C2 replacing head light motor

[Butch S.]

I have one head light that opens very slow, and if you hold the head light assemble it moves about a 1/2 inch open and closed, My question is how do you remove the head light buckets and the motors?

Thanks again Butch

[Harry S.]

Re: C2 replacing head light motor

Butch, these are short questions that require very lengthy answers!

Assumptions, you have a C2, what year? I did not see the year in your profile.

The motor is probably filled with old hard grease or some of the teeth on the drive gear are gone or both.

Lets start with the wobble. Open the hood and feel for the motor that is slow. On the inboard side of that motor you will feel an adjustment wheel. Turn it slowly to remove the play in the headlight bucket. Not too much force when you get to the end.

Removing the motor. You can do it from the top or the bottom. I like to remove the grill and work looking at the motor. Disconnect the battery, pull the harness wire from the motor. remove the screw that holds the ground wire, loosen the bolt that holds the support bracket, remove the snap clip. The motor should slide off the shaft, move it in board.

Buckets. This is much harder. I suggest you have a copy of the AIM, study it. Typically the motor is the problem. I would look at that first before I start removing the bucket. If you take the motor out and the bucket swings easily then I believe it's the motor.

As I recall there was a thread within the last several weeks about rebuilding the motor. Take a look at the archives/search. After I took my right motor out of my 63 it took about an hour to clean it, replace the bad gear, grease it and seal it up. It's not complex, rather straight forward.

[Mike E.]

Re: C2 replacing head light motor

I'm pretty sure the last Restorer issue, or the one before the last has an article about the C2 headlamp mechanism. You might take a look at it so you know what you're getting into.

Mike

[Butch S.]

Re: C2 replacing head light motor

Harry, My car is a 65, the thumb wheel on the motor does spin freely and will take up the wobble,

I will remove the grille tonight when I get home and remove the motor, to remove the Grille do you have to pull off the front bumpers?

How hard is it to remove the buckets?

Thanks again for the help!!!!

[Butch S.]

Re: C2 replacing head light motor

Mike, Were would I get a copy of the article? I would like to read up on this befoe I start!!!! Thanks so much for the help!!! Butch

[Harry S.]

Re: C2 replacing head light motor

If the 65 is like my 63 the grill can be removed without touching the bumpers.

Buckets. There are two processes. taking out and reinstalling. The difficulty is a result of age and possibly rust. If you snap a rusted bolt or strip a hole the process just got longer. On the reinstall there is lots of time spent on adjusting the fit. When the bucket is out you do need the AIM to see the sequence of individual parts. The LIC catalog will also help. I did mine several years ago and I do not ever want to do them again.

[Edward J.]

Re: C2 replacing head light motor

Butch, you can remove the motor form the top. just be careful its a tight fit between hood. taking it out is pretty easy. its on the install that will take some time. use a mirror and place it near the radiator and point it up this will help you see a little better. I did a 63 motor recently , gear replacement and cleaned out the the old grease. if you have the some mechanical skills it a piece of cake.you should not need to do anything with electric motor. Its generally old harden grease or gear or both as Harry says.

[Butch S.]

Re: C2 replacing head light motor

Harry, Ok I will start with the motor and see what road it takes us down, what is the AIM? and LIC? I am kind a new to this web site and working on the old Vette,

Thanks again for the help!!!!

Butch

[Harry S.]

Re: C2 replacing head light motor

Harry, Ok I will start with the motor and see what road it takes us down, what is the AIM? and LIC? I am kind a new to this web site and working on the old Vette,

Thanks again for the help!!!!

Butch

AIM - Assembly Instruction Manual, used by the Assembly line to put the car together. Copies are available for sale

LIC - Long Island Corvette, www.licorvette.com Take a look at their web site.

I strongly suggest you locate and obtain as must documentation about 65 Corvettes as you can find. This will help with every aspect of work that you want to do in the future.

[Donald O.]

Re: C2 replacing head light motor

Harry, Ok I will start with the motor and see what road it takes us down, what is the AIM? and LIC? I am kind a new to this web site and working on the old Vette,

Thanks again for the help!!!!

Butch

AIM = Assembly Instruction Manual

LIC = Long Island Corvette, a parts vendor for the '63 thru '67 of a high rep. IMO anyways.

You should also get the Service manual and Chassis Overhaul manual.

DonO

Harry, you type faster than I do

[Paul J.]

Re: C2 replacing head light motor

Here Butch, this will help you.

https://www.ncrs.org/qc/Seminars/MidYearHeadlightsSeminar2011.pdf

Paul

[Butch S.]

Re: C2 replacing head light motor

Paul, Thanks for the link, this step by step we really help!!! Thanks again to all of you for the great info!!!!

[Mike E.]

Re: C2 replacing head light motor

Here Butch, this will help you.

https://www.ncrs.org/qc/Seminars/MidYearHeadlightsSeminar2011.pdf

Paul

Thanks Paul,

I like having E-copies of all this stuff. That way I don't get grease on the magazine. I still have to order PDF versions of back issues of Corvette Restorer.

Mike

[Harry S.]

Re: C2 replacing head light motor

Paul, thanks for posting that!

[Butch S.]

Re: C2 replacing head light motor

I just wanted to thank everyone for the help on this!!!! I will let you know how it turns out next week

Thanks again Butch