H4 euro style install frustration

[Wew]

Hey all,
A supposed simple job incredibly frustrating install. It won't sit on the housing without popping off or jiggling lose. What the heck am I missing on this supposed install?

Thanks for any detailed easy quick tips.
Sugar cones fit beautifully and tight.

1978 cal targa 911 sc

Thanks before I throw them out the window in frustration

[McLaren-TAG]

They're really only held on by the top "lip" and the bottom screw. The rest is just the housing itself sitting on the foam rubber moisture seal. I know your frustration believe me as I removed sugar scoops out of my car, one side had been pushed in somehow and I had to fiddle a little bit with the upper lip to get it to bite.

I found screwing the bottom in first (just a little) helped so you wouldn't have to worry about the bottom. Then clip the top in and while maintaining quite a bit of pressure up top assuring it's biting the lip, continue tightening the bottom screw until it's all tight.

After reading quite a few frustrated threads here, I decided to include a solid wire tether to the housing itself. I looped it through the screw hole of one of the no longer used tabs as a just in case precaution if they decided to pop off.

I've since taken them off and put them back on a few times and once you've got the rhythm of it all it's much easier. That or the initial tight installation reshapes the metal ring a bit to make it easier to put in the next time.

[Scott S]

I just installed mine last night. It was the very first time out of probably six H4 installs where everything went together effortlessly - litterally a 25 minute job start to finish. I am actually nervous that it went to easy and things may not hold.

Every other one I have done has required manipulation of either the flange on the car, the lip of the headlight ring or having to bend the bottom tab in some fashion. Keep at it, you will get it.

Here is my update. Trim rings are still on the way.

Before:


After:

[porwolf]

What I discovered when I installed new H4's on my original 79SC, earlier this year, was that the thread for the screw on the bottom of the housing is really pointing way down-wards. So much so that it is hard for a regular Phillips screw driver to go in straight because the bumper prevents it from angled downward so it engages properly with the mounting screw going into the thread. What helped me was that I re-cut the mounting thread with an M5 tap to make sure the screw goes in really easily initially, even with the Phillips screw driver slightly angled up-wards. Once the screw gets tighter I could engage more force with the screw driver even though it is not quite aligned with the screw. I found that if the mounting screw head is pointing downward as intended by the factory there is no upward pressure on the chrome and the H4's are seated properly and firmly.

[ruby911]

I had the same problem - easy fix. Push the top and bottom of the chrome ring toward each other. You are trying to make the ring a little wider and a little less tall. It took a few times of squeeze fit, squeeze fit but I eventually got it were I could screw the bottom screw in and then had to force the top edge over the tab.

- Farrell

[SoCalSK8r]

I ha one light that fit nicely, the other one wouldn't fit at all,.....and I spent a god awful amount of time trying to make it work.

In the end I had to punt and ended up going with H5s.

I rarely drive my 911 at nite since its more of a weekend car for me so the light output was not so important

[JAR0023]

Porwolf already said what I wanted about the lower mount screw. Mine are the same the screws angle up and back. With a basic screwdriver the handle hit the bumper before you can get the angle you want. I used a long screwdriver so the handle would clear the bumper.

My H-4s do not have the black spacer shown in your photos. My lower screw is loose. Is this keeping your H-4 from sitting down tight in the bucket?

The rubber gasket is profiled on one side and flat on the other. IIRC profile side toward the car in the groove around the bucket. Install the gasket with the seam at the bottom. Hook it over the upper flange and work you way down. You'll need to stretch the gasket to fit. Stretch it at the top and not the bottom. This does two things. It'll let the top of the H-4 ring sit down behind the upper flange better and it'll help make sure the gasket does not break at the seam.

-J

[Wew]

Bingo. I bent the housing for the bottom screw down just a tad so it pulled down on the ring as I tightened and that did the trick.
Thanks for giving me the faith!

Gary