C3 Fiberoptic bulb modification
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 5,941
Likes: 281
From: Was New Orleans but swam to Baton Rouge LA
Cruise-In IX Veteran
C3 Fiberoptic bulb modification
Here are some pictures of my work and progress on modifying current H5001 and H5006 bulbs for use in the early C3 corvettes with the fiber optic light system.
Original or old bulbs look like the below picture. They have a glass nipple in the middle that sealed the bulb. This is what allowed light to pass onto the factory fiber optic system in the car.
Here is a Wagner bulb I disassembled to see how they went together and if it could be modified.
Using my Dremel tool with a 1/8" drill bit I drilled a hole in the back of each bulb.
I found a place online selling some unsheathed fiber optic in 1/8" I bought one foot to test with. Here is what it looks like. I also started to cut off small pieces to go into the headlight.
Here is the fiber test fit into the headlight
After I worked on getting the length of each piece right I went ahead and tested them to see if it would work. Here is a shot showing the light makes it through. I am using a 9V battery to test so it is not super bright.
I plan on using some silicone to hold them in place and eventually test fit in the car. I figure this post may help some folks figure an alternative to the pricey T3 bulbs that are made.
Original or old bulbs look like the below picture. They have a glass nipple in the middle that sealed the bulb. This is what allowed light to pass onto the factory fiber optic system in the car.
Here is a Wagner bulb I disassembled to see how they went together and if it could be modified.
Using my Dremel tool with a 1/8" drill bit I drilled a hole in the back of each bulb.
I found a place online selling some unsheathed fiber optic in 1/8" I bought one foot to test with. Here is what it looks like. I also started to cut off small pieces to go into the headlight.
Here is the fiber test fit into the headlight
After I worked on getting the length of each piece right I went ahead and tested them to see if it would work. Here is a shot showing the light makes it through. I am using a 9V battery to test so it is not super bright.
I plan on using some silicone to hold them in place and eventually test fit in the car. I figure this post may help some folks figure an alternative to the pricey T3 bulbs that are made.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 971
Likes: 45
From: Middlesex NJ
Very nice work.
Can you let us know how far out you leave the piece of fiber in the modded headlight before gluing and how does it look in the fiber optic display panel when your done? How deep did you have to drill to get through the bulb housing?
Can you let us know how far out you leave the piece of fiber in the modded headlight before gluing and how does it look in the fiber optic display panel when your done? How deep did you have to drill to get through the bulb housing?
Last edited by mysixtynine; Mar 19, 2014 at 12:54 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,272
Likes: 4,363
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi sig,
Very nice work!
Remember there was a little 'collar' that slipped over the original nipple and f.o. connector. It helped direct the light from the nipple to the f.o. cable.
You may want to include that. A short piece of 'shrink' tubing works well.
You don't shrink it in place, it's just 'trapped' by the connector.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan
Very nice work!
Remember there was a little 'collar' that slipped over the original nipple and f.o. connector. It helped direct the light from the nipple to the f.o. cable.
You may want to include that. A short piece of 'shrink' tubing works well.
You don't shrink it in place, it's just 'trapped' by the connector.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan
Racer
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 270
Likes: 10
From: Macon Georgia
Sig: Before you go too much further, you might want to power a modified lamp at full voltage to check filament life. From what I can see from your photos, it looks like the hole you drilled may have vented the atmosphere that filled the lamp to prevent premature failure of the filament(s). In any event, great idea - hope you can make it work!
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 5,941
Likes: 281
From: Was New Orleans but swam to Baton Rouge LA
Cruise-In IX Veteran
Hi sig,
Very nice work!
Remember there was a little 'collar' that slipped over the original nipple and f.o. connector. It helped direct the light from the nipple to the f.o. cable.
You may want to include that. A short piece of 'shrink' tubing works well.
You don't shrink it in place, it's just 'trapped' by the connector.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan
Very nice work!
Remember there was a little 'collar' that slipped over the original nipple and f.o. connector. It helped direct the light from the nipple to the f.o. cable.
You may want to include that. A short piece of 'shrink' tubing works well.
