Rubber Boots - Side and Flasher Spit Mk1

[Neil Clark]

I've had to buy new for the front, mine were just too damaged and perished.  Since last doing this on an early Spitfire changing a bulb for a pal in about 1971 (! yikes) it seems to have got much harder to re-fit the glass and chrome outer ring.  It's probably the new rubber.  Was there a secret trick I've forgotten or should I just massage / soften the boots a lot first and use some washing up liquid?  

[NonMember]

The new boots do make it slightly more challenging but a bit of persistence with a plastic spatula (or a very carefully applied blunt screwdriver) should see you good.

[Neil Clark]

The new boots are just too tight and even with the lens just about in, no way could I get the chrome ring to go in.  So I resurrected the damaged boots and with your method they are now in but I can't say it was easy!

[Colin Lindsay]

Apologies if I'm being obvious! - but the glass lens goes inside the inner ring, into the centre section; then there's a fine lip next to that inside which the chrome ring fits. 

The glass is usually the easier bit to fit, just hold it onto the centre and peel the rubber out round it. I use the wooden stirrers from coffee shops. Once it's fitted drop the chrome ring down over the glass and over the 'inner' lip that's now round the lens and again just peel the rubber lip out and round a little bit at a time. 

This video is for the Morris Minor but same lights.