need help removing rear tail light assembly

[Trakrat]

I am trying to remove the tail light housing assembly (left and right) from my 87 Carrera.
Unfortunately the inside screw (closest to the engine), has rusted/seized/etc...

How is this screw attached? Is there a place behind the bumper that I can get to to spray some PB Blaster or other product to help loosen it?
Is it attached to a separate housing that I can just brake it off?

Please help...
thanks!

[911obgyn]

I used a good tip and an impact driver if that had not worked I would have drilled the screw head and used pliers to remove the screw once the taillight was out. It's not very accessible from behind the bumper if I remember correctly. I take them out once a year now just to clean the crap out and exercise the screws.

[Trakrat]

Originally Posted by 911obgyn

I used a good tip and an impact driver if that had not worked I would have drilled the screw head and used pliers to remove the screw once the taillight was out. It's not very accessible from behind the bumper if I remember correctly. I take them out once a year now just to clean the crap out and exercise the screws.

Well not sure I can drill the screw head without damaging the tail light assembly. I don't want to break it as it seems this part is not easy to find.
If I could figure out what to cut from behind, I'd just cut the screw out.

The other side seems to be turning freely... like a square lock washer to turning with the screw, but I can't take it out... just spins with some effort.

I've sprayed some PB Blaster all around hoping to at least loosen it.

[Mark Salvetti]

The one that is spinning means the captive nut on the back side is no longer captive. They are pretty hard to get to. See this thread: Any Tips for successful removal of Tail Light Assembly?

Mark

[Joe Bob]

Can you get an angle grinder or Dremel in there to grind the head off?

[theiceman]

yup this is very common . you are going to end up drilling it out then getting a new screw and captive nut hardware .. that's where ll the crap goes from the rear wheels.

[KTL]

Yep once it's spinning you're better off drilling it out. Get behind the light housing with some tiny vise grip pliers and hold the broken captive nut while you drill out the screw head

Don't just replace the screws and nuts with similar replacements. Use something that is tolerant of crud and moisture in this location. My RIP friend Mark came up a very smart solution to replace the captive nut. Get a plastic anchor nut/insert like the those that are used for fastening license plates. It's like a plastic press-fit nut that snaps into square holes. Then you can use a suitably sized coarse thread screw to secure the light housing to the body. Never again will you have a problem with the screws rusting in place.

Let me know if you would like me to take a picture of what i'm describing. It works FANTASTIC and looks/works so good it feels like it was originally designed to be this way.

Rock on Mark. You always came up with great ideas to fix problems so that they'd not happen again.

[Trakrat]

Originally Posted by Mark Salvetti

The one that is spinning means the captive nut on the back side is no longer captive. They are pretty hard to get to. See this thread: Any Tips for successful removal of Tail Light Assembly?

Mark

THANK YOU!!! That link definitely has helped.

Unfortunately I'm not understanding 'how' you drill out a screw. Why would drilling a hole through the center of a screw (if you are lucky enough to drill a straight hole) help with removing the screw?

[Mark Salvetti]

You need to use a drill bit that is about the same size as the screw shank. Start drilling in the center of the screw head, and when the bit gets past the head and starts biting into the shank, the screw head should pop off. Then you can pull out the tail light assembly.

This only works because the screw isn't threaded into the tail light assembly itself.

Mark

[bhmkv]

Dremmel the screw head. Remove lamp and try to back the screw out with needle nose pliars.

[Jdub]

Kevin - would you post that pic for us? Thanks!

[FPB111]

Like these
https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Cruiser/CR81200.html

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sdk-380707-s?seid=srese1&cm_mmc=pla-google-_-shopping-_-srese1-_-scott-drake&gclid=COe6-oKwu9ACFVdMDQodJ-ULvQ&ibanner=MobileSwitchNo

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/111875111392?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_ref=http%253A%252F%252Frover.ebay.com%252Frover %252F1%252F711-117182-37290-0%252F2%253Fmtid%253D1588%2526kwid%253D1%2526crlp% 253D53601919689_324272%2526itemid%253D111875111392 %2526targetid%253D186360219849%2526rpc%253D0.08%25 26rpc_upld_id%253D92214%2526device%253Dt%2526mpre% 253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.ebay.com%25252Ful k%25252Fitm%25252Flike%25252F111875111392%25253Flp id%25253D82%252526chn%25253Dps%2526adtype%253Dpla% 2526googleloc%253D9003748%2526poi%253D%2526campaig nid%253D239125209%2526adgroupid%253D14978428809%25 26rlsatarget%253Daud-263678737656%253Apla-186360219849%2526gclid%253DCILH5Juwu9ACFU1WDQodVfk MnA%2526srcrot%253D711-117182-37290-0%2526rvr_id%253D1127341299960&ul_noapp=true

