Weekend '71 Fiber Optics Project Done
Thread Starter
CF JASOC Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 8,040
Likes: 34
From: Downtown Annapolis, MD. The Future is where we all have to live. Let's not screw it up.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11
Weekend '71 Fiber Optics Project Done
Rear FO weren't working at all, and Front were Dim at best.
Crawled under the back and found that the FO seemed to be intact coming from the tail lamp buckets and tag lamp, and disappeared into the wire harness up the LH frame rail next to the fuel tank. Good.
After looking at one of Alan's photos, I figured the next logical place to look was along the driver seat next to the tunnel. Bingo!
Pulled the shifter console and found that the harness was not connected to the FO lens, and was nowhere in sight. Not so good. Figured it had been cut or otherwise mangled and removed, but low and behold it was wound-up under the heat shield and looked to be intact.
Hooked the 3 strands up to the console lens after turning on the turn signal to figure out which side was which, and to my surprise, it all worked... kind of. The tag lamp was nice and bright, but the tail lamps were both very dim. Cleaned the ends with a toothbrush and glass cleaner, still not good.
Pulled the tail lamp lenses off to have a look, and they were Painted over. LOL Q-tip and paint remover cleaned 'em right up, and they're nice and bright now.
On to the Front...
Started by removing all 4 headlamps to clean 'em up since thay were working to various degrees. The glass **** on the back of the bulbs were filthy! So were the ends of the FO that are right in the middle of the harness between where the bulb plugs in. Nice and bright!
Took the front T/S parking lamp lenses off, and there is a little FO lens on the inside top of the bucket. Again Filthy! A good cleaning and they're nice and bright now too.
I was anticipating another PITA job, but was really fortunate.
That doesn't happen too often.
Here are some pics that may help some of you identify and troubleshoot your '68-71 FO.
Mark
Crawled under the back and found that the FO seemed to be intact coming from the tail lamp buckets and tag lamp, and disappeared into the wire harness up the LH frame rail next to the fuel tank. Good.
After looking at one of Alan's photos, I figured the next logical place to look was along the driver seat next to the tunnel. Bingo!
Pulled the shifter console and found that the harness was not connected to the FO lens, and was nowhere in sight. Not so good. Figured it had been cut or otherwise mangled and removed, but low and behold it was wound-up under the heat shield and looked to be intact.
Hooked the 3 strands up to the console lens after turning on the turn signal to figure out which side was which, and to my surprise, it all worked... kind of. The tag lamp was nice and bright, but the tail lamps were both very dim. Cleaned the ends with a toothbrush and glass cleaner, still not good.
Pulled the tail lamp lenses off to have a look, and they were Painted over. LOL Q-tip and paint remover cleaned 'em right up, and they're nice and bright now.
On to the Front...
Started by removing all 4 headlamps to clean 'em up since thay were working to various degrees. The glass **** on the back of the bulbs were filthy! So were the ends of the FO that are right in the middle of the harness between where the bulb plugs in. Nice and bright!
Took the front T/S parking lamp lenses off, and there is a little FO lens on the inside top of the bucket. Again Filthy! A good cleaning and they're nice and bright now too.
I was anticipating another PITA job, but was really fortunate.
That doesn't happen too often.
Here are some pics that may help some of you identify and troubleshoot your '68-71 FO.
Mark
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 211
Likes: 2
update on fiber optics
O.K. Thanks everyone for the information. This is hillarious to me. I have a friend who knows so much about corvettes who has helped me on sooooo many projects. He has a 77 so he's got no optics. This drove him crazy and I know he didn't sleep last night. He will be shocked to find out that I "stayed up all night and FIXED the optics." Sun-up..lights on Sundown..lights off. Thanks again
Thread Starter
CF JASOC Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 8,040
Likes: 34
From: Downtown Annapolis, MD. The Future is where we all have to live. Let's not screw it up.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11
O.K. Thanks everyone for the information. This is hillarious to me. I have a friend who knows so much about corvettes who has helped me on sooooo many projects. He has a 77 so he's got no optics. This drove him crazy and I know he didn't sleep last night. He will be shocked to find out that I "stayed up all night and FIXED the optics." Sun-up..lights on Sundown..lights off. Thanks again
We've all done something along those lines over the years.
That's what we're here for.
Mark
Thread Starter
CF JASOC Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 8,040
Likes: 34
From: Downtown Annapolis, MD. The Future is where we all have to live. Let's not screw it up.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11
I've heard that even the guys from Corning would have a difficult time making a good splice.
Just sayin'...
A couple of the usual suspects are making the little boots that go on the back of the headlamps now, so of course I had to get a set.
They'll keep the nipple on the back of the headlamp and the end of the fiber optic cable clean. I guess.
Mark
Just sayin'...
A couple of the usual suspects are making the little boots that go on the back of the headlamps now, so of course I had to get a set.
They'll keep the nipple on the back of the headlamp and the end of the fiber optic cable clean. I guess.
Mark
Last edited by xCCTer; May 7, 2012 at 02:07 PM.
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Michael S. Palmer
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,301
Likes: 4,389
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi Mark,
Nice work on your fiber optics.
Originally there was a little rubber 'seal', (it even had a part number!) on each FO headlight connection. These are often missing since they often fell on the ground while the headlights were being replaced.
Regards,
Alan
Nice work on your fiber optics.
Originally there was a little rubber 'seal', (it even had a part number!) on each FO headlight connection. These are often missing since they often fell on the ground while the headlights were being replaced.
Regards,
Alan
