Flip-up headlights - adjustment confusion...
#16
The Lady's Man
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Porken...I like!!!! Keeps the stock look of the car without the headaches. Very nice job. Piia lights?
Nicloe...Just a case of lazy eye. No big deal. ( just kiddin )
Nicloe...Just a case of lazy eye. No big deal. ( just kiddin )
#17
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Originally Posted by SharkSkin
Anyway, has your headlight always had this misalignment you're talking about? Can you quantify it, or send a pic?]
What Bill and I tried to direct you to is the highlighted part in the image below. You can inspect it by simply removing the three screws on your pod cover and removing it.
#18
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Originally Posted by John Struthers
There are two 10mm nuts, facing up, just to the right of the linkage -facing rear of car- on the rotator bar. There are two more toward the Pass. side. These are clamping screws/bolts.
The rotating bar has a shorter bar imbedded in it that is attached to the headlamp bucket.
When you loosen those two nuts (don't remove them) with a little effort you can rotate the headlamp bucket fore and aft or in and out -preferably, the headlamp is in the up position for this.
The rotating bar has a shorter bar imbedded in it that is attached to the headlamp bucket.
When you loosen those two nuts (don't remove them) with a little effort you can rotate the headlamp bucket fore and aft or in and out -preferably, the headlamp is in the up position for this.
Either way, it is clear to me that the stops will have to be adjusted once I have rotated the assembly into the right position. But that's indeed a secondary issue.
#19
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Nicole:
I believe #'s 19-21 in the PET diagram adjust only the left/right movement within the headlight hole. To adjust up and down motion, #15, which are the 10mm bolts accessable from the engine side of the fender and bolt throught the plastic #3 bushing and into #14 "C" lockbolt are the ones to loosen and adjust. The rearward of these two bolts has a slot in the fender/engine compartment wall which allows up and down movement. The forward bolt is in a fixed hole.
I was able to get at my bolts using a 1/4" drive socket with a long extension and universal adapter. Just loosen the rearward bolt a couple of turns and the forward bolt a bit less. I had the headlight in the "up" position when I did this, then pull the headlight forward until it hits the stop and re-tighten the bolts.
Hope this helps.
Bill
I believe #'s 19-21 in the PET diagram adjust only the left/right movement within the headlight hole. To adjust up and down motion, #15, which are the 10mm bolts accessable from the engine side of the fender and bolt throught the plastic #3 bushing and into #14 "C" lockbolt are the ones to loosen and adjust. The rearward of these two bolts has a slot in the fender/engine compartment wall which allows up and down movement. The forward bolt is in a fixed hole.
I was able to get at my bolts using a 1/4" drive socket with a long extension and universal adapter. Just loosen the rearward bolt a couple of turns and the forward bolt a bit less. I had the headlight in the "up" position when I did this, then pull the headlight forward until it hits the stop and re-tighten the bolts.
Hope this helps.
Bill
#20
Burning Brakes
Nicole,
I had the same problem, in fact I spent some time this weekend correcting the issue. My drivers side head lamp sat a bit higher than the passanger side when retracted. The fix, via Randy V -- screw the 10mm adjustment bolt until proper height is obtained. Tried this, no success. The problem was that my headlamp (Bosch H4) was not properly adjusted (focused) via the two adjustment screws on the lamp under the cowling.
Try removing the cowling and focus your head lamps against the garage wall.
I had the same problem, in fact I spent some time this weekend correcting the issue. My drivers side head lamp sat a bit higher than the passanger side when retracted. The fix, via Randy V -- screw the 10mm adjustment bolt until proper height is obtained. Tried this, no success. The problem was that my headlamp (Bosch H4) was not properly adjusted (focused) via the two adjustment screws on the lamp under the cowling.
Try removing the cowling and focus your head lamps against the garage wall.
#21
Burning Brakes
Something I learned during my headlight adjustment excercise this weekend:
The lamps can be centered in the fender cut-outs by loosening the 10mm bolts under the ender lip and on light tube, but this will not remedy the problem of the lamps resting at two different angles. One must check the focus of the lamps and the stop adjustment under the fender well in order to remedy this.
The lamps can be centered in the fender cut-outs by loosening the 10mm bolts under the ender lip and on light tube, but this will not remedy the problem of the lamps resting at two different angles. One must check the focus of the lamps and the stop adjustment under the fender well in order to remedy this.
#22
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Dave (SharkSkin) had asked for some pictures. I don't have a direct front shot available, so the difference is a little hard to see. I'd say it is about 3/8 of an inch, but enough to make the drivers side light blind oncoming traffic...
There was a better one taken in April at the meeting point for a BAR fun drive, but I can't find that one anymore.
There was a better one taken in April at the meeting point for a BAR fun drive, but I can't find that one anymore.
#24
Nichole,
You have a bunch of conflicting info.
I will agree that you MIGHT have to do a slight lamp adjustment after loosening the two bolts. I mentioned and you tried before.
I'm thinking that the stops or possibly a tight fit is the culprit for your problem -not being able to twist the bucket assembly fore and aft.
