Re: loose bright lights

["content22207" <brobertson@xxxx>]

Your headlights seem to have gotten lost amid engine swaps and fuel
distributors eh?

Each sealed beam assembly is held to a bucket by aluminum frame and
four sheet metal screws. Bucket is then held to header panel by two
adjusting screws and a tension spring. Standard arrangement for any
vehicle of that vintage.

Two possibilities:
Unlikely: 
Sheet metal screws have come loose, allowing sealed beam to flop
around in bucket.
Likely: 
1) tension springs have rusted to pieces, especially the bent coil
that holds them to bucket/header, removing tension that holds
everything in place
2) tabs on plastic retainers that hold adjusting screws to header
panel have gotten old, brittle, and broken. This will actually let the
bucket fall out.

Remove aluminum frames, unplug sealed beams, and investigate. If
tension springs are DOA, can cut and bend new ones from a single long
spring (but prices from vendors are so cheap you might as well go that
route, time permitting). If tabs on adjusting screw retainers are
broken can substitute the "1/4 Inch Universal" size from "Help" brand
(red packages at parts houses). Cost much less than vendors.

Don't forget to re-aim your headlights afterwards.

Bill Robertson
#5939

>--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "K. Creason" <dmc4687@xxxx> wrote:
> I noticed this week that my brights have come loose.
> It's like they've popped out from the adjustment bracket. I haven't been
> working on that end, only in the back, so it's nothing I've done.
> I am just now starting to get the eyebrows, but nothing serious yet. I
> should correct that before it worsens, though.
> 
> Any ideas on what made the loose headlights?
> 
> -Kevin
> #4687