DIY: TYC projector retrofit 2009 - Page 3

gearbox · 07-31-2009

i love the chrome shrouds! looks a ton better than the boh. my main problem with these is the lenses are trashed. there is massive peeling going on internally that looks like cracks and fog but no amount of cleaners are taking it out. i know this is a common problem tho with tycs. it happened to my old boh set after only a few months. so i guess i will just have to use these. oh and they are looking yellowed around the edge lol. i shouldve kept my old sonar projector lens covers they wouldve been useful right now.

To remove this ad, register today for free or log in if already registered!

gearbox · 08-16-2009

well looks like i followed in electric's footsteps lol. after reading his diy and a few others, i decided to go with tsx projectors mainly due to their mounting design. i made great progress and now have both sides retrofitted. i still have one side to do all the led work which is gonna take forever. but one light is done and ready to close up, the other maybe in a week.

the rear housings got chopped up really bad with a utility knife. i ended up cutting more than i needed to but luckily everything went on like its supposed to. i think im just gonna leave the back open and not worry about sealing it. the tycs were a real pain to work with and it didnt help that each housing was a bit different. i tried to mount the second projector same as the first, but the shape of the housing was slightly off and i needed to mount it closer. overall everything came together and i should have the rotation properly set. if not i can always reopen them and mess with the bottom brackets. as you can see, one side is higher so that the projector is rotated maybe 5 degrees. this is to account for the way the lights mount on the car. the up/down aiming will be so fast and all i have to do is turn a wingnut while the lights are installed on the car. i am just worried about clearance in the back cause the tsx projectors are sticking out quite a bit. the lens trim is about 3/4 inch behind the chrome shroud.

pics

clear lens tsx projectors, bone stock. i dont even have the ballasts yet to see how they look. i left the shield inside shiny so i have a bit of glare above the cutoff for roadsigns. i know alot of people paint it black to get a crisp cutoff without rainbows, but for now im gonna leave it stock. i have all the hardware pliar tight so i can always easily take them apart and make changes like paint shield and add washers for cutoff tuning.

heres the mounting method i used. some brackets cut to fit, bolts, and rubber washers inbetween. they are sturdy yet flexible enough to allow projector movement. the top bracket acts as additional support and the main aiming mechanism.

here is a closeup. i adjusted the lower brackets so that i get a wide range of up/down movement by adjusting the top mount. at max height, they are slightly above horizontal. i mostly made them to aim much lower than horizontal in case i carry heavy stuff in the car. the spring keeps them in the lowest aiming position, which is quite low. then when i tighten the wingnut in the back, it slowly pulls the projector back and raises the cutoff. there is plenty of tension on the spring to hold the projectors securely in place, but not too much to break the plastic housing. this is the best feature and i wouldve given up the retro if this did not work out. now i can adjust the aim while the lights are on the car, in less than a minute.

here is the rear. lots of cut plastic lol. the bolt and wingnut at the top is what i use to aim the projector. hopefully i have the rotation properly set so i wont need to fool with the bottom adjusters inside anymore.

i test fitted the shrouds, and the projectors almost line up with the hole. theres no way to get them perfect but its good enough. i think the shroud is hitting some places so i need to make sure they go on without issues and the projector can move freely.

MidnightCivic · 08-16-2009

Looks good, cant wait till my next retro

gearbox · 08-16-2009

lol this will be my third retro not counting pnp kit. i think this is the best by far but we'll see. one side completed and sealed up. just need to add pnp 7440 and 194 bulb connectors for the leds. and i ordered some philips premium H1 for the hi beam. still need to figure out what the wire harness is gonna look like, and maybe buy some ballasts and bulbs

i thought this would be a cheap retro but its costing a bundle. i think when im done its gonna be around 500 just for the retro lights. then add another 200 for bulbs and ballasts. not to mention weeks of hard labor

electric130 · 08-18-2009

looks great! i wish mine were chrome. yeah, i spent a lot of time with the rear mounting to try to get the projectors centered in the shrouds. i think i re-did them a few times. i did several items more than once. probably why my retro took me 2 months though.