If you absolutely cannot twist the end tube -connected to the bucket base - and rotator tube, then your only option is the 'C' clamp adjustment at the bulkhead which can give you vertical play to adjust the bucket seating depth you are looking for. Like Bill I used a 1/4" rachet -you can use a short offset wrench but that to is a pita- to loosen those two bolts on the 'C' . Don't remove them and only loosen enough to get the job done.
As I mentioned before the stops themselves might be part of your problem, in your case I'd suspect that the upper stop is keeping you from twisting forward while the bucket is rased.
FWIW
I just did an experiment on Pattycakes -while messing with the spoiler-.
With both upper and lower stops just hanging, the buckets raised and lowered to the correct position.
I'm assuming that the short ear at the linkage portion of the rotator bar bottoms in that split plastic guide and prevents the bucket from going any further forward once the bucket is adjusted properly.
Also, FWIW, IMO
Adjusting the beam (light/lamp) by itself will do nothing to correct your problem.
It's the end tube and/or the C clamp.
Let us know, O.K.?
You have a bunch of conflicting info.
I will agree that you MIGHT have to do a slight lamp adjustment after loosening the two bolts. I mentioned and you tried before.
I'm thinking that the stops or possibly a tight fit is the culprit for your problem -not being able to twist the bucket assembly fore and aft.
If you absolutely cannot twist the end tube -connected to the bucket base - and rotator tube, then your only option is the 'C' clamp adjustment at the bulkhead which can give you vertical play to adjust the bucket seating depth you are looking for. Like Bill I used a 1/4" rachet -you can use a short offset wrench but that to is a pita- to loosen those two bolts on the 'C' . Don't remove them and only loosen enough to get the job done.
As I mentioned before the stops themselves might be part of your problem, in your case I'd suspect that the upper stop is keeping you from twisting forward while the bucket is rased.
FWIW
I just did an experiment on Pattycakes -while messing with the spoiler-.
With both upper and lower stops just hanging, the buckets raised and lowered to the correct position.
I'm assuming that the short ear at the linkage portion of the rotator bar bottoms in that split plastic guide and prevents the bucket from going any further forward once the bucket is adjusted properly.
Also, FWIW, IMO
Adjusting the beam (light/lamp) by itself will do nothing to correct your problem.
It's the end tube and/or the C clamp.
Let us know, O.K.?
#25
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That's a pretty subtle difference. When the ball and socket is completely popped out it makes the light rest much lower, as in my pic. There could still be a problem in that area, just not properly repaired. It's hard to tell in these pics... but if the front(bottom) edge of the light is raised about the same amount that the rear(top) edge is lowered(referring to retracted position) then it's likely an issue in the pod itself(ball & socket). If that's not the case, then the problem is more likely in the way that the main pivot is set up.
HTH
HTH
#26
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Thanks, guys! I hope I'll be able to get to it on the weekend. If not this weekend, well, then I migh thave to do ti much later in the month. When I first looked at it, I did not expect that I might have to remove fender liner etc, which is much more involved than just making an adjustment in the engine compartment area...
I'll keep you updated!
I'll keep you updated!
#27
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Best of luck with it! BTW, fender liner comes out in about 1 minute with a small 10mm socket. Maybe a minute and a half if you pull the lower liner. Jack optional.
#28
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Originally Posted by SharkSkin
BTW, fender liner comes out in about 1 minute with a small 10mm socket. Maybe a minute and a half if you pull the lower liner.
Lift car, remove front wheel, remove all bolts for main liner, fiddle the thing out of there, remove bolts for front liner, fiddle the thing out of there,... I'd say 1/2 hour min for the amateur...
#30
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Nicole, no need to remove wheel and fender liner. Your problem is obvious from the pics. As someone said, just get a long extension and I believe 10mm socket, and loosen the two bolts that hold the light bar to the engine / wheel well divider sheet metal. Standing in front of the car, it is by your right knee, between the little amplifier-looking thingie and the headlight, under the fender lip on the engine side. Once slightly loose, pull the headlight off its rest as you described, and jiggle it back and forth vertically so you move the light bar up a bit at that end. Hold it there and tighten the bolts. Only one bolt is an adjuster, the front one just holds the light bar on.
For raising the position of the light when retracted, there is a rest stop but that will indeed require going in under the fender liner or at least loosening belly pan; pulling alternator cooler off and snaking your hand up there.
Heinrich
ps: be careful when adjusting, sometimes the fender lip at the front of the headlight is so close to the light pivot mechanism that raising the light may allow it to damage the fender lip there. In that case you will need to adjust the fender mount and raise the fender fronm below to clear the light mechanism ... we wouldn't want to shove the fender skyward every time we turned our headlamps on
For raising the position of the light when retracted, there is a rest stop but that will indeed require going in under the fender liner or at least loosening belly pan; pulling alternator cooler off and snaking your hand up there.
Heinrich
ps: be careful when adjusting, sometimes the fender lip at the front of the headlight is so close to the light pivot mechanism that raising the light may allow it to damage the fender lip there. In that case you will need to adjust the fender mount and raise the fender fronm below to clear the light mechanism ... we wouldn't want to shove the fender skyward every time we turned our headlamps on