Headlight idea

[David K.]

Years ago, maybe 30 yrs. ago. A friend and I, went salvage yard hunting for T3 headlights. I remember leaving the yard with the whole back end of a Pinto wagon. b******* with T3's. We got home and tested them all. Probably discarded about 1/2 of them. Well, my share of T3's sat in inventory until today. It was time to put these in the '62. Guess what? Though all of the ones I saved lit up, that also all smoked at the filament. I mean, it made the inside of the bulb look like the smoke of a forest fire. The only thing I can think of, is these bulbs lost their vacumn, while they layed around all these years. I wouldn't think you would get smoke in a vacumn. Anyone else have this experience?

[Mike M.]

Re: Headlight idea

Yes, alll too often
HaND

[Harmon C.]

Re: Headlight idea

Thats a good reason to only buy headlights at swap meets and the vendor lights them up for you to see. The vendor will say they are no return because they may smoke the next time they are tested after just getting them home.
Lyle

[Jack H.]

Re: Headlight idea

What you're seeing is the presense of oxygen + moisture inside the lamp's globe interacting with the heat of the tungsten filament. You get white smoke...the lamp's a 'gonner'.

The other defect mode is blackening of the glass at the upper top. This is the Edison Effect...free electrons boiling off the tungsten filament with no path to ground, generally rising due to heat and 'attacking' the glass. It's a natural consequence of the lamp's design that comes with age/use...

[William L.]

Re: Headlight idea

I have had more T3s that I care to talk about, but what I have found out is that if you test them off of a fresh or new hot battery, you will smoke a lot of bulbs. If you test bulb first with an older weaker battery you have a better chance of not smoking the bulb. What I use now is an older smaller12V battery out of my lawn mower. Then I hook it up to my car. Someone a lot smarter than me said its hard on old bulbs if you hook them up straight to a 12v battery. It is easier on the bulb to run it through the wiring system.
Works for me.
Bill

[John H.]

Re: Headlight idea

For only a 3-point standard deduction, the reproduction T-3's (made by Wagner Electric) are reliable, and you can actually see to drive the car at night.

[William L.]

Re: Headlight idea

For only a 3-point standard deduction, the reproduction T-3's (made by Wagner Electric) are reliable, and you can actually see to drive the car at night.

John
You are right. The repo's are a much better bulb. I use them for driving and cruse nights. I put my Org.T3's in when I am going for a Top Flight.
Bill

[Charles P.]

Re: Headlight idea

I will try the low volt idea with my Power Beams. No repro on these are planned at this time.

[Kurt B.]

Re: Headlight idea

I just had same problem on my 68.
Purchased 4 working orignal T-3 high & low beams.
Worked for a couple of weeks and now 3 of the 4 have blown.
Fun !
Kurt