Bucket headlight
08-09-2017, 11:38 PM
#1
Bucket headlight
So when i turn on and off my headlights (1996) one of them will get to the end of its range and its like it thinks it has further to travel. So it sits there and bumps the stop 5 or 6 times.
Is there a limiter that is out of adjustment? How can i fix this?
Is there a limiter that is out of adjustment? How can i fix this?
08-10-2017, 02:08 AM
#3
Team Owner
Pro Mechanic
Or just fill the gear w/epoxy. Easy. 
08-10-2017, 09:26 AM
#4
So its a gear or bushing issue? NOT sone kind of travel limit stop adjustment?
Where is a good place to get this or these parts?
The video did not mention bushings. Why would we be looking at bushings?
Where is a good place to get this or these parts?
The video did not mention bushings. Why would we be looking at bushings?
08-10-2017, 09:48 AM
#5
Team Owner
Pro Mechanic
The "bushings" are in the video. They are the little round, very light tan plastic "pellets" that go inside the gear. They basically "wedge" the ID of the gear to the triangular "OD" of the driven shaft.
They're plastic of some kind, so eventually w/heat and age, they get brittle and crumble to pieces. The pieces in there still transfer some torque, so the headlight kind of opens and closes...but not correctly. Look again at the vid, at 16:05. All those crumbs are the old pellets (aka "bushings"). He says it's all the plastic gear that's stripped, but only a very small percentage of that plastic is from gear teeth. 99% of that is the "bushings". That gear is very probably, reusable. at 16:32, he starts talking about and installing the new "bushings".
You can buy new "bushings" from Mid America Motorworks, Corvette' Central, Elklers...any of the supporting vendors.
OR...you can just fill the ID of the gear w/epoxy and stuff the shaft into it and be done.
They're plastic of some kind, so eventually w/heat and age, they get brittle and crumble to pieces. The pieces in there still transfer some torque, so the headlight kind of opens and closes...but not correctly. Look again at the vid, at 16:05. All those crumbs are the old pellets (aka "bushings"). He says it's all the plastic gear that's stripped, but only a very small percentage of that plastic is from gear teeth. 99% of that is the "bushings". That gear is very probably, reusable. at 16:32, he starts talking about and installing the new "bushings".
You can buy new "bushings" from Mid America Motorworks, Corvette' Central, Elklers...any of the supporting vendors.
OR...you can just fill the ID of the gear w/epoxy and stuff the shaft into it and be done.
08-11-2017, 01:07 AM
#6
Race Director
You can buy the bushings at any auto parts store in the Dorman HELP section. They are used on Ford window regulators. They should cost under $5 for a set of 3. Sorry, I don't have a Dorman part number.
08-11-2017, 08:04 AM
#7
Racer
I just ended up replacing my pass side headlight bushings, it wasn't that hard. There are lots of threads about how to do it, but the vid that was posted above by cliff harris does a good job of showing what is needed.
On my 93, I had to file some of the gear teeth to get the whole thing to fit back together because of a lip on the gear. I think I notched three of them so it would slip back in place. Consider that instead of taking the whole thing apart.
it should take less than an hour, and I bought parts on ebay, got 6 of the pellet bushings for about $7 including shipping. (I assumed I'd be doing the other one soon...)
6)PONTIAC FIREBIRD HEADLIGHT MOTOR REPAIR KIT PELLETS/ BUSHINGS 87-92!
( 371941593315 )
Good luck
Jim
On my 93, I had to file some of the gear teeth to get the whole thing to fit back together because of a lip on the gear. I think I notched three of them so it would slip back in place. Consider that instead of taking the whole thing apart.
it should take less than an hour, and I bought parts on ebay, got 6 of the pellet bushings for about $7 including shipping. (I assumed I'd be doing the other one soon...)
6)PONTIAC FIREBIRD HEADLIGHT MOTOR REPAIR KIT PELLETS/ BUSHINGS 87-92!
( 371941593315 )
Good luck
Jim