Headlight removal help
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 918
Likes: 5
From: Gainesville FL
An update on the headlight rebuilding project:
I got everything out yesterday afternoon. I had to use a Dremel with a cut-off wheel to cut the header bar into several pieces and take the aluminum headlight supports out still connected to what remained of the header bar. They did come out through the headlight "holes", though it was a tight fit. Thank goodness the adhesive had failed and the header bar was already disconnected from the fiberglass, otherwise it would have been a much worse job. I wasn't watching and put a scratch on the hood.
The car was going to be re-painted at the very end of the resto anyway, but I still hate having to see that reminder of my carelessness. I will have to install a new header bar, and also the bar that runs along the very nose of the car that the headlight support frame "arms" bolt into. All that was left of that piece was about three inches of rust on either side of the "arms". I will order the header bar tomorrow. Does anywhat know that the the "nose bar" is called in the catalogs?
Once the supports were out, I had to use a cut-off wheel to remove the remaining bolts holding the headlight supports to the header bar. I also took off all of the pieces mounted onto the aluminum headlight cover/holders. Not unexpectedly, after 30 years, many of the steel screws had seized in the aluminum threads, and I will have several evenings of easy-out (any maybe Heli-coil) work to clean up these issues. My late Dad's drill press will be put to very good use.
One question I have not seen asked here has to do with a source for the bolts with captive washers that are used throughout the car. These are usually 1/4-20 or 5/16 coarse. Many of the ones holding the headlight supports are way too rusted to re-use. Where can new ones be purchased?
I keep telling myself that this is the best way to re-do my headlights, given that most of the mechanism was corroded and/or rusted away, but it seems like three steps backward right now! No one else (except fellow headlight rebuilders) will understand why I will pull the headlight switch all the time, just to see them go up and down after it's all put back together!
I got everything out yesterday afternoon. I had to use a Dremel with a cut-off wheel to cut the header bar into several pieces and take the aluminum headlight supports out still connected to what remained of the header bar. They did come out through the headlight "holes", though it was a tight fit. Thank goodness the adhesive had failed and the header bar was already disconnected from the fiberglass, otherwise it would have been a much worse job. I wasn't watching and put a scratch on the hood.
The car was going to be re-painted at the very end of the resto anyway, but I still hate having to see that reminder of my carelessness. I will have to install a new header bar, and also the bar that runs along the very nose of the car that the headlight support frame "arms" bolt into. All that was left of that piece was about three inches of rust on either side of the "arms". I will order the header bar tomorrow. Does anywhat know that the the "nose bar" is called in the catalogs?Once the supports were out, I had to use a cut-off wheel to remove the remaining bolts holding the headlight supports to the header bar. I also took off all of the pieces mounted onto the aluminum headlight cover/holders. Not unexpectedly, after 30 years, many of the steel screws had seized in the aluminum threads, and I will have several evenings of easy-out (any maybe Heli-coil) work to clean up these issues. My late Dad's drill press will be put to very good use.
One question I have not seen asked here has to do with a source for the bolts with captive washers that are used throughout the car. These are usually 1/4-20 or 5/16 coarse. Many of the ones holding the headlight supports are way too rusted to re-use. Where can new ones be purchased?
I keep telling myself that this is the best way to re-do my headlights, given that most of the mechanism was corroded and/or rusted away, but it seems like three steps backward right now! No one else (except fellow headlight rebuilders) will understand why I will pull the headlight switch all the time, just to see them go up and down after it's all put back together!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 918
Likes: 5
From: Gainesville FL
Thanks to everyone for all their help on this project. While I finished this part of the project a few weeks ago, it has taken some time to get a nice day when the digital camera was available.
This was the night I brought the car home. Notice the missing grills and the headlights have dropped down because of the rusted-out header bar:
Here is a shot with the rebuilt headlights down...
...and one with them up
There are still many things to do on the car, but a hearty thank you to everyone who helped me through this project.
VG
This was the night I brought the car home. Notice the missing grills and the headlights have dropped down because of the rusted-out header bar:
Here is a shot with the rebuilt headlights down...
...and one with them up
There are still many things to do on the car, but a hearty thank you to everyone who helped me through this project.
VG
