1965 headlight

[Joe Vucich]

The headlights on my 1965 open and close perfectly when the engine is cold or the car has been idling for only a couple of minutes. However, once the car is warmed up, the left headlight is very slow to open and will usually stop opening halfway through. The right headlight continues to work just fine. Once the engine is turned off and the car is cooled off (30 minutes later), the left headlight will start to operate properly again.

Any ides on what is happpening? All the wire connections seem to be ok. Your help is greatly appreciated.

[Wayne W.]

Re: 1965 headlight

There should be no connection at all to the engine temperature. The only thing that I can think that of that could remotely cause this would be the alternator charging rate. When a car has been sitting or the simple act of starting causes a drain. The regulator see this and tells the alternator to increase the rate. When the battery charges up again the rate is cut back again. The small voltage increase may be just enough to keep the motor going.

[Grant M.]

Re: 1965 headlight

Joe,

What about after the car is warmed-up, but in motion? In other words, with air flow around the headlight door vice a stationary, idling engine. It might just be that there's enough heat build-up under the hood when idling that the electric motor on the one side overheats to the point of ceasing operation.

[Wayne W.]

Re: 1965 headlight

If anything engine heat would make it operate better. There is a lot of grease in there that is stiff and would thin as it heated up making the motor turn easier. Forget the heat, it aint causing the problem. Repair the motor, it is obviously marginal, and check the pivot balls to make sure that they are free. Also, there is a thermal switch in the motor that shuts is off if you hold the switch long with the motor stalled. That is probably why it quits altogether and starts again later.

[Grant M.]

Re: 1965 headlight

Wayne,

I agree with you about heat making the grease less viscous, but your explanation doesn't address the fact that the one motor seems to work only when it's cool. In fact, given your comment about the thermal protection in the motor I would suggest that the heat build-up under the hood, together with what you describe as perhaps being a 'marginal' motor and holding the switch longer, is causing the thermal protection to cut-in. Provided it's not 90 degrees outside, a simple drive test would easily confirm whether underhood heat is affecting the motor. In any event, I agree that the motor's not long for this world...

grant

[Mike McKown]

Re: 1965 headlight

Get your wife's hair dryer out when she's not lookin' and let it blow on the motor until it is warm enough to match what you perceive as heated by the engine and see if it will work. Then fix the motor.

[Gary B.]

C2: Choosing headlight pivot balls

This seems like a timely chance to ask for opinions as to the relative merits of
the original steel/bronze pivot balls vs. the replacement nylon pivot balls. The cost is nearly identical. Is there any downside to using the nylon pivot balls, in terms of function or durability? Would nylon pivot balls be detectable during judging or PV testing? My guess is no. Does anyone have any experience to the contrary?

Thanks,

Gary