65 vette headlight operation-help

[Don S.]

The passenger side headlight bucket operates very slowly and only goes up 1/2 way. It is not operating the micro-switch. After removing motor and gear box, cleaning, checking grease, and checking motor operation and re-installing motor and gear box,it still only opens 1/2 way. The drivers side light works fine. What do I need to do . what is wrong.
When motor and gear box were out of the car. bucket operates freely manually.
Have by-passed all wiring with jumper leads--still no change in operation.
HELP PLEASE

[Jack H.]

A 'typical' malady...

is the drive gear. They were soft metal intended to act as the 'sacrificial' element of the system. Frequently the teeth are so badly worn that the headlight won't open past the point of gear wear.

Sometimes, you can remove and re-position the drive gear to make it run on the unused half of it's teeth and buy yourself some added useful life... I'd visually inspect the drive gear!

[Don S.]

Re: A 'typical' malady...

does anyone know where I can get the drive gear part or where I can get the gearbox or the system rebuilt.

[William C.]

Re: A 'typical' malady...

In use, only 180 degrees of the gear is used, even thyough the gear has teeth around the full 360 degree circumference, so it is easy to rotate the gear 180 and then have a "fresh" gear. If that has already been done, and you need a replacement, I believe most of the major Corvette houses have them, Corvette Central and others.