Rusty headlight buckets

[Farrar]

Has anyone had any luck removing and rustproofing headlight buckets? I replaced two headlights the other day and the rust on the buckets (not to mention the adjustment screws) was disturbing.

Can the headlight buckets be removed and reinstalled with the fascia in place?

Thanks in advance.

Farrar

[sean]

Has anyone had any luck removing and rustproofing headlight buckets?

Wire brush followed by a few coats of rustoleum.


Can the headlight buckets be removed and reinstalled with the fascia in place?


Yes.

[Farrar]

Sean - Perfect! Exactly what I needed to know. Sounds like a good weekend project. :)

Would you recommend brush or spray paint?

Farrar

[sean]

Sean - Perfect! Exactly what I needed to know. Sounds like a good weekend project. :)

Sure is.



Would you recommend brush or spray paint?


Either would be find since its a hidden piece and you don't need to worry about perfection. I use spray paint, less hassle IMO.

[sdg3205]

Farrar,

See if you can find a "U-Blast" type of sand blasting place. It's cheap, quick and extremely effective.

[Farrar]

Dave,

If they're that badly rusted, I will take them to a friend who has a small sandblaster in his garage... or buy replacements from Houston and coat with Rustoleum as a preventive measure.

Anyone know sizes for the adjustment screws? I will need to replace those, too...

Thanks,
Farrar

[sean]

Anyone know sizes for the adjustment screws? I will need to replace those, too...


Its a bit of a unique screw:

2920

You may just want to buy it from your favorite vendor.

[Farrar]

Its a bit of a unique screw

Good point -- after looking at that picture, I think I'll just order some from Houston. I was hoping to get them in Stainless, but I will take what I can get. :)

Thanks again, Sean!

Farrar

[sean]

Good point -- after looking at that picture, I think I'll just order some from Houston. I was hoping to get them in Stainless, but I will take what I can get. :)

If it wasn't for that shoulder that holds the bucket to the screw I'd say go for a standard screw. Something could probably be fashioned with a double nut setup to act as the shoulder but not sure it is worth the headache.

[Farrar]

If it wasn't for that shoulder that holds the bucket to the screw I'd say go for a standard screw. Something could probably be fashioned with a double nut setup to act as the shoulder but not sure it is worth the headache.

Agreed. One can buy shoulder screws, but I don't feel like jumping from hardware store to hardware store with a rusty screw in hand just to have someone say "Well, if you want it in stainless we'll have to order it..." :P

Farrar

[content22207]

I bought a couple packages of generic 1/4-28 adjusting bolts and tapped the OEM nylon gizmo's to hold them. Worked like a charm.

Bill Robertson
#5939

[Farrar]

I bought a couple packages of generic 1/4-28 adjusting bolts

Can these be had in stainless?

McMaster sells stainless shoulder bolts by the way, but the shipping cost is enormous!

Farrar

[content22207]

Not from Autozone/Advance.

You need that groove below the head to properly hold a headlight bucket (it's not a shoulder bolt).

Bill Robertson
#5939

[Farrar]

Okeydoke, I guess I should just plan on replacing them every year since they will get rusty. Fortunately, I have an SAE tap and die set so I may take your route. Thanks, Bill!

Farrar

[Ashyukun]

Dave,

If they're that badly rusted, I will take them to a friend who has a small sandblaster in his garage... or buy replacements from Houston and coat with Rustoleum as a preventive measure.

I had mine powder coated. My only regret was not having the new support frame powder coated as well...

[content22207]

The problem isn't rust -- it's the shape of the cross in the heads. That's why they strip so badly. Headlight adjusting screws aren't posidrive, but they sure aren't phillips either (a phillips screwdriver is too point to sit all the way down in the head). Headlight adjusting screws are almost flat at the bottom of the cross. Grind the point off a phillips head screwdriver and it will turn them much better.

