Rebuilding Headlight Relays
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 399
Likes: 0
From: Haslet,Texas
Rebuilding Headlight Relays
My latest project is going through the headlight system trying to find out why my headlights aren't opening like they should. I've rebuilt my actuators, and now they are holding vacuum properly. But of course both of my relays are shot. I've read about 2 methods of rebuilding them. One involves some O-rings and RTV. The other involves using some sort of rubber refurbisher. Has anyone tried either of these methods? The rubber refurbisher method sounds much simpler to do, but where do you find this stuff at?
Abby Normal
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 53,395
Likes: 92
From: Press "2" for English
Re: Rebuilding Headlight Relays (73'Vette)
never heard of a legitamate rubber refurbisher but that would be handy.
i went to O-ring method.
carefully pryed open the retaining ring and separated the diaphragm. after cleaning everything up, i carefully cut a small v-groove on the top and bottom of the rubber "piston" (you'll understand when you get yours apart), i then cleaned the grooves again and put on the smallest O-rings i could find and used just a dab of RTV to seal it in the groove. make sure not to get the RTV on the mating/sealing surfaces of the rubber piston. after the RTV cured for a couple hours, i put some engine assembly lube on the rubber to help it slide easier and reassembled the diaphragm.
if you do this, make sure you cut some new square filters out of something like a scotch-brite pad to keep debris out of the diaphragm bore.
i did this to mine some 7-8 years ago and mine still works fine.
good luck.
[Modified by clutchdust, 9:36 AM 7/1/2004]
i went to O-ring method.
carefully pryed open the retaining ring and separated the diaphragm. after cleaning everything up, i carefully cut a small v-groove on the top and bottom of the rubber "piston" (you'll understand when you get yours apart), i then cleaned the grooves again and put on the smallest O-rings i could find and used just a dab of RTV to seal it in the groove. make sure not to get the RTV on the mating/sealing surfaces of the rubber piston. after the RTV cured for a couple hours, i put some engine assembly lube on the rubber to help it slide easier and reassembled the diaphragm.
if you do this, make sure you cut some new square filters out of something like a scotch-brite pad to keep debris out of the diaphragm bore.
i did this to mine some 7-8 years ago and mine still works fine.
good luck.
[Modified by clutchdust, 9:36 AM 7/1/2004]
