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Great info on fixing headlight motors

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Old Jun 7, 2012 | 02:52 AM
  #51  
ScottsBlown's Avatar
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From: Xenia, Oh
Car: 1989 Trans Am
Re: Great info on fixing headlight motors

My repair vid Part 1 of 10 (no comp. phone uploads) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKPdk...e_gdata_player

These are in-process vids, see how mechanically inclined i am! hope it helps
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Old Jun 7, 2012 | 03:00 AM
  #52  
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Car: 89 Trans Am GTA
Engine: 5.7 350 TPI L98
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: Borg-Warner 3.27
Re: Great info on fixing headlight motors

I just replaced a headlight motor myself, bought a new motor all together. Talk about a PITA! The motors are not easy to get to without taking off a bunch of stuff.
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Old Jun 7, 2012 | 11:15 AM
  #53  
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From: Xenia, Oh
Car: 1989 Trans Am
Re: Great info on fixing headlight motors

Originally Posted by Transmetal
I just replaced a headlight motor myself, bought a new motor all together. Talk about a PITA! The motors are not easy to get to without taking off a bunch of stuff.
95% of the time motor dosnt need replaced. The motor comes off with 8, 10mm bolts total, very easy. (4 on headlight bracket, 4 on motor itself, see my vids) Re-Install and lining everything back up is a pita!
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Old Jun 7, 2012 | 03:33 PM
  #54  
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From: Minnesota
Car: 89 Trans Am GTA
Engine: 5.7 350 TPI L98
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: Borg-Warner 3.27
Re: Great info on fixing headlight motors

Well I didn't pay for the motor myself so no biggie. As for the motor yeah, the bolts holding it on are easy but getting down in there to axcess them is a joke taking off the metal bumper plate deal took more time than i expected then I dropped the thing on my thumb which hurt like a mother.
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Old Jun 30, 2012 | 08:27 AM
  #55  
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From: Charlotte,NC
Car: 1992 Firebird
Engine: Stock 305 TBI
Transmission: auto / stock
Axle/Gears: Stock
Re: Great info on fixing headlight motors

Originally Posted by Schroeder
One other thing I forgot to ask...

blaznhot, if you use the nuts you specified to their edges have to be ground down so they're round or can you stick them in the motor as is?
No that would make them too small.
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Old Jul 3, 2012 | 08:52 PM
  #56  
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From: Central NJ
Car: 86 Trans Am
Engine: 408 stroker sbc
Transmission: TKO600
Axle/Gears: Moser full floater m9, 3:70 trutrac
Re: Great info on fixing headlight motors

Originally Posted by blaznhot
No that would make them too small.
i cheaped out and rebuilt a set of motors with the hex nut method. Worked beautifully (for now) and total cost for the 6 stainless nuts and some small stainless machine screws and nuts to replace the 6 cover screws that broke, $2.01 ... cant beat it.
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Old Aug 30, 2012 | 07:00 PM
  #57  
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From: Charlotte,NC
Car: 1992 Firebird
Engine: Stock 305 TBI
Transmission: auto / stock
Axle/Gears: Stock
Re: Great info on fixing headlight motors

Found this kit in the body and repair section. Machined bushings that should last!

http://www.top-downsolutions.com/Bod...ght-repair-kit
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Old Aug 13, 2013 | 11:02 AM
  #58  
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From: Alexandria, VA
Car: 1992 Firebird
Engine: L03 305 TBI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 2.73 posi rear
Re: Great info on fixing headlight motors

I used the headlight motor kit (Delux headlight repair kit) from top-down solutions to repair mine. Problem I had was that the headlights would pop up when only turning on the parking lights. Within a week of this problem starting, they struggled to pop up at all. I found that the plastic bearings in the headlamp actuator unit failed. They were nothing but what looked like cookie crumbles. There are two reasons, I believe, for the bearings to fail:
1) There clearly wasn't nearly enough lubricant
2) The lubricant that was there appeared to have degraded into a thick paste-like substance
When doing the repair, first be careful about taking off the steel screws for the motor housing and the gear housing. I very liberally used PB Blaster because I really didn't want to break any screws. After some time, patience, and lots of PB Blaster, they came out easily.
Only thing that I really struggled with was reinstalling the LH motor. Instructions for the repair kit said to use the paper clip method to grasp the copper wires that would retract the springs and brushes. This didn't work for me. All it did was deflect the brushes and because of this they couldn't move through the guide tracks. I ended up having to hook the end of the brushes with the paperclips to retract the springs and brushes. This was an enormous PITA and I needed another pair of hands to do this.
That all being said, I'm glad top-down solutions had an inexpensive repair with pretty good detailed instructions and that the actuators work perfectly now.
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Old Aug 13, 2013 | 12:20 PM
  #59  
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Car: 1984 T/A
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Axle/Gears: Ford 8.8 4.10 gears
Re: Great info on fixing headlight motors

Originally Posted by SaxophoMan
I used the headlight motor kit (Delux headlight repair kit) from top-down solutions to repair mine. Problem I had was that the headlights would pop up when only turning on the parking lights. Within a week of this problem starting, they struggled to pop up at all. I found that the plastic bearings in the headlamp actuator unit failed. They were nothing but what looked like cookie crumbles. There are two reasons, I believe, for the bearings to fail:
1) There clearly wasn't nearly enough lubricant
2) The lubricant that was there appeared to have degraded into a thick paste-like substance
When doing the repair, first be careful about taking off the steel screws for the motor housing and the gear housing. I very liberally used PB Blaster because I really didn't want to break any screws. After some time, patience, and lots of PB Blaster, they came out easily.
Only thing that I really struggled with was reinstalling the LH motor. Instructions for the repair kit said to use the paper clip method to grasp the copper wires that would retract the springs and brushes. This didn't work for me. All it did was deflect the brushes and because of this they couldn't move through the guide tracks. I ended up having to hook the end of the brushes with the paperclips to retract the springs and brushes. This was an enormous PITA and I needed another pair of hands to do this.
That all being said, I'm glad top-down solutions had an inexpensive repair with pretty good detailed instructions and that the actuators work perfectly now.
Reply
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