HELP!!!! Can't get headlight motor removed!!
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,836
Likes: 244
From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Yup. I bought a brass gear to have on hand for when that "it's only a matter of time" comes around. That was several years ago and I now have 157K miles on the car. Still waiting. 
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
From: Fairbanks Alaska
Tie wraps will last for even less time than the glue will. Again Rodney's kit includes a brace which fits over the end of the glued on cover and bolts in place to address your "cover come unglued" issue. It also has a couple of spacing washers to address the "over the stop" issue as well.
Get the kit - it is super well engineered - and I do not even know Rodney - I am just an old industrial engineer who can appreciate a nice design enhansement.
Get the kit - it is super well engineered - and I do not even know Rodney - I am just an old industrial engineer who can appreciate a nice design enhansement.
Anyways, it's always nice to have options.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 280
Likes: 0
Tie wraps will last for even less time than the glue will. Again Rodney's kit includes a brace which fits over the end of the glued on cover and bolts in place to address your "cover come unglued" issue. It also has a couple of spacing washers to address the "over the stop" issue as well.
Get the kit - it is super well engineered - and I do not even know Rodney - I am just an old industrial engineer who can appreciate a nice design enhansement.
Get the kit - it is super well engineered - and I do not even know Rodney - I am just an old industrial engineer who can appreciate a nice design enhansement.
I used Rodney's it with the T brace and it's been 2 yrs - no issues !
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,836
Likes: 244
From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
The "wrap tie" method has held up very well so far, even after many up/down cycles. No stretching or breakage. Not as elegant as the "Rodney kit", but a heck of a lot cheaper. IMHO, the brass gear is overkill for the headlamp motor application. 99% of the time, it is the nylon bushings that turn to dust, and not a stripped nylon gear.
Anyways, it's always nice to have options.
Anyways, it's always nice to have options.
On the C5s it IS the nylon gear that strips/breaks.
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
From: Fairbanks Alaska
I still believe that the factory nylon gear is more than adequate and was designed in for a reason. I remember reading something somewhere about why the GM engineers chose nylon over a brass gear. There is a "timer" circuit that turns the motor off in the event of bushing/gear failure. In the unlikely event the "timer" circuit where to fail, and the motor where to keep running, the nylon gear would strip first. A brass gear on the other hand, would keep on turning and the motor would over current and burn a fuse or possably destroy the headlamp motor.
Last edited by AveryCurry; Aug 5, 2009 at 09:16 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,836
Likes: 244
From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
DOH......You are correct sir. I have done far more C4 than C5 headlamp motor rebuilds, and I got them confused. The C5 has a large rubber bushing inside the nylon gear. It is this rubber bushing that got mangled up on my C5.
I still believe that the factory nylon gear is more than adequate and was designed in for a reason. I remember reading something somewhere about why the GM engineers chose nylon over a brass gear. There is a "timer" circuit that turns the motor off in the event of bushing/gear failure. In the unlikely event the "timer" circuit where to fail, and the motor where to keep running, the nylon gear would strip first. A brass gear on the other hand, would keep on turning and the motor would over current and burn a fuse or possably destroy the headlamp motor.
I still believe that the factory nylon gear is more than adequate and was designed in for a reason. I remember reading something somewhere about why the GM engineers chose nylon over a brass gear. There is a "timer" circuit that turns the motor off in the event of bushing/gear failure. In the unlikely event the "timer" circuit where to fail, and the motor where to keep running, the nylon gear would strip first. A brass gear on the other hand, would keep on turning and the motor would over current and burn a fuse or possably destroy the headlamp motor.
Brass = Much more expensive, stronger material, potential for more noise (especially if machining tolerances are not kept tight). Did I mention expensive?
The vast majority of the C5 failures I have seen have been from stripped gears and not a failure of the rubber snubber.
A fuse blowing in the event of an "over current" situation is a normal protective design feature in most any electrical circuit as well.
Having said all that, I would agree that under most circumstances, the nylon gears hold up fine, ESPECIALLY if you do your routine, periodic, preventative maintenance and lubricate all the pivot points. Also keeping the Hooter's girls off your headlight doors helps prevent any damage.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,836
Likes: 244
From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,206
Likes: 21
From: Roswell GA
What is "normal use" - my car is 8 years old and the gear stripped and I have a garage queen. Most everyone who has posted - has had the issue. We have had to allocate time and resourses to get it fixed.
The kit takes care of it - is well engineered - cheaper than almost anything the dealer could do and should last another 20 years. Probably the plastic gear could last 4 or 5 or even another 8 - but by then there might not be kits to buy.
This is a happening now issue and most of these cars get into the late single digit ages. 98's are 11 years old. I am very at peace with the kit fix that it will not be an issue again.
The kit takes care of it - is well engineered - cheaper than almost anything the dealer could do and should last another 20 years. Probably the plastic gear could last 4 or 5 or even another 8 - but by then there might not be kits to buy.
This is a happening now issue and most of these cars get into the late single digit ages. 98's are 11 years old. I am very at peace with the kit fix that it will not be an issue again.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,900
Likes: 2
From: Green Cove Springs FL
Mine stripped as well, so I bought a kit to do both motors. I replaced the stripped one first, and when I opened up the "good" motor I could see where it was about to fail also. Once you replace one of them, the second one is fast. The brass gears are top notch!
