Headlight questions
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 86
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From: Lucas TX
Headlight questions
I am starting my headlight rebuild on my 76 and I have a few questions.
Right off the bat, one of the screws that attaches the bezel to the housing broke off. The PO used flat-head wood screws and they rusted to the housing. I plan to try to back it out with a drill and screw extractor after I soak it with PB blaster for a while. Any other hints?
I think I want to remove the whole assembly to get rid of all the rust and paint it. The AIM shows the 4 bolts that hold in the support and the rest of the assembly. When I take these bolts out can it be all be removed at once or do I need to disassemble it in the car? I have the lower panel off for repair, so I was going to try to take it out the bottom, but it looks tight. The hood is still on, but it can come off. I'll have to at least remove the housing to drill out the broken screw.
Finally, this car has been painted so many times, I cannot tell how the headlight assembly should be painted. Is the bezel typically painted the color of the car or is it painted black?
Right off the bat, one of the screws that attaches the bezel to the housing broke off. The PO used flat-head wood screws and they rusted to the housing. I plan to try to back it out with a drill and screw extractor after I soak it with PB blaster for a while. Any other hints?
I think I want to remove the whole assembly to get rid of all the rust and paint it. The AIM shows the 4 bolts that hold in the support and the rest of the assembly. When I take these bolts out can it be all be removed at once or do I need to disassemble it in the car? I have the lower panel off for repair, so I was going to try to take it out the bottom, but it looks tight. The hood is still on, but it can come off. I'll have to at least remove the housing to drill out the broken screw.
Finally, this car has been painted so many times, I cannot tell how the headlight assembly should be painted. Is the bezel typically painted the color of the car or is it painted black?
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 11,183
Likes: 3,333
From: North of Toronto - Ontario
I am starting my headlight rebuild on my 76 and I have a few questions.
Right off the bat, one of the screws that attaches the bezel to the housing broke off. The PO used flat-head wood screws and they rusted to the housing. I plan to try to back it out with a drill and screw extractor after I soak it with PB blaster for a while. Any other hints?
I think I want to remove the whole assembly to get rid of all the rust and paint it. The AIM shows the 4 bolts that hold in the support and the rest of the assembly. When I take these bolts out can it be all be removed at once or do I need to disassemble it in the car? I have the lower panel off for repair, so I was going to try to take it out the bottom, but it looks tight. The hood is still on, but it can come off. I'll have to at least remove the housing to drill out the broken screw.
Finally, this car has been painted so many times, I cannot tell how the headlight assembly should be painted. Is the bezel typically painted the color of the car or is it painted black?
Right off the bat, one of the screws that attaches the bezel to the housing broke off. The PO used flat-head wood screws and they rusted to the housing. I plan to try to back it out with a drill and screw extractor after I soak it with PB blaster for a while. Any other hints?
I think I want to remove the whole assembly to get rid of all the rust and paint it. The AIM shows the 4 bolts that hold in the support and the rest of the assembly. When I take these bolts out can it be all be removed at once or do I need to disassemble it in the car? I have the lower panel off for repair, so I was going to try to take it out the bottom, but it looks tight. The hood is still on, but it can come off. I'll have to at least remove the housing to drill out the broken screw.
Finally, this car has been painted so many times, I cannot tell how the headlight assembly should be painted. Is the bezel typically painted the color of the car or is it painted black?
The 2 side screws are into clips where the two front are into the housing. if it doesn't move easily I'd drill small and progressively bigger to get rid of it instead of messing with the extractor.
If the holes are stripped
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...er-screws.html
The AIM shows 4 screws but really there's 2 more along the hood side (at least on mine)
In theory separate the movable part from the frame by taking the 3 bolts off of each pivot ball, then you should be able to sneak it out the front grill hole.
If you car has a brace in the center that goes up to the bumper center you'll find it a lot easier if that's out of the way.
The bolts in the back (hood side) go into the reinforcement brace along the body that frequently rusts/corrodes, shot a bunch of PB into any holes you can find to get at the back side of the bolts.
I have no idea what they should look like, Need someone like Alan 71.
Mine ended up this way so if you do the exact opposite it's probably close
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...s-forward.html
HIH
M
Last edited by Mooser; Jun 11, 2019 at 07:07 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,109
Likes: 4,170
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi cw,
Mooser's choices of finishes on the various parts of the headlight mechanism are good.
You asked about the bezel... I believe they were typically painted body color. Since the headlight doors, and thus the main frame were in place when the body was painted, there would likely be incidental overspray on the underside of the door and some areas of the main frame.
Getting the headlights in place fully assembled is pretty tricky with marring the paint on the doors or on the headlight openings and body.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan
Mooser's choices of finishes on the various parts of the headlight mechanism are good.
You asked about the bezel... I believe they were typically painted body color. Since the headlight doors, and thus the main frame were in place when the body was painted, there would likely be incidental overspray on the underside of the door and some areas of the main frame.
Getting the headlights in place fully assembled is pretty tricky with marring the paint on the doors or on the headlight openings and body.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan
Thread Starter
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 86
Likes: 2
From: Lucas TX
Of course the two on the side came out just fine. The one in the housing broke off. I think I would rather deal with it being stripped. Thanks for the link. Now I have a new target for my rebuild.
