69 fiber optic install

[Jim M.]

I'm putting my front end back together and I'm a little frustrated at the moment trying to put the fiber optic connector into the hole on the drivers front parking/flasher light housing. the drivers side one enters from the outside left, nearest the body panel and I'm having a teerrible time getting my hand squeezed in there and then get the grommet type connector in the hole. I've lubed it up good. Am I missing something here? Or a trick that I'm missing. Jim

[Terry B.]

Re: 69 fiber optic install

Jim,

It's been awhile since I have worked on the fiber optics and my reference is with my '68 but it sounds like that you might have the parking light assembly still attached to the grill. If so, it should be detached from the grill and worked on from the grill opening area. Remove the grill too. You should be able to use more leverage and lubricant now working a portion of the lip into the parking light housing. Once you get that started its a matter of pushing at one end and pulling at the lip end with needle nose pliers. It's a real tight squeeze but it does fit.......eventually.

[Jim M.]

Re: 69 fiber optic install

Thanks Terry for the info. I noticed this morning that there some similar threads listed which I tried to find earlier but couldn't and sounds like I'm not the only one that's experienced this and it appears as though I may have gone about trying to install this the wrong way. I'll give it another go tonight.

[Jamie F.]

Re: 69 fiber optic install

Even if you get good access to put the fiber optic connector in it still hits the bracket for the parking light. If you try and force it then it bends the fiber line and the light on the console is dimmer than the others. If you don't force it then it sits at a slight angle and the light on the console is dimmer than the others. Ask me how I know...
I messed with that thing for two hours the other night and came to the conclusion that the design is flawed. I comprimised at an inbetween position that makes the console light the brightest. They didn't use computer modeling back then to check all the clearances, did they?