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This is what I came up with. It did not actually hold it tight but should give some support. It took me all morning to get this back together. What a PITA. My goal was to get that side headlight to rise to the same level as the other. Turned out the vacuum actuator shaft 4 threads and it made no difference. For some reason this side is not opening all the way. Maybe the crack is the root cause. I'm giving up for today. Going out on the road for another long highway ride.
Isn't there a stop screw/post towards the outside of the assembly that limits the total amount it can travel when opening?
Mark
Yes. That stop is not being reached. Something else is stopping the opening progress to that stop. I thought it was the crack, and it may be since my bracket did not totally bring the pieces together.
If you are positive the wide open stop is not the cause of this then I would suggest you disconnect the threaded connecting pin from the actuator and manually cycle the headlight assembly. That's how I handled the adjustment on mine after I rebuilt them. After I was sure the stops were adjusted properly, I reconnected that threaded portion. I did count the number of turns while removing them, but when putting them back on, I made sure the actuator did not bottom out before the stops were hit. I'm not 100% sure, but I believe the stops should determine the amount of travel, not the actuator. Unfortunately I think you have to remove the springs and a few other things first, but it's really not a hard thing to do. Just take a few detailed pictures before you start.
Good Luck,
Mark
I think the stop is adjusted properly. Yet it is not fully opening to the stop. I could get it to raise a bit more manually when putting pressure on the crack, as the crack came together. That's why I thought to clamp it closed with the home-made bracket. It didn't keep it tight, but at least will provide some support so it doesn't get worse. I'm going to have to spend more time on this. The assembly drawing is helpful. Thanks for that. That screw #9 was a PITA to get re-installed! I had taken it apart to address the crack, so out came both bulbs, the bulb holders, and the slotted pin that holds the actuator. Lengthening the actuator rod is all I tried and it did not do anything. I'm pretty sure the crack is the problem. There have been no accidents or repairs other than changing out the bulbs. Good news is I have working lights. It's just slightly one lazy side.
If you are positive the wide open stop is not the cause of this then I would suggest you disconnect the threaded connecting pin from the actuator and manually cycle the headlight assembly. That's how I handled the adjustment on mine after I rebuilt them. After I was sure the stops were adjusted properly, I reconnected that threaded portion. I did count the number of turns while removing them, but when putting them back on, I made sure the actuator did not bottom out before the stops were hit. I'm not 100% sure, but I believe the stops should determine the amount of travel, not the actuator. Unfortunately I think you have to remove the springs and a few other things first, but it's really not a hard thing to do. Just take a few detailed pictures before you start.
Good Luck,
Mark
I did have the actuator pin off and cycled it manually. I also removed the screw #9 so I could get it fully open to remove the bulbs and front cover. Wondering if a bad actuator and/or low vacuum could potentially affect this. The only obvious thing out of whack is that crack and it made a surprising amount of difference when I pressed it to close up. It will probably be a long time before this becomes high on the priority list.
If you want to save the housing, I would take it to a professional welder/fabricator and get it properly repaired.
I believe if you just leave it with the fix you have, it will continue to crack with use and vibration.
If you are lucky the weld heat won’t cause any discoloration with the paint.
You might even try to drill a really small hole at each end of the crack, then fill the holes and crack with JB Weld.
This may stop the crack from continuing or not, but might be worth the try.
The other fix would be to find a factory replacement or reproduction, then play the paint match game.
If you want to save the housing, I would take it to a professional welder/fabricator and get it properly repaired.
I believe if you just leave it with the fix you have, it will continue to crack with use and vibration.
If you are lucky the weld heat won’t cause any discoloration with the paint.
You might even try to drill a really small hole at each end of the crack, then fill the holes and crack with JB Weld.
This may stop the crack from continuing or not, but might be worth the try.
The other fix would be to find a factory replacement or reproduction, then play the paint match game.
I've been trying to figure out a better mechanical solution. I may try to get a piece of wire looped around those screws and twist it to close the crack. Can't think of anything else. Maybe welding, but that's a tough on also. Thanks for the ideas.
