Headlight housing adjustment?
 

I posted last night about my dread about chipping the paint on my car. After fixing the actuators on one side I put it back in and I've somehow moved the headlight housing. I don't know exactly how I did it, but it must have been while I was trying to get the two support bars re-attached back to the actuator assembly.

I only see 5 bolt attaching the housing to the body. I've loosened them but the housing doesn't move. Is there a way to adjust it so that the lid of the headlight is aligned correctly? You can see here what I'm talking about (and my chip!) in my headlamp. It was aligned before I took out the actuator but not anymore. :(


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...82cc76bd34.jpg

There's a bunch of different adjustments for the headlights, fore/aft, side to side, up down but really they are all not connected to or affected by the actuator you fixed. So something else must be wrong.

When you removed the actuator, what all did you take off?
M

Assuming the main headlight frame that attaches to the car is correct....

These two collars on the pivot shafts are what control the left/right of the
headlights

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...ecc408545.jpeg

you can see both here on the top and bottom, left side of the image

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...8bed85173.jpeg

loosening the set screws that hold them to the shaft lets the entire movable part of the headlight slide left/right in the body

You can also see those pivot pins go into a set of bearings that are held to the frame by three bolts, loosening those bolts allow the headlights to be moved fore/aft as well as moving up/down

Here is one of the two bearings with only one bolt holding it to the frame, the yellow part in the center is the end of the pivot pin.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...cf091fe55.jpeg

After that there is a bunch of leveling up/down that can be done as well with the stops.

Willcox has a video on youtube with some adjustment procedures
HIH
M

Mooser, thank you so much for taking the time to show some visuals! That helps a ton! I'm going to go find that video as well and hopefully get this straitened out before I chip my paint any more.

The only thing that I took out was the 4 springs and 4 bolts that hold on the actuator. I'm thinking me trying to get those two support bars back on moved the alignment and I didn't notice before I pushed the light up to test it. Live and learn I guess. :(

part way down this thread is where I did some adjustments on leveling and the stops, might be something useful, might not

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...s-forward.html

M

Well... I see what I did. While jostling to get that support bar on I somehow bent the housing away from the body. When I push the housing up and close the gab in the picture below, the light opens without rubbing. I don't see a way of bend it back without removing the housing all together. On the plus side I learned a valuable and possible expensive lesson... don't force anything.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...f8934281e3.jpg

that would do it
That frame is cast alum so the less you screw with it the better
Use the bearing adjustments to correct it now is probably the safest
M

Mooser are you talking about loosing the three bolts in the picture (Where that adjustment collar is) and try to move it upwards?

Headlamp Housing Adjustment 68-82

Are you sure that your headlight support beam...which is the metal support beam that is in between the headlight opening and your hood gap has not lost its bond???

The reason I ask this is because when you were attaching the small rods that are attached to the actuator support. I seriously doubt that you actually bent the cast aluminum part.

DUB

Yup, those "bearings" are the main up/down fore/aft adjustment while the collars are the left/right movement

The frame itself has a little adjustment fore/aft as you found out.
Willcox's video is very good in showing the bits and what they do.

And consider what DUB is saying, like I said earlier, changing the actuators shouldn't have moved the lights, but now that the frame is moved everything goes out

M

:iagree:

Oh.. you can bend it... then you'll hear a sound of grief... it breaks... :D

It makes this "Gick" sound... and then you know your screwed... :D

Willcox

DUB, you hit the nail on the head. After doing more investigating on why it was dipping, I notice that the left side of the support brace wasn't attached at all...probably a repair done by the previous own...or not done I mean. My plan is to bolt a short steel bar across the top of the brace and then shim it back up in place with washers. Looks like it's about an inch out of place. I'll add a picture after I'm done...hopefully it'll help someone with the same problem.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...de9f9e54e6.jpg

Haha... Are you trying to give me nightmares? It's working! lol

Hopefully you do not get nightmares...but ..it is well known that the body can loose it bond on this headlight support beam...and cause the body panel to raise up.

And as we all know...it can be repaired.

DUB

DUB, should I re-glue the body panel (with Gorilla glue or epoxy) back to the support brace? I was afraid to do that because I thought the sag downward would bend the fiberglass. Maybe after I get that brace reattached on the left side it won't pull on the body much.

I'm thinking of trying that rebonding without pulling the whole front end apart, but using the SEM adhesive... from what I gather, it might or might not hold.

I was thinking the same thing. Since I have a gap between the support and the body I thought squeezing a line of epoxy between the two and then lifting the brace to the correct position.

The recommended fix is to remove the nose and the header support, clean and prep both, re-bond them, and put it back together... more of a winter project in my case, so I'll probably gamble $40 worth of adhesive and cross my fingers. I have already confirmed my soft plastic clamps can get a good enough grip to hold the joint together for 24 hours while the adhesive sets. Worst case, I just have more cleanup to do later with the front end off.

:iagree::thumbs::thumbs:

Now a person can pump in whatever they want and HOPE that the adhesive takes holds and bonds.

I myself would take out the beam. Not because I do this stuff for a living and make money doing this stuff...but rather I do not want to have to deal with it again when customer comes back by and says: "It let loose again''....and wants a 'quick fix' again. Just not going to happen around here.

I can say...that IF the beam and body have separated..I would BET that the surfaces that the adhesive needs to be cleaned and prepped correctly are more than likely dirty and or rusted. Thus...I bet the adhesive may hold for awhile and one day. WHAM..it's back.

The good thing when a person repairs there own car. If it works GREAT. The bad thing is If it does not...then they know they tried and now have to attack the repair from a different angle. So it can be a gamble. And hopefully IF it goes bad they are smart enough to know that they have to do it again...they do not attempt to do it the same way HOPING that this time it will hold. Because that is insanity at its finest.

DUB