headlight probs?
- Thread starter pack84
- Start date
onedef92
Well-known member
It's a good weekend project. If you're going to replace one gear, you might as well do the other side, too.
jsinga
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2001
- Messages
- 280
- Location
- Savannah, GA, USA
- Corvette
- 87 Silver Coupe Way over 200k miles
Do you know you need gears?
One of mine was really slow to come up. Cleaning the carbon out fixed it for a couple of years.
One gear comes out easy the other one has the pin in the shaft and needs a vice to hold it.
Do a vette headlight motor repair search, one of the on-line articles has some good pics.
I think the plastic gears are good enough, one of my motors has never been open and its on a 215k mile 87.
Be careful and don't crack the housings. If you end up going for a rebuilt motor a crack makes it no good for a core.
I have heard Fiero motors are close but never seen one.
The one thing I haven't been able to find is the brush assy for the early style motor. I think eventually that is what is going put an end to one of mine.
JS
One of mine was really slow to come up. Cleaning the carbon out fixed it for a couple of years.
One gear comes out easy the other one has the pin in the shaft and needs a vice to hold it.
Do a vette headlight motor repair search, one of the on-line articles has some good pics.
I think the plastic gears are good enough, one of my motors has never been open and its on a 215k mile 87.
Be careful and don't crack the housings. If you end up going for a rebuilt motor a crack makes it no good for a core.
I have heard Fiero motors are close but never seen one.
The one thing I haven't been able to find is the brush assy for the early style motor. I think eventually that is what is going put an end to one of mine.
JS
onedef92
Well-known member
You can find the headlight motor brush and armature assemblies at any electrical tool supply store. I found some Bosch armatures that fit right in after I sanded them down slightly with an emery cloth.
pcvette
Member
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2002
- Messages
- 16
- Location
- League City, TX, USA
- Corvette
- 1989 Coupe & 2001 Convertible
In 1988, Chevy redesigned the headlight motors. Cant recall which, but Ecklers or MidAmerica had different part numbers for the gears.
First time my 89 coupe motors went out, they did not have rebuild kits yet so I had to buy complete new ones from dealer
. Just last year, they went out again:cry, so I went ahead & ordered both the bronze gear and bushings. When I finally disassembled, I found the plastic gear itself had little wear, but the plastic delrin bushing had turned to powder which is why the headlight motor wouldnt lift. It took me about 4 hours to fix the 1st one & about 2 hours on the 2nd.
Anyway, since I still had original motors (and some time to tinker around the garage), I ordered another set of bushings and repaired the original motors. Will sell them to you if you are interested.
Good luck
First time my 89 coupe motors went out, they did not have rebuild kits yet so I had to buy complete new ones from dealer
. Just last year, they went out again:cry, so I went ahead & ordered both the bronze gear and bushings. When I finally disassembled, I found the plastic gear itself had little wear, but the plastic delrin bushing had turned to powder which is why the headlight motor wouldnt lift. It took me about 4 hours to fix the 1st one & about 2 hours on the 2nd.Anyway, since I still had original motors (and some time to tinker around the garage), I ordered another set of bushings and repaired the original motors. Will sell them to you if you are interested.
Good luck
Norsky4360
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2002
- Messages
- 64
- Location
- Minne-snow-ta
- Corvette
- '70 convert ("The Toy"), '90 ZR-1 ("The Beast")
Had a "sleepy eye" on "The Beast" so ordered a set of bushings for both. It took a couple of hours for the first one and about an hour for the second one. The bushings in both were dust but the gears were fine.
- Thread starter
- #7
582Boat
Well-known member
Headlight problems
As you may have read in other threads it is a simple job for the 1984 Vettes. After 1987 the headlight assembly was changed but for the 1984 Vette you will have no problem installing the new plastic gears. On my 1987 Vette I removed the complete headlight assembly from the Vette after raising the hood. Removed the various bolts and unpluged the electrical connectors and placed it on my workbench and opened the motor. There are several screws and then with a putty knife split the case and you will see your problems. On the one gear you will have to remove the steel pin holding the gear on to the shalf, with a punch and holding on something solid or in a vice, knock the pin out, replace that gear and put the pin back in the same way it came out. Re-assemble and replace in Vette. Be sure and look at the inside of the motor and remember everything about the plastic gears and all that stuff. Put some grease on the new gears.
As you may have read in other threads it is a simple job for the 1984 Vettes. After 1987 the headlight assembly was changed but for the 1984 Vette you will have no problem installing the new plastic gears. On my 1987 Vette I removed the complete headlight assembly from the Vette after raising the hood. Removed the various bolts and unpluged the electrical connectors and placed it on my workbench and opened the motor. There are several screws and then with a putty knife split the case and you will see your problems. On the one gear you will have to remove the steel pin holding the gear on to the shalf, with a punch and holding on something solid or in a vice, knock the pin out, replace that gear and put the pin back in the same way it came out. Re-assemble and replace in Vette. Be sure and look at the inside of the motor and remember everything about the plastic gears and all that stuff. Put some grease on the new gears.
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