headlight door and other???
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Kenesaw NE
headlight door and other???
Hi everyone, great site, I just found you all yesterday trying to figure out how to get the pass. side of my '79 hood open. Thanks, by the way. My drivers side headlight door is erratic, it often opens about one inch and then the rear edge of the door contacts the body, resulting in a stalemate of sorts. A few yards worth of vibration usually pops it open, but if the car is not moving it stays stuck and requires a light rap on the body to free it. The door looks like it might be riding too far back in it's opening. I am using a Haynes manual, and it shows three adjustments, but they all seem to deal with the door's travel rather than position. Am I missing something? When they do open, they do so with authority. Does a "79 have the doors up indicator light? Also, are the rear brakes prone to squeaking on these cars? This is my first Corvette, it was the classic "bought it from a widow out in the country sitting in a shed" sort of deal, it is a pretty nice car too, I just wish it was 10 or 15 years older.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Welcome to the forum, glad to have you.
Have you posted pics of your car yet? We're kind of like a small town or big family in that we all want and like to get to know everyone else and their cars.
I'm not sure how to adjust the position of the doors, but I think it may have more to do with the nose of the car sagging a little. See if you can't get a good look at the front body mounts to see if they are degraded or even missing.
You won't have an indicator light to tell you they are up. Might be able to install one fairly easily.
Have you posted pics of your car yet? We're kind of like a small town or big family in that we all want and like to get to know everyone else and their cars.
I'm not sure how to adjust the position of the doors, but I think it may have more to do with the nose of the car sagging a little. See if you can't get a good look at the front body mounts to see if they are degraded or even missing.
You won't have an indicator light to tell you they are up. Might be able to install one fairly easily.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,877
Likes: 13
From: Doha
St. Jude Donor '08
I had exactly the same problem, I just untight the 4 main screws that hold the assembly and simply moved the whole thing forward, that fixed the problem in my case. I am now left with a paint scratch to deal with!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,485
Likes: 7
From: Peekskill NY
You can also loosen the 3 bolts on the pivot bushings on both sides. The holes are larger then the bolts to allow some shifting. They are a bit*&^ch to get to. You'll need to remove the grills to reach in there. Also you can reach them when the hood is open once you have a socket or wrench on the bolt head. Spray some pb blaster or liquid wrench on the bolts as they may be frozen and rusted or you might torque the bolt heads off. Ask me how I know. You only wan't to loosen them just a little so the assembly stays in place when you shift it and tighten it all up. Good to have a helper hold it in position if possible.
As DB said we love pics!
Welcome to the forum.
Glenn
As DB said we love pics!
Welcome to the forum.
Glenn
Pro
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 528
Likes: 9
From: Grand Rapids Michigan
Good luck on the light bucket. They are a doosey. The rear brakes do squeel. I just set out to replace my pads and inspect everything because they were squeeling. Got almost 100% pad on there, but they are cheap semi-metallics. Once I cleaned the rotor with some brake cleaner and scuffed the pads a little the squeel went away. That is until the constant stop and go of the Woodward Dream cruise (32 miles in 6.5 hours of essentially bumper to bumper traffic). Now they squeel again.
Pull off the wheels inspect the pads and replace or just clean as necessary. Congrats on your '79.
Pull off the wheels inspect the pads and replace or just clean as necessary. Congrats on your '79.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Kenesaw NE
Thanks guys, I shifted the whole assembly and got most of it, shifted the outside hinge and got the rest, it opens now without touching. The brakes were poor when I got it, so I went with rebuilt calipers and new pads. I knew the U-joints were squeaking, so I changed all four, guess what, it still squeaks!
I did notice that when you had to slow down in a hurry that the squeak stopped for a few miles, so I was content that it was the brakes. Really enjoy the car, I should have bought one thirty years ago!
So what kind of hoops do I have to jump through to post some pictures? Thanks again, Bill
I did notice that when you had to slow down in a hurry that the squeak stopped for a few miles, so I was content that it was the brakes. Really enjoy the car, I should have bought one thirty years ago! So what kind of hoops do I have to jump through to post some pictures? Thanks again, Bill
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Use this link to a paper to help you post pics.
http://photos.imageevent.com/durango...g%20Images.pdf
http://photos.imageevent.com/durango...g%20Images.pdf
