Headlight motor advice???
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 272
Likes: 0
From: LA
Headlight motor advice???
OK, I just finished changing the grears in my headlight motor....again.
I know one option of prolonging the headlight motor life is to just drive in the day time.
Second option might be to raise and lower the lights by hand.
Any good advice from long time owners about this issue?
I know one option of prolonging the headlight motor life is to just drive in the day time.
Second option might be to raise and lower the lights by hand.
Any good advice from long time owners about this issue?
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 73,568
Likes: 33
From: Somewhere in Mo
St. Jude Donor '09-'10, '14
I would be curious as to how long in between you replaced them. One option would be to go with the brass replacement parts, if you haven't already. They should last a long time. One other thing I have never heard anyone mention is making sure you keep them lubed. I don't know how much you drive your vette but the single one thing that causes gaskets to fail or any moving part is not using it. They have a tendency to gum up and/or dry out. But a headlight motor should last a long time when it's rebuilt. Might be something else that caused this for you.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 272
Likes: 0
From: LA
I did have some trouble with the headlight hitting a brace, but I have fixed that problem. The car gets driven daily so there are no issues with parts drying up from getting no use.
I guess that extra strain did more damage than I thought.
I guess that extra strain did more damage than I thought.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 73,568
Likes: 33
From: Somewhere in Mo
St. Jude Donor '09-'10, '14
I couldn't tell you for sure that's what it is but I just replaced one of mine, and I won't tell you what a bonehead thing I did, but mine was also hitting something and now my new motor is making a whining sound. I think it just got hung up a little and started stripping the gears. So I ordered a new motor for when that one finally dies. But that is exactly what happened to me. It doesn't take much to strip those plastic gears.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 16,475
Likes: 270
From: Kingman AZ
Cruise-In VII Veteran
Cruise-In VIII
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Use the much lighter plastic headlights that are available at auto suppliers such as NAPA. If you heft a glass one and a plastic one in each hand at the same time you can really feel the difference.
This is one of Gordon Killebrew's tips.
This is one of Gordon Killebrew's tips.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,018
Likes: 1
From: OR
How much time is passing between problems? I drove my '87 daily for 4 years without stripping a gear. One quit working due to poor contact at a limit switch. A points file took care of that. If you're going through a lot of gears I'd suggest looking for some sort of resistance. If you for some reason turn on and off the lights making the motors change direction mid cycle would probably do it. The plastic gears act like a fuse. Though metal gears might sound like the best solution, the consequenses might be the case breaks instead of a gear. Just suggesting that you try to diagnos the problem before concluding the problem is plastic gears.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From: Oxford MI, summer; Wildwood FL winter
Headlight gear
Just replaced the delrin pins in one of the headlights of my wife's 95. The biggest piece of the parts internal to the gear was about the size of a bb. I have no idea what the original parts looked like. I found out that an electronic control senses motor amperage increase as the motor headlight comes in contact with the stop and shuts the motor off. I was surprised at the amount of load there is on the headlight at either end position. Try turning the manual **** and see how many turns you go before the headlight itself starts to move.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,753
Likes: 15
From: backwoods upstate ny
all c4's can significantly reduce load on the headlight drive by hanging the hdlt bezels on your garage wall...few people can see the bezels when the lights are "up" and most vandals ain't quick enuf to do any damage unless the car is parked with lights up(???).
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Heel & Toe
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From: Oxford MI, summer; Wildwood FL winter
I've been scouring Ebay for mounting plates for the Targa top and saw gear and pin sets for $14.95. Lots cheaper than a new motor.
I couldn't tell you for sure that's what it is but I just replaced one of mine, and I won't tell you what a bonehead thing I did, but mine was also hitting something and now my new motor is making a whining sound. I think it just got hung up a little and started stripping the gears. So I ordered a new motor for when that one finally dies. But that is exactly what happened to me. It doesn't take much to strip those plastic gears.