Broke Plastic Headlight Tab/Mount Help

pudzey101

Broke this tonight lads whats the best fix or sort of glue to sort it ?

Same thing as in this pic

colm_mcm

You could use epoxy glue but really you'd want to screw a metal bracket on as it won't be strong enough and will just break again.

pudzey101

colm_mcm wrote: »

You could use epoxy glue but really you'd want to screw a metal bracket on as it won't be strong enough and will just break again.

epoxy glue would that be like gorilla glue i have it on it at the min but dont think itll hold up

yeah il have to screw a bracket on behind it too

CJhaughey

pudzey101 wrote: »

epoxy glue would that be like gorilla glue i have it on it at the min but dont think itll hold up

yeah il have to screw a bracket on behind it too

Gorilla glue is polyurethane. I'd look at some quiksteel and roughen the surfaces and clean them with alcohol and then dry them before gluing in place.

pudzey101

CJhaughey wrote: »

Gorilla glue is polyurethane. I'd look at some quiksteel and roughen the surfaces and clean them with alcohol and then dry them before gluing in place.

yeah or some epoxy seems good , what about galvoband would that work as extra re reinforcement

YbFocus

I had a problem with a golf before not passing the nct because of a broken mounting bracket.

I was using a new steel bracket but it failed on the headlight being incorrectly secured.

So I don't know if that'll work for you, maybe a breakers would have one cheap?

CJhaughey

Problem with liquid epoxy is that it tends to run before it sets.
I have had some success using metal mesh to reinforce the area and hold the epoxy before it runs away.
A heat lamp will accelerate curing of epoxy but thats why epoxy putty is so good for this kind of repair.
Quiksteel is good stuff, mix it up and glue the tab in place and then mount the tab and use the putty to build the tab up at the base once its in place.

Interslice

pudzey101 wrote: »

Broke this tonight lads whats the best fix or sort of glue to sort it ?

Same thing as in this pic

2 part epoxy would be best. rough the surfaces with some paper and clean with whit spirits first.

most hardware shops will have it.

Interslice

CJhaughey wrote: »

Problem with liquid epoxy is that it tends to run before it sets.
I have had some success using metal mesh to reinforce the area and hold the epoxy before it runs away.
.

You can also spread a thin layer on with a lolli pop stick, attach a small bit of fibreglass cloth, and then spread some more on. The cloth will stop it running and make it stronger. Letting it cure a bit first in a plastic tub will help stop it running too.

colm_mcm

Trick is to have the metal bracket under the original lug.

Stavros Murphy

Stop, stop now. I'll shall elucidate. "De Glue" is a waste of time. IT DOES NOT WORK. That out of the way, what does? Simples. Buy yourself a cheap butane soldering iron, or a plug-in soldering iron.

1.Turn on soldering iron. Allow to reach heat.
2.Hold tab in the place God intended it to live.
3.Use soldering iron to "stitch" the bracket back into place by melting the two pieces together as if you were stitching - small round puddles made up of material from both sides, ie the broken bit and the item itself. think of it as -o o o o o o o o o o o and you get the picture.

4.Celebrate your newly re-attached bracket, free from metal bits, glue, or a tendency to break off again.

The reason this works, is because headlights are by design made of thermoplastic, i.e plastic that when heated and then cooled, re-solidifies - it is easily moulded and so is used in many, many items. This property allows it to be heat welded back together when it breaks. I do this a lot for work, often on things that are horrendous money to replace, Glue worket not. Heat FTW. The main reason glue does not work is because a large ingredient in thermoplastic is oil, and oil is a bitch to glue, as it is, err, oily. I often heat-weld stuff using both hot-air and butane soldering irons that a dozen plonkers have tried and failed to glue back on. Removing the failed glue usually takes longer than the actual repair. To get really jazzy, you can take a piece of identical thermoplastic and use it as a "welding rod" to re-inforce the repair. That is unnecessary for items like headlight brackets.

tossy

Most manufacturers do repair kits, i've got them for a golf, Bora and A4.

Stavros Murphy

tossy wrote: »

Most manufacturers do repair kits, i've got them for a golf, Bora and A4.

I have a universal repair kit in the workshop. I've repaired literally hundreds for people.

pudzey101

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

I have a universal repair kit in the workshop. I've repaired literally hundreds for people.

whats it called where can it be got

Stavros Murphy

pudzey101 wrote: »

whats it called where can it be got

erm, read my post ^^.

pudzey101

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

erm, read my post ^^.

workshop lol ? where else can it be got ?

Stavros Murphy

pudzey101 wrote: »

workshop lol ? where else can it be got ?

soldering iron ffs. Did you read the post or just pretend to? :p

pudzey101

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

soldering iron ffs. Did you read the post or just pretend to? :p

i dont got access to one of those lol , i need a quick fix

Stavros Murphy

pudzey101 wrote: »

i dont got access to one of those lol , i need a quick fix

B&Q sell them cheap -how bleedin quick do you want?

actually, forget that - glue it. Glue all the way. Glue is quick. Yeah, glue.

toyotaavensis

This might help OP. I have never used this stuff myself so for all i know it could be crap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk1cojemglE

pogsick

Sugru might help

sawdoubters

you can buy plastic glue

Stavros Murphy

toyotaavensis wrote: »

This might help OP. I have never used this stuff myself so for all i know it could be crap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk1cojemglE

pogsick wrote: »

Sugru might help

sawdoubters wrote: »

you can buy plastic glue

Yeah, glue them. Great job, obviously. :rolleyes:

CJhaughey

I have glued a lot of plastics as well, If you properly prepare the surface by keying it so the epoxy can grip and clean it well so its not contaminated by grease and dirt then epoxy works very well especially on hard plastics like ABS.
Adhesives don't work very well on soft plastics like Polyethylene or Polypropylene, these are better plastic welded for sure.
Using a combination of metal reinforcement and epoxy will in most cases make a good repair done correctly.
Plastic welding is also good but needs skill and practice to make a very good weld.

Kenny Logins

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

Yeah, glue them. Great job, obviously. :rolleyes:

Sugru isn't glue, and probably is tough enough for the job.

SleeperService

Kenny Logins wrote: »

Sugru isn't glue, and probably is tough enough for the job.

I think stavros knows that!

Stavros, thanks for the tip, I'll keep that in the mental filing cabinet.

pudzey101

Update : i used gorilla glue and it worked 100% and just put some epoxy on it to be extra safe and a metal bracket cheers for all the info