So I baked my headlights and painted the housing all black. Now I need to put them back together. But I'm not sure what is the best adhesive/glue to use. Can anyone help me with this issue?

Thank you

 

Unlike other models, the xk8 headlamp uses an inner gasket between the glass and rear housing which snap together. If all tabs are intact, why not replace the gaskets or amend the gasket with a thin weather strip piece behind the gasket...make it seal better to the glass. That's what i did personally.

 

I just used Clear Silicone. Put a thin bead around the edge, two years ago.

 

I used Clear RTV on mine and left about a 1/2" spot at the bottom with no adhesive so the unit can breath so moisture doesn't built up inside. The original gasket was just foam tape sticky on both sides. They used foam so it can breath. My foam gaskets got so bad one lens dropped off while I was backing out of the driveway. I was lucky and it didn't break. Was also lucky it didn't fall off doing 60 somewhere.

Dave

 

All I need is to put the lens back on the housing. I just want to use a good adhesive / glue, so water doesn't go into the housing.

Thank you

 

Hi, did you manage to put the glass lense back on yet and if so what type of adhesive did you go with? I'm doing mine now.

 

Why do you need adhesive mine just clips on. Had both of them out and
dismantled

 

The GLASS LENSE not the plastic bodies that clip to each other. Doesn't matter now I found out what it is. Butyl

 

AFAIK the original seal is some type of doube-sided sticky.
I haven't done this on the XK, but I used clear silicone sealant/RTV on the headlamp lenses of my son's VW Golf several years ago and they're still good.

Would a butyl strip be sticky enough? I've used it when replacing a couple of blown double-glazing panes in oak window frames and for resealing plastic door liners, but not sure about a relatively-heavy headlamp lens?

 

The seal between the Jaguar xk8 glass lense and plastic housing is a grey 3-4mm think butyl type of adhesive. It is a flexible caulk type product. It's not a sticky tape or silicone. I have watched a few videos to see how this is done and although I can't find any where a glass lense is used, ( they're all plastic these days). They apply a bead of this butyl adhesive which you can buy in a roll on a wax paper about 10mm think and 5-10M long. It will stretch to make it thinner to fit in the slot of housing perimeter where the glass is going slot to it.
They then put that plastic housing with the butyl in the oven to make it soft and take it out after a while and stick the lense to it.
The problem for me from here is that they then use clamps to compress the plastic lense to the plastic case to get a tight seal and then they put it back in the oven for a little while, take it out and let it cool and job done.
Any ideas on how to compress a glass lense to the case to get a tight fit that won't damage the glass or melt in the oven?
See attached picture of a piece of the old sealant I took off the lense case.

 

That looks rather like whatever was used to glue the Golf headlamp lens to its steel reflector. It had also gone hard and brittle.

I would think that the weight of the lens should be sufficient to hold it in place if orientated to be on top - unless the two surfaces don't mate well and need to be clamped.