is tons better and very even. No glare or hotspots.
I was concerned about the ridges on the upper surface of the Denali reflector bowl. However, it doesn't appear to have affected the dispersion of the light. I believe my initial assumption of the poor light output from my first trial run in the first post was off. I think it was actually due to the design of the OEM Denali cut-off shield.
Here are some finished pics. Please keep in mind this was R&D. The projector is not aligned. The driver's side is an HID bulb in an OEM Sierra headlight housing for comparison.
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Without flash
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With flash
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This was the end result of the trimming.
I was able to put everything back together and get the headlight mounted on the truck. All I have to say is WOW:head3: The light output is tons better and very even. No glare or hotspots.
I was concerned about the ridges on the upper surface of the Denali reflector bowl. However, it doesn't appear to have affected the dispersion of the light. I believe my initial assumption of the poor light output from my first trial run in the first post was off. I think it was actually due to the design of the OEM Denali cut-off shield.
Here are some finished pics. Please keep in mind this was R&D. The projector is not aligned. The driver's side is an HID bulb in an OEM Sierra headlight housing for comparison.
Without flash
With flash
1 - 20 of 39 Posts