I JB Welded a 4" to 3" PVC adapter to the back of my housings. this was just to protect the rear of the projector from falling tools and such. other than that, the rear of my housings are not sealed. i think that's why i haven't had a problem with fogging. there's not really a way for moisture to get trapped in there. if any does get in, a few minutes with my 100w high beams on dries them right out!

gearbox · 08-18-2009

yeah i think its not gonna be a problem leaving it open. clearance looks really tight tho on the car when i was looking. i may need to move my a/c line by bending it up a bit, and i for sure wasnt gonna be able to keep the washer fluid reservoir which i already had removed a while back. right now im waiting for the silicone and led stuff to finish drying, and in a couple more days i should have both lights ready and assembled for a test fit. im really hoping i dont have to take them apart again and fiddle with the adjustment. im not even gonna try and center the projectors. i mounted them the same way yet the tyc housings are not exactly symmetrical so one side is hitting plastic lol. as long as theyre close enough, im not gonna force myself to redo them. i should have the mastu gen3 ballasts and new 85122 bulbs (no +) coming by friday so maybe then i can actually see what these projectors look like when lit up!

electric130 · 08-19-2009

you shouldn't have to move or bend anything. i didn't have any problems with the AC lines and my washer fluid is still in the stock position.

gearbox · 08-20-2009

sounds good. i have them both done and sealed up, just finished putting pnp sockets on the led wiring. they should be on in about a week once i get the ballasts and wire harness pieces and actually make the harness. hopefully i can throw them on without making any adjustments other than vertical aiming. this is my wire diagram using new relay harness for hids and old oem harness for the hi beams.

electric130 · 08-20-2009

diagram looks good. i went a little overboard with my harness and put each ballast on their own fuse and separate relays. since i initially measured over 12A of inrush on each of some PNP ballasts (~25A for both ballasts combined....and people wonder why you need harnesses for HID?), i felt better putting each ballast on its own relay and fuse.

gearbox · 08-20-2009

its a good idea, in case one relay fails, you wont lose both sides of headlight. but hi beams are there for emergency i guess.

gearbox · 08-21-2009

hey electric where did you mount the matsu ballasts? the cords are pretty short so im guessing somewhere nearby. is there enough room under the headlamp?

i finished up a few minor issues today like fixed the centering of the projectors on both sides and tested the pnp led sockets. i also got my ballasts and brand new 85122 (no+) bulbs. so i was able to test the output too. i think im gonna leave it as is and start installing as soon as the wire harness stuff gets here in a week. this sucks cause everything is ready but i have no supplies to make a harness lol. i must say i am pretty impressed with the output. i know these are low/mid grade units, but the beam distribution is excellent with bright light up top and gradually fading as you move down. i had no glare at all from the chrome shroud this time either.

i sealed up both lights and made sure everything is working. the leds i was a bit worried about heat from the projector killing them, but the tsx at 35w only made it to 120F which is like a hot summer day. im sure it may go higher when installed, but half the bowl is outside the housing anyway.

testing the turn signals

as centered as they will get. both sides look the same at least.

the tsx is surprisingly white already compared to my old e46, even with new bulbs.

heres the driver side, lots of color, and the secret rainbow cutoff is also visible above. both projectors have the rainbow because i left the shield stock instead of painting flat black. i think it looks really cool from far away.

the pass side i wasnt so lucky, there was no color but i still have the rainbow. the beam pattern is a bit different too even tho i have a matching pair of projectors from the same tsx. i dont think its a huge deal to mess with em anymore tho.

and a closeup of the rainbows

electric130 · 08-21-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by gearbox

hey electric where did you mount the matsu ballasts? the cords are pretty short so im guessing somewhere nearby. is there enough room under the headlamp?

if i showed you pics, i'd lose about 1000 rep points!

I actually just ran a zip tie through one of the holes and found the closest stationary object that I could attach them to. as you said, you're limited by the cord. i don't think there'd be room under the assemblies. they flop around some if you grab them, but 2 years later, there's no sign of vibrations, wear, or decreased performance. if you REALLY want to see, i guess i can post a pic.

gearbox · 08-21-2009

hey! not bad at all! i didnt even think of those holes lol. and i have some zipties around here somewhere. those ballasts are completely potted inside so i doubt they would break even if you threw em on the ground.

gearbox · 08-21-2009

oh and when i went to look at the space in the car, it looks like my adjusters wont be accessible due to the stupid support beams in the car. ill be lucky if the lights even fit with the adjuster bolt in the way. may have to do some trimming but i know for sure the lights will have to come off for aiming which pretty much sucks.

gearbox · 08-23-2009

i decided im not gonna be happy with the different color cutoffs so i opened up both lights and color modded the projectors. i think it looks a ton better. i also painted the cutoff shields flat black to get rid of the rainbows. should be able to install these late next week once all the parts arrive. im hoping the cutoffs are horizontal otherwise they have to come open again lol.

modded driver side

modded passenger side