Headlight replacement/upgrade---IE: Holley Retrobright

[mrmustang]

I'll start off with the fun stuff that I  didn't really have fun with earlier this afternoon, took me 20 minutes to get the headlight ring and headlight off the drivers side (RH). Seems to me that the lower nut and bolt were put on after the fact as the nut was not attached to the housing. Allen headed top bolt came right off, bottom was a small phillips head with a star washer and nut. Thankfully, I was able to figure it out after just a few minutes, then was able to get the screw loose enough for me to be able to then use my fingers  to grab and pull down while carefully turn an 1/8th at a time till it came apart.

Taken off as the low beam was not working, saw that there is no bulb in the daylight running light either, but was also hoping to be able to polish out the inside of the lens as it was fogged, then realized that the inside is burnished/burned. 

 

 

Now I'm looking at replacements, again sans the DLR which is not required here in the US. Since I installed a set of the new Holley Retrobrite (LFRB155) on my 65 Sunbeam Tiger

 

 

I'm wondering if it will work on the Caterham. Looking at the stock headlight assembly, I'm thinking it will, but wondering if anyone has already installed them on their car? Wiring is a direct fit. Only thing different is the flat lenses, since they fit the trim ring on the Tiger, this should not be an issue, but I'm wondering if the flat lens will look funny.

 

Anyone care to respond with their experiences?

 

 

Thanks in advance,

 

 

Bill

 

 

 

[mrmustang]

Anyone have any ideas for a way to secure a nut to the inside of the housing for the lower securing bolt?

 

 

 

Bill

[Rodnok]

Would that be an application for a Rivnut?

[MV8]

A nut plate would be less likely to spin in the thin sheetmetal of the bucket:

https://www.mcmaster.com/products/nuts/rivet-mount-nuts~/

[mrmustang]

3 hours ago, Rodnok said:

Would that be an application for a Rivnut?

I had a rivnut kit a few years ago (lost in the last move) not certain they make them small enough. Thought about epoxying the nut to the inside of the housing with a star washer underneath just so it would hold till I get the screw started. (see below)

 

2 hours ago, MV8 said:

A nut plate would be less likely to spin in the thin sheetmetal of the bucket:

https://www.mcmaster.com/products/nuts/rivet-mount-nuts~/

 

I like that idea, will have to see if I can find a small enough stainless steel rivet to install it properly. Might have to swing down to the local commercial  Grainger-hardware supply and see if they stock anything similar to McMaster Carr in the AM to see if it will work.

 

Thanks

 

 

Bill

 

PS: Headlamp assemblies due in some time Friday or Saturday, will jump on the install as soon as I can and post my results.

Edited Thursday at 02:03 AM by mrmustang

[MV8]

Look for a rivet with these specs: https://www.mcmaster.com/products/rivets/rivets~/mandrel-material~stainless-steel-1/mandrel-material~316-stainless-steel/hole-size~0-097-to-0-1/length~3-8-1/length~0-375/

 

Could also use 4-40, A286 screws and nuts.

 

More area is needed for epoxy than a nut or even the nut plate can provide.

A rivnut for plastic, with a strip of medium hard but flexible plastic that butts against the inside flange and is drill for the rivnut would work well, without epoxy. A hard plastic like uhmw could be filed to fit the curvature of the cavity then drilled and tapped for the original screw.

Another alternative to epoxy is to use double-sided 3m foam tape used for hanging rubber body molding on car doors. Usually a thin white tape with bright red peel-away covering over the acrylic adhesive, but either way, adequate area is needed unless it will butt against the inside flange so it won't rotate.

[mrmustang]

This is what I had in mind when I was talking about using an epoxy to hold in place the nut, star washer, and ground wire while I tighten the lower housing screw in place.

In theory, the epoxy will hold the nut to the point that the star washer bites into the housing and the nut, then allowing the nut to be tightened to factory specifications.

 

I'm going to give it a shot, worse comes to worse, I did order a 15" needle nose plier set off Amazon in case I need to hold the nut while tightening it down.

 

Bill

[mrmustang]

This is plan "B" if the above does not work the way I want it to both are 15" in length, but will require a third hand from SWMBO in order to make it work.

[MV8]

I understood what you wanted to do. Don't bump or push the screw as your are tightening and it may work long term. Bad spot for a ground eye. I'd run it out the hole with the other wiring to ground on the chassis. The shell does not need to be grounded.

[mrmustang]

4 hours ago, MV8 said:

I understood what you wanted to do. Don't bump or push the screw as your are tightening and it may work long term. Bad spot for a ground eye. I'd run it out the hole with the other wiring to ground on the chassis. The shell does not need to be grounded.

I chased the ground wire back when I first saw how it was set up and found a secondary ground on the chassis already. Figured I'd duplicate what I saw, better to have too many grounds then not enough. The one I'll not be reinstalling is the extra ground wire for the daytime running light, which was missing it's bulb and clearly not being used. Hoping to have the new lights here tonight or tomorrow (says today by 7pm, I'm pessimistically optimistic), will fit in the housing to see if they will work, then go from there.

 

Thanks again for your input and guidance

 

Bill

[mrmustang]

Lights are in, on first blush, they are 5-10 times brighter than the originals.

The first picture is a comparison between the two.

New LED light assembly on left, original on right

 

Next is the low beams of both new lights installed

 

 

Followed by the high beams also to show light pattern

 

 

As for the original concern with the nut and bolt at the bottom, that was much to do about nothing, as the bolt does not go through the headlamp retaining ring like I initially thought. I kick myself for not wearing my glasses when I was removing the original, made more work for myself than I should have.

 

Now I need to find a level area and wall so I can adjust them, if needed.

 

Bill

Edited 13 hours ago by mrmustang