84 Headlight Gear question
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
From: Rockville Maryland
84 Headlight Gear question
I just orderd new headlight gears for my car and just can not figure out how to replace the black gear ? there is a common shaft that goes through the black gear that has a pin that fits into the black gear cutout and then on the exterior side another pin that is used to position the entire light assembly for the open and close operation. What pin is removable ? they both look like they are permently in the shaft but one must be removable. The last thing I want to do is start pounding on the wrong pin. Or is there some other majic that I need to know the trick for ?
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,226
Likes: 9
From: Irvine Ca
The black gear is usually good to go even though it is years old.
Only the large white gear needs replacing.
The parts houses sell you both for ~$50 when you could have gotten away with just the large white one for $23
If I were you (and I have done this) I'd just leave the black one alone and replace the white one. Now that you have the whole thing open, you can clearly see where the middle of the white one gets pounded by that screw gear.......
The parts houses make it easy to find the two gear parts kit....but they make it difficult to find the single larger white gear part number......
Just a marketing ploy.....why not get twice as much out of you??
Only the large white gear needs replacing.
The parts houses sell you both for ~$50 when you could have gotten away with just the large white one for $23
If I were you (and I have done this) I'd just leave the black one alone and replace the white one. Now that you have the whole thing open, you can clearly see where the middle of the white one gets pounded by that screw gear.......
The parts houses make it easy to find the two gear parts kit....but they make it difficult to find the single larger white gear part number......
Just a marketing ploy.....why not get twice as much out of you??
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
From: Rockville Maryland
The black gear is usually good to go even though it is years old.
Only the large white gear needs replacing.
The parts houses sell you both for ~$50 when you could have gotten away with just the large white one for $23
If I were you (and I have done this) I'd just leave the black one alone and replace the white one. Now that you have the whole thing open, you can clearly see where the middle of the white one gets pounded by that screw gear.......
The parts houses make it easy to find the two gear parts kit....but they make it difficult to find the single larger white gear part number......
Just a marketing ploy.....why not get twice as much out of you??
Only the large white gear needs replacing.
The parts houses sell you both for ~$50 when you could have gotten away with just the large white one for $23
If I were you (and I have done this) I'd just leave the black one alone and replace the white one. Now that you have the whole thing open, you can clearly see where the middle of the white one gets pounded by that screw gear.......
The parts houses make it easy to find the two gear parts kit....but they make it difficult to find the single larger white gear part number......
Just a marketing ploy.....why not get twice as much out of you??
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,226
Likes: 9
From: Irvine Ca
naw, the fix is easy....and you've got a handle on what happens with these.
The only other thing that goes awry is the electrical motor or the relay goes south....but if both of those are working fine...the large white gear is all you need to address.
The only thing I did wrong was, somehow I put the bucket back in wrong and it was binding to one side.....I'm not sure what I did or how I fixed it....just when I started dis-assembling it, it came loose on it's own.....when I put it back together.....it was fine.
So I can't say what I did wrong.
Lastly, the directions that everyone tells you to follow.....they are a good guide....but after about 30 minutes of trying to decipher what they were trying to say....I got frustrated and put them down......I just unhooked whatever was hooked up and 10 minutes later I figured out everything just by common sense
First headlight takes an hour using the instructions....second one takes 20 minutes.....
What this means is.....basically looking at the thing, you can figure out which bolts need to come out.
The only other thing that goes awry is the electrical motor or the relay goes south....but if both of those are working fine...the large white gear is all you need to address.
The only thing I did wrong was, somehow I put the bucket back in wrong and it was binding to one side.....I'm not sure what I did or how I fixed it....just when I started dis-assembling it, it came loose on it's own.....when I put it back together.....it was fine.
So I can't say what I did wrong.
Lastly, the directions that everyone tells you to follow.....they are a good guide....but after about 30 minutes of trying to decipher what they were trying to say....I got frustrated and put them down......I just unhooked whatever was hooked up and 10 minutes later I figured out everything just by common sense
First headlight takes an hour using the instructions....second one takes 20 minutes.....
What this means is.....basically looking at the thing, you can figure out which bolts need to come out.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
From: Rockville Maryland
naw, the fix is easy....and you've got a handle on what happens with these.
The only other thing that goes awry is the electrical motor or the relay goes south....but if both of those are working fine...the large white gear is all you need to address.
The only thing I did wrong was, somehow I put the bucket back in wrong and it was binding to one side.....I'm not sure what I did or how I fixed it....just when I started dis-assembling it, it came loose on it's own.....when I put it back together.....it was fine.
So I can't say what I did wrong.
Lastly, the directions that everyone tells you to follow.....they are a good guide....but after about 30 minutes of trying to decipher what they were trying to say....I got frustrated and put them down......I just unhooked whatever was hooked up and 10 minutes later I figured out everything just by common sense
First headlight takes an hour using the instructions....second one takes 20 minutes.....
What this means is.....basically looking at the thing, you can figure out which bolts need to come out.
The only other thing that goes awry is the electrical motor or the relay goes south....but if both of those are working fine...the large white gear is all you need to address.
The only thing I did wrong was, somehow I put the bucket back in wrong and it was binding to one side.....I'm not sure what I did or how I fixed it....just when I started dis-assembling it, it came loose on it's own.....when I put it back together.....it was fine.
So I can't say what I did wrong.
Lastly, the directions that everyone tells you to follow.....they are a good guide....but after about 30 minutes of trying to decipher what they were trying to say....I got frustrated and put them down......I just unhooked whatever was hooked up and 10 minutes later I figured out everything just by common sense
First headlight takes an hour using the instructions....second one takes 20 minutes.....
What this means is.....basically looking at the thing, you can figure out which bolts need to come out.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,953
Likes: 550
From: Mission Viejo CA
While you're in there, be sure to clean the motor commutators and the limit switches, and clean and lube the motor bearings. Use a white grease, like Lubriplate, on the bearings and the gears.
Instructor
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 184
Likes: 13
I just did this job on an 84 this weekend. The pin that you can remove is the pin on the exterior side. I tried both pins and there was no way the other one (that fits into the black gear) would budge. If you do this be sure to support the other end of the shaft while you punch out the pin. I agree with the other poster, the black gear was ok, the white gear was stripped. Don't forget to reseal the two sides of the motor housing with some clear caulk when you reassemble. The job looks worse then it turned out to be.
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Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
From: Rockville Maryland
Well finally had time and now my headlight is back in working order, one thing that bothers me is at times it will not close all I need to do is turn the emergency **** slightly and she will then activate the motor and close, is there a adjustment I am missing ? when I had it open I did clean all the electrical and also used white lube, everything looked fine plus I have zero binds ?
Last edited by inex1; Sep 12, 2010 at 03:55 PM.
5th Gear
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
I just did this job on an 84 this weekend. The pin that you can remove is the pin on the exterior side. I tried both pins and there was no way the other one (that fits into the black gear) would budge. If you do this be sure to support the other end of the shaft while you punch out the pin. I agree with the other poster, the black gear was ok, the white gear was stripped. Don't forget to reseal the two sides of the motor housing with some clear caulk when you reassemble. The job looks worse then it turned out to be.
