| Author | Message | ||
     Rbuck53 |
Okay...I want to do this mod...so, I looked up a bunch of threads on "how-to", but something is different about my lens attachment. When I look inside the lid I only see 2 small rivets and no screws holding the lens in place. My top case is one of the later ones and I am thinking H&B must have changed the lens attachment design at some point. I am thinking that if I drill the rivets out, hopefully not cracking the lens during the process, then what can I do to re-secure the lens back to the bag afterward. If I screw this up can I get a replacement lens only? Anybody else run into this? Buck | ||
| 1313 |
I can't answer all of your questions, however I do know that replacement parts - such as lenses - are available from Hepco Becker. I've had spotty success with US importers of Hepco Becker stuff however... If you've got a connection in Germany/Europe, it's highly recommended to work through them. That's just my experience. Maybe someone else has a bulletproof source in the US... Good luck with your project and post pics of your propress and results! 1313 | ||
| Rbuck53 |
Thank you for the info. Buck | ||
| Ulyful |
I just bought a used top case that the owner slipped a generic Ebay LED strip into the lens via a ~1" hole drilled into the case from the inside (backside of the lens). The strip and wiring are glued in place. Haven't installed the case to my bike yet (just received it in the mail yesterday, but saw a picture of the lit-up lens. Looks great! This will eliminate the need to remove the lens and eliminate the risk of not being able to reattach the lens to the case. | ||
| Rbuck53 |
Thank you for the information. So, the lens on your case has never been removed? Are there screws holding it on, or rivets? Can you post a photo of the hole? Thanks. Buck | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Be REEEAL careful when drilling out rivets in plastic. Go slow to avoid generating heat. Pretend you're paid by the hour. | ||
| Rbuck53 |
Problem is, I don't know what the rivet is fixed to. A post or a flat support? If a post, it must be very thin. Anybody know for sure? Buck | ||
| Ulyful |
Rbuck53, Don't know if the lens has ever been removed from the case. Didn't notice whether there were screws or rivets holding the lens when I looked at it after it arrived in the mail. I've never removed it. I'll be able to tell yo more info once I take it out of the box and unwrap it to take a picture for you. | ||
| Ulyful |
Lighted Top Case Pics... PO added LED strip light into lens via ~1 inch drilled hole. Lens is now attached via phillips head screws (not sure of prior attachment method). PO also added pivoting LED strip light inside case for lighting up cargo. PO did a nice job with rubber grommeting the hole through the case to protect the wiring as it transitions from inside to outside of case, and uses an automotive-grade water-resistant electrical connector outside the box, wire sheathing outside the box as well. Again, haven't installed the set-up yet. I received the case and stored it for winter installation when I get time. Sorry if you can't see the pictures. I had to resize them twice for Badweb to take them. I spent well over an hour on this project. Sorry about the dirty insides of the case. It came that way. Didn't get a chance to clean it out yet. Way too busy. As you can see, I'm typing this after 1:00 a.m. when I should be in bed sleeping.         | ||
| Rbuck53 |
Ulyful, First: thanks for not forgetting about me on this project. Second: thank you for taking the time to reply with good photos and info. I can readily see from your photos that my Junior40 lens is fixed to my case different than yours. Where you have screws holding the lens on from the outside of the box, I have two rivets doing the job from inside the lid. How they hold the lens in place...I don't know. For PO to get that LED strip behind the lens, it looks like the lens had to be removed. My case was made in 2010. I am thinking that H&B made a change midstream to the design I have. I think their intention by doing this was to tell the owner "don't screw with it". So, for now, I best leave good enough alone. Thank you once again for your kind help. Buck | ||
| Ulyful |
Rbuck53, My resizing the pictures (a total of 3 times) was due to BadWeb giving me an error message each time I resized them (to what Badweb told me to resize them to). Had to go even smaller each time. Didn't think I needed to do that. I've seen other BadWebbers include 20 or more pics in their posts. I'm willing to bet that there's a hole in the lens that the rivet goes through to hold the lens onto the case (rivet goes through both case and lens, and expanded rivet "grabs" the lens and holds on for dear life). I bet you can drill out the rivet and replace with a screw (if you're willing to take a chance). At worst, your drill bit hits the lens and cracks it. At best, the rivet drills out fine, and you replace the rivet with a short screw to retain the lens. You'll probably have to drill out the hole in the case a little bit if the hole in the case is smaller than the hole in the lens. You may end up having to hold the rivet from spinning (small vice grips?) as you drill it out or it will just spin in the hole and you won't get anywhere. There's another possibility that the holes in the case and and lens become slightly enlarged as you attempt to remove the rivet. I don't see that as a problem because you can always just put a larger-diameter screw in. Hole depth would be EXTREMELY important to take note of(not to put a longer screw in than the depth of the hole). Grinding down a close-length screw to ensure it doesn't hit the backside of the lens is an option. Need to also make sure you don't put a much larger diameter screw than the hole calls for. That can split the lens (usually a harder, more brittle plastic than the case material). Need to account for the amount of "bite" the screw will bury itself into the inside of the case. Maybe another BadWebber out there has done this before and can help out Buck? Hoping you're successful, as nighttime visibility is key to keeping cages from rear-ending backside. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Perhaps the thing to do is leave the lens in place and drill a series of small holes behind it in the black plastic. Then plant individual LEDs in each hole? | ||
| Rbuck53 |
Not a bad suggestion...... |
