1963 to 1967 Headlight Bucket Pivot Balls (Bearings) Question

[Richard M.]

Were they designed to rotate on the shafts or the housings? There is nothing in the AIMs or CSM regarding lubricating the shaft to bearing surfaces when installing them.

All 4 of the balls on both buckets were seized to the shafts.

Rich

[Gene M.]

Re: 1963 to 1963 Headlight Bucket Pivot Balls (Bearings) Question

The shaft should rotate inside the bearing the outer ball is intended to self align.

[David Z.]

Re: 1963 to 1963 Headlight Bucket Pivot Balls (Bearings) Question

Rich

This "How to" from Corvette Central shows the tech greasing the shafts and the cups.

http://tech.corvettecentral.com/2013/05/c2-headlight-bucket-assembly/#sthash.76Q6eISI.dpuf

Dave Z

[Richard M.]

Re: 1963 to 1963 Headlight Bucket Pivot Balls (Bearings) Question

Awesome Thanks Guys !!

edit.....I just realized something. The felt seals get oil(.001 gal) per the AIM. That's the original lube for the shafts. But over time it goes away and the ball seizes.

I may be the second person to touch these buckets. They were nasty.

Rich

[Joe R.]

Re: 1963 to 1963 Headlight Bucket Pivot Balls (Bearings) Question

Guys,

You gotta remember something here! GM didn't design these cars to last over 50 years and some HAVE LASTED LONGER! The headlight motors for example are cheap junk along the line of tinker toys. But then again we call ourselves "THE NATIONAL CORVETTE RESTORERS SOCIETY".
That's it in a nutshell!!!!!!!!! You gotta remember that if the headlight motors would have been assembled with ball bearings, balanced shafts, stainless gears and retained lubrication they would have cost a thousand dollars in the 60's. Instead you could buy one for less than 50 bucks! These Corvettes were not built to last because GM wanted to sell you another one in 10 to 20 years. You want a car that lasts, buy a Mercedes Benz!

JR

[Richard M.]

Re: 1963 to 1963 Headlight Bucket Pivot Balls (Bearings) Question

Guys,

You gotta remember something here! GM didn't design these cars to last over 50 years and some HAVE LASTED LONGER! The headlight motors for example are cheap junk along the line of tinker toys. But then again we call ourselves "THE NATIONAL CORVETTE RESTORERS SOCIETY".
That's it in a nutshell!!!!!!!!! You gotta remember that if the headlight motors would have been assembled with ball bearings, balanced shafts, stainless gears and retained lubrication they would have cost a thousand dollars in the 60's. Instead you could buy one for less than 50 bucks! These Corvettes were not built to last because GM wanted to sell you another one in 10 to 20 years. You want a car that lasts, buy a Mercedes Benz!

JR

LOL....

But that's why I re-used the original 48 year old rubber seals because the repros are junk, made who knows where, and not even the right size.

PC200032.jpg

I used the new felt seals though. I'm embarrassed to say I couldn't restore the originals.
PC200041.jpgPC200040.jpg

===

[Richard M.]

Re: 1963 to 1967 Headlight Bucket Pivot Balls (Bearings) Question

BTW, here's the result.

Before.....
PC170003.jpgPC170006.jpgPC170007.jpgPC200021.jpg

After....
PC200048.jpgPC200047.jpgPC200049.jpgPC200039.jpg

Buckets were installed on the cars before paint at St Louis right?

I should put some black on the pivot shaft mount little Phillips screws shouldn't I ? It came off when I removed them to clean the shafts.

Rich
p.s. (JR, be nice to me.)

[Frank D.]

Re: 1963 to 1963 Headlight Bucket Pivot Balls (Bearings) Question

I don't park beside many 50+ year old Mercedes-Benz at car shows/cruises -- in fact, none..
And my 50+ year old '63 headlights work just fine...

And GM, Ford and Chrysler wanted to sell you a new car EVERY year; guess what -- so did Mercedes-Benz...

[Richard M.]

Re: 1963 to 1963 Headlight Bucket Pivot Balls (Bearings) Question

I don't park beside many 50+ year old Mercedes-Benz at car shows/cruises -- in fact, none..
And my 50+ year old '63 headlights work just fine...

And GM, Ford and Chrysler wanted to sell you a new car EVERY year; guess what -- so did Mercedes-Benz...

LOL........And I hate to follow those stinky old diesel MB's on the highway too. Worse than getting stuck behind a school bus on those cold and wintry NH mornings on the back roads on the way to work!

[Joe R.]

Re: 1963 to 1967 Headlight Bucket Pivot Balls (Bearings) Question

Rich,

Yep, better put that black on everything possible as they were installed when the car was painted. And you don't want those NCRS judges to go anal at some Regional do you??????? We want Carltoon to sleep at night!

JR

[Richard M.]

Re: 1963 to 1967 Headlight Bucket Pivot Balls (Bearings) Question

Okay, painting screws as I write this, thanks JR....but, another question.....

Were the headlights, dogdishes, and stainless rings and outer bezels installed also? If so, bulbs masked?

What about the up/down Phillips screws in the adjusters and the adjusters themselves?

It seems that for production efficiency the entire bucket assembly would have been installed at the paint shop......No?

Rich

edit......I should have checked here first......Answer is NO to all of the above. Just the unassembled buckets.

PC220041.jpgPC220042.jpgPC220043.jpgPC220044.jpg

[Gene M.]

Re: 1963 to 1967 Headlight Bucket Pivot Balls (Bearings) Question

Okay, painting screws as I write this, thanks JR....but, another question.....

Were the headlights, dogdishes, and stainless rings and outer bezels installed also? If so, bulbs masked?

What about the up/down Phillips screws in the adjusters and the adjusters themselves?

It seems that for production efficiency the entire bucket assembly would have been installed at the paint shop......No?

Rich

edit......I should have checked here first......Answer is NO to all of the above. Just the unassembled buckets.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]67262[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]67263[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]67264[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]67265[/ATTACH]

The bare buckets were mounted on the car less everything else. The seal beam bezel was set on the interior floor and painted. Everything was assembled on the corvette line.

[Richard M.]

Re: 1963 to 1967 Headlight Bucket Pivot Balls (Bearings) Question

Thanks Gene!

edit add.....

Removed all pieces from a prior, post-St Louis paint job, which covered them with paint.....And cleaned the original pieces and will re-use. But new identical attachment screws for the plastic adjuster mounts.

PC220001.jpgPC220002.jpg