You don't shrink it in place, it's just 'trapped' by the connector.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan
Sig: Before you go too much further, you might want to power a modified lamp at full voltage to check filament life. From what I can see from your photos, it looks like the hole you drilled may have vented the atmosphere that filled the lamp to prevent premature failure of the filament(s). In any event, great idea - hope you can make it work!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 997
Likes: 210
From: Schaumburg IL
Alan, I have thought about that. I was debating on if I wanted to use heat shrink, or possibly a rubber grommet. If you look at my test fit picture with both bulbs, you can see the rubber grommets in the middle on the desk.
I do not think there is any special atmosphere in these new halogen bulbs. During my dis-assembly, I have found that they are really constructed like a modern headlight. I do not have a picture, but they are similar to a 9006/9005 type bulb placed into a T3 housing. I broke the first one I drilled when I hit the glass bulb inside. With the fiber optic sealed into place with silicone, it should keep any dirt out as well.
I do not think there is any special atmosphere in these new halogen bulbs. During my dis-assembly, I have found that they are really constructed like a modern headlight. I do not have a picture, but they are similar to a 9006/9005 type bulb placed into a T3 housing. I broke the first one I drilled when I hit the glass bulb inside. With the fiber optic sealed into place with silicone, it should keep any dirt out as well.
If it is a bulb in a bulb you should be fine, your doing what I have been thinking about hope it works.
Pro
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 556
Likes: 13
From: C3 Forum, Colorado
BTW, I appreciate your efforts in trying to keep our old cars functioning the way they were intended to as old technology is on its way out. Please keep us posted on how well this works.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,727
Likes: 38
From: Fremont CA
Nice job! I used clear plastic tube from TAP Plastics on my H1/H4 bulbs. I remember cringing when drilling through the bulb connection plastic afraid I would destroy an expensive halogen bulb. I used clear poly tubing to keep the seal from fibre optic connection from plug to bulb. You should be careful trying to seal the lamp housing, I once wrecked an expensive set of Cibie lights using sealer, it out gassed into lamp reflector and wrecked my lamps. If you carefully look at the rubber boot, there is a vent passage from boot to outside air. Using a butyl rubber sealer like the right stuff might work but after wrecking a pair of $65 lamps way back when, I just leave the seals factory.
I also did a fibre optic connection to my LED tail lamps but the drivers side indicator output in the console is pretty weak otherwise everything went well there too.
I also did a fibre optic connection to my LED tail lamps but the drivers side indicator output in the console is pretty weak otherwise everything went well there too.
Last edited by Solid LT1; Mar 19, 2014 at 04:52 PM.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 270
Likes: 10
From: Macon Georgia
I do not think there is any special atmosphere in these new halogen bulbs. During my dis-assembly, I have found that they are really constructed like a modern headlight. I do not have a picture, but they are similar to a 9006/9005 type bulb placed into a T3 housing. I broke the first one I drilled when I hit the glass bulb inside. With the fiber optic sealed into place with silicone, it should keep any dirt out as well.[/QUOTE]
Gotcha. One possible improvement would be to set the OEM fiber directly into the drilled hole to eliminate an additional FO interface. In doing searches on this topic, one common problem is getting the light to transfer across the junction. I know splices in broken cables can be pesky.
Gotcha. One possible improvement would be to set the OEM fiber directly into the drilled hole to eliminate an additional FO interface. In doing searches on this topic, one common problem is getting the light to transfer across the junction. I know splices in broken cables can be pesky.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 5,941
Likes: 281
From: Was New Orleans but swam to Baton Rouge LA
Cruise-In IX Veteran
I do not think there is any special atmosphere in these new halogen bulbs. During my dis-assembly, I have found that they are really constructed like a modern headlight. I do not have a picture, but they are similar to a 9006/9005 type bulb placed into a T3 housing. I broke the first one I drilled when I hit the glass bulb inside. With the fiber optic sealed into place with silicone, it should keep any dirt out as well.
That would be a good idea, but I've not had much luck at moving the fiber in my connector.