Gettysburg

I want to "refresh" my headlight motor which seems to need assistance in opening/closing. Two questions:
1. Is it necessary to remove the hood to remove the motor?
2. Can the motor be disconnected/removed without removing the entire headlight assembly?

I've searched and have come across the excellent pics for disassembly and re-lubing the motor, but I am just not quite clear about the above. Do not want to tear apart any more parts than necessary.

wombvette

Get someone to hold the hood up high and work the motor out. It will come with a little twisting.

Remove the ground wire, the plug connection , and the clip. Slide it straight off the shaft.

62Jeff

Not at all,just have someone "over open" the hood while you are removing the motor. Also, protect the paint so you don't scratch the hood as you extract the motor because the clearance is small.

Absolultely. I'll try to find pictures, hold on...

1) Disconnect the power wire (the ecru connector on the left of this photo)


2) Disconnect the ground wire (the small screw in the same photo on the mounting bracket)

3) Remove the clip circled in red (note, this is the driver's side motor in this photo, but passenger side used in above photo)


4) Slide the motor off the headlight bucket pivot shaft and remove the motor from the car.

JohnZ

It helps to back the motor off of full open or full closed first to take the tension off the shaft so the motor will slide off easily.

Bruce Wayne

please clarify what you mean by "over open."
thanks

jkuzzy

I actually have pulled mine out multiple times via the grill. That way I don't go near the hood to scratch it.
If someone finds a vendor that makes the aluminum gear that fits on the fork, let me know. Every single one I have purchased has been too small of a hole.

JohnZ

After opening the hood, hold it all the way open; when it's resting on the hood support by itself, it isn't all the way open. You can still pull it forward a few inches past the "rest" point, which gives you more room at the front side to get the motor out.

Bluestripe67

62Jeff. The clip circled in the photo is incorrect, you may know that, but works. It's very difficult to remove compared to the correct "Y" shaped unit. Gettysburg, you may have the correct clips, if not get them from one of our supporting vendors. Dennis

nassau66427

I'm pretty sure that should be a 'hair pin' type clip - a lot easier to remove & install.

62Jeff

Correct, it should be a hair-pin type clip, but the incorrect "E" clip is what I had a picture of. My car has one of each, but a box of to-be-installed LICS parts in my garage will soon rectify that.

jtranger

You can prop up a broom stick up against the intake and hood to get the hood to "full open". Also you can place a small mirror just opposite the motor so you can see what you are doing.

4440stevesvette

I removed my hood to "rebuild" both of the headlight motors. It's amazing how much room you gain by removing it. Simply mark the hood hinge locations with blue 3M masking tape before you remove it.

I also used my wifes makeup mirror in the cavity along with a trouble light to see what I was doing. You will be working on your knees, bent over and everything will be azz backwards. It's kind of a PITA!!!

Gettysburg

Thanks as always guys. Funny how little things seem so big when you do not have the necessary knowlege. Now, to force myself to bite the bullet and tear things apart.

62Jeff

To help give you some perspective, it's really more of a puzzle (working via a mirror and getting the motor out without scratching something). After removing, rebuilding, and re-installing the motors in my 65, I didn't like the way one of them worked. It took me less than an hour (with my newfound knowledge) to pull the motor back out, tear it down, correct my issue, and install the rebuilt motor back in the car.

I would allocate about 4 hours to do both motors, since you have not done it before. That covers removal, rebuild, installation time, and learning curve.

Jeff

6T5RUSH

4440stevesvette,

LOL, think we went to different schools together. That's exactly how I did my motors last month. Removing the hood just gives you more room to work upside down Took the motors apart, sanded with emory cloth the points and also removed the tarnish from the copper windings, finally rotated the gear in each, liberally coating the gear innards with wheel bearing grease. Those bad boys now almost snap to attention, HA!

Good project with an immediate return on your efforts.

Regards,

Jim
In God We Trust!

nassau66427

The easiest way to prop your hood fully open is to put a bolt through the 'safety hole' on the hood support.

With the hood fully open, this hole will be exposed above the other part of the hood support.

4440stevesvette

mscaggs

Here is a little something for reference

xkeots

No body mentioned about removal. Does it come out from top between hood or underside.
i can't see either motor in my 63. One motor does work.
thanks
Jax
63 C2

Frankie the Fink

Prop the hood ALL the way open - past the point where it normally latches open. Prop the hood open and/or tie it open from the male latch spring to a rafter or such...you do NOT want it closing accidentally with your hands in front of it. Put a layer of blue tape on the front edge of the hood and the hood surround just in front of that. You can then unscrew the ground wire...disconnect the electrical connector, remove the hairpin clip and lift the motor out of the body. If you can't work the motor off its bucket spindle working the manual thumbwheel will give you some slack.

With the motors out make sure the buckets will flip up and down with a flick of two fingers - if not you have bucket problems..

Anything else you want to know is here: