Headlamp motors

[Tom A.]

63 Coupe
My next project is restoring/rebuilding the headlamp motors on my 63 coupe.
Lot's of advise from friends, but no one has acutally done this procedure.
To remove the motors, I have been advised:
Need to remove hood?
Need to remove bumper?
Need to remove grill?
I would appreciate some advise from someone who has actually pulled the motors.
Any help or assistance is most appreciated.
Thank you very much.

[Jim D.]

Re: Headlamp motors

Here's 2 articles that tell you everything you need to know. The motors are very simple to remove and rebuild.

http://www.corvettemagazine.com/technical-articles/c2/54/

http://www.lbfun.com/warehouse/tech_info/body_&_frame/Headlight%20Motor%20Rebuild.pdf

[Douglas L.]

Re: Headlamp motors

Tom,

You do not need to remove the hood, bumpers, or the grill.

However, the fit between the front surround and the hood with the hood open is tight. So when you try to pull the motors up between the front surround and the hood, be careful not to scratch the hood paint.

Take a digital camera and take pictures of how the motors are currently installed. Use the pictures for reference.

Use a mirror to look at the motors to get an idea of what they should look like when you re-install them.

To remove the motors:

1.) rotate the lights slightly to take pressure off the rotation stops
2.) disconnect the wiring to the motor.
3.) unbolt the reinforcing bracket that goes from the motor to the front header bar. Unbolt it at the header where it slides into a rubber grommet.
4.) remove the wire clip at the end of the small mounting shaft that is at the outboard end the motor housing and slide the motor off the shaft toward the center of the car.

Another good idea is to use tape on the headlight housing to hold the housing in a rotation position that will be close to the same position they were in when you removed the motors.

[Joel T.]

Re: Headlamp motors

63 Coupe
My next project is restoring/rebuilding the headlamp motors on my 63 coupe.
Lot's of advise from friends, but no one has acutally done this procedure.
To remove the motors, I have been advised:
Need to remove hood?
Need to remove bumper?
Need to remove grill?
I would appreciate some advise from someone who has actually pulled the motors.
Any help or assistance is most appreciated.
Thank you very much.

Tom,

I did my 1963 motors last winter...follow what the other guys have said. A decent sized mirror is a must as is a light which you can drop down in front between the grill and the radiator. As I recall, there is one small bolt plus a spring clip to be removed along with the connector. When you go to remove a motor from the car, pull the hood forward from the top to provide greater clearance, just remember to re-engage the hood support when you are done. The actual rebuilding process is fairly straight forward. Aside from some white grease you will need some oil. Test the motors in both directions before you put them back. There are two bearings in each motor which needed oil in my case. All the internals (in the gear box) get the white grease.

Be prepared to replace the main gear which connects to the headlight bucket shaft... they tend to get chewed up over time... You will see this clearly. they are soft white metal so replacement is probably a good idea if damaged. It is possible to rotate a damaged gear 180 degrees and use the "good" side but I could never figure out how to get that alignment right so I went the replacement route. Those gears are not cheap, I think I paid like $60.00 for the one I replaced.

Th motors are clearly dated so you will get to see if you have the "originals" in there... My car is a March 1963 build and one of my motors was dated December 1962!

This is a fun project... enjoy!

Joel

[Tom A.]

Re: Headlamp motors

Here's 2 articles that tell you everything you need to know. The motors are very simple to remove and rebuild.

http://www.corvettemagazine.com/technical-articles/c2/54/

http://www.lbfun.com/warehouse/tech_...%20Rebuild.pdf

Thank you very much, this is what I was looking for. Tom

[Dick W.]

Re: Headlamp motors

Just be careful and do not force anything! I would soak the armature bushing with penetrating oil before I started any disassembly. You can destroy the motor housing with a frozen bushing.