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/dorman-autograde-license-plate-fasteners-nylon-nut-insert-m6-no-14-1-4-in-785-106/10022834-p?iv_=__iv_p_1_a_214327102_g_12425515822_w_aud-169050095365la-191562197542_h_9003748_ii__d_t_v__n_g_x_pla_y_6201 684_f_online_o_10022834-P_z_US_i_en_j_191562197542_s__vi__&utm_source=ACQ&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PLA&utm_content=shoppingcampaigns&gclid=CMbLxLKwu9ACFcpLDQod4HQLHg

[kmoush]

Had the same problem on my car. I recall removing the heat shield between muffler and bumper. This gives you access to the clip nut to the inboard clip nuts.

The outboard clip nuts, the driver side can be located and held with v-grips from underneath. Pass side is accessible by being careful and removing bumper bellows, it is possible, but takes patience and a small led flashlight to see well. I have a small needle nose vice grip, after soaking nut overnight with WD 40 it came loose. None of the screws needed to be drilled.

Replace all clip nuts. and consider SS screws.

[kmoush]

Clarification - Looking at past photos of the effort, I had to remove the pass side lower valence in front of the rear bumper bellows. Removal of bellows is not needed. Patience, at getting the bellows nuts removed using a open end wrench, cannot fit a socket. The valence nuts can be removed using a long extension and socket.

[Trakrat]

Now... how do I remove the wiring from the tail light assembly?
Do I twist it? Pull it? Pry it? etc...

And on a side note... I can't BELIEVE how much gravel, dirt and all kinds of road debris was inside there.

I think I have a 911 Rally car!!!

[kmoush]

You need to remove the cover plate held on by the two screws. Since the assembly is diecast, and there is a lot of corrosion on the screws, be sure to soak the screws with WD40 overnight. Don't want to shear the screws. Then it is a drill and tap nightmare. Once the cover plate is off you will carefully pull it back and disconnect the wires from the connector tabs. Now the assembly can be cleaned and painted as needed. Be sure to photograph the wires before disconnecting to make re-assembly easier.

Also it is likely the seal (looka like it may have been putty when assembled) will be dried and break apart when you remove the cover. You could use plumbers putty, but I chose to use high density adhesive door weather seal from HD (rectangular cross section). I figured it is water proof, has good compression value, and I will perhaps never go back in the assembly for another 10 years.

Felt good cleaning all that crap out from inside there.

Did you have to drill the screws or did you get to the clip nuts by removing the heat shield?

[Trakrat]

Originally Posted by kmoush

Did you have to drill the screws or did you get to the clip nuts by removing the heat shield?

I had to drill out the screw. Basically ripped the screw head off.

If you take a look at the center background of the pic I posted... that shiny/white spot in the middle of the pic is the broken screw still stuck in the clip nut.


I'm not sure if I can get the screws off the rear panel. One screw is so completely covered in grime that I can't even get to it... the other is tighter than a -fill in the blank-

If I can figure out where the wiring harness leads to its disconnect point, then I will just take it all out at once.
I can't imagine Porsche would have installed a wiring harness that is just one giant length of wire that can't be removed in sections??

[KTL]

I strongly suggest you do not take apart the light housing. Is the light housing working OK? If yes, then you're unnecessarily making more work for yourself by taking it apart.

Simply remove the plug connector inside the engine bay at the very rearward-most side/corner of the engine bay. Once you've disconnected the plug, push in the plug that's still mounted in the wall of the engine bay. You can use a blunt something like a butter knife or a worn out flat blade screwdriver or whatever. Now you can easily take out the light housing.

[Trakrat]

Originally Posted by KTL

I strongly suggest you do not take apart the light housing. Is the light housing working OK? If yes, then you're unnecessarily making more work for yourself by taking it apart.

Simply remove the plug connector inside the engine bay at the very rearward-most side/corner of the engine bay. Once you've disconnected the plug, push in the plug that's still mounted in the wall of the engine bay. You can use a blunt something like a butter knife or a worn out flat blade screwdriver or whatever. Now you can easily take out the light housing.

OK... that's what I'm wanting to do. I don't necessarily want to take apart the housing... just need to remove the assembly from it to clean up everything.

Do you have a pic or diagram of where both wiring goes to that I can just disconnect? (as you can see from the pic I posted, it splits off into 2 separate locations.)

[KTL]

Here's the general wiring layout from the parts diagram. You can see one of the wire groups labeled G in the diagram (black wire) goes to the tail light housing you're messing with. The other wire group labeled C (white) goes to the bumper pad to light up your license plate.