Bill Robertson
#5939

[Bitsyncmaster]

The problem isn't rust -- it's the shape of the cross in the heads. That's why they strip so badly. Headlight adjusting screws aren't posidrive, but they sure aren't phillips either (a phillips screwdriver is too point to sit all the way down in the head). Headlight adjusting screws are almost flat at the bottom of the cross. Grind the point off a phillips head screwdriver and it will turn them much better.

Bill Robertson
#5939

Same problem with those hollow wall bolts. They need to keep the head so flat there is nothing to grip. So save your modified screw driver for those wall bolts.

[Farrar]

I think I may have accidentally bent my passenger-side headlight bucket -- after installing a new bulb, I noticed the right low beam points significantly lower than the left one. If the headlight buckets are that flimsy, then it's time for someone to come out with a "power part" replacement.

Farrar

[sdg3205]

I think I may have accidentally bent my passenger-side headlight bucket -- after installing a new bulb, I noticed the right low beam points significantly lower than the left one. If the headlight buckets are that flimsy, then it's time for someone to come out with a "power part" replacement.

Farrar

Don't think you damaged it. Mine were all way out when I reinstalled them. You'll need to do some adjusting at night to get the beams realigned.

[sean]

Make sure the springs are properly installed and the screws are adjusted right.

[GS450-Junkie]

I had mine coated as well. It's a good time to take a whole arm-full of parts in to get redone all at once.

[sean]

I had mine coated as well. It's a good time to take a whole arm-full of parts in to get redone all at once.

Looks great.

[jawn101]

I had mine coated as well. It's a good time to take a whole arm-full of parts in to get redone all at once.

Those do look really good. Did you have them powder coated or just spray painted?

[Farrar]

Make sure the springs are properly installed and the screws are adjusted right.

I am wondering how this could have become out of adjustment or broken merely from changing out the bulb.

Maybe this will become self-explanatory when I convert to H4 some time next week...

Farrar

[sean]

I am wondering how this could have become out of adjustment or broken merely from changing out the bulb.

oh I thought we were talking about you cleaning and painting your buckets. I was thinkn you did this and was reinstalling things. Sounds like you didn't do any cleanin and painting but just changed your bulbs...

[GS450-Junkie]

powder coated. Did a truck load of parts in semi-gloss black for like $50 locally.

[Farrar]

oh I thought we were talking about you cleaning and painting your buckets. I was thinkn you did this and was reinstalling things. Sounds like you didn't do any cleanin and painting but just changed your bulbs...

No, I haven't done the wire-brush-and-Rustoleum job yet. It was when I changed the low-beam bulbs on Sunday that I noticed all the rust. I was thinking about cleaning and painting the buckets this weekend or next when I convert to H4.

Farrar

[Farrar]

Bill,

Do you remember which set of headlight adjusting screws (http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/Headlight-Adjusting-Screw/_/N-8iias) you bought and what the thread size is? In the process of looking for an appropriate drill bit to drill out my remaining headlight bracket retaining screw, I found my tap and die set today. (It looks to me like 10x32, but it's hard to judge just by looking at the photograph -- it could be 10x24.)

Thanks,
Farrar

[content22207]

1/4-28. I used the bolts only and retapped the OEM nylon inserts to accept them.

Bill Robertson
#5939

[Farrar]

1/4-28. I used the bolts only and retapped the OEM nylon inserts to accept them.

Wow, that's bigger than I expected! Thanks, I have that size in my tap & die set so that's good news. :) I am not going to go adjusting my new H4s without a spare set of bolts from the store close at hand...

Farrar

[Brisfx]

Does anyone know where i can get the nylon parts that the adjusting screws screw into? Just broke some of mine when I hit the guard-rail :(

[content22207]

Wow, that's bigger than I expected!

Original bolts are 12-28 (good luck finding *THOSE* anywhere). 1/4-28 are only 14% thicker. Because you are tapping into nylon, you definitely are going to need a lot of cutting oil.

Bill Robertson
#5939

[A Van]

Does anyone know where i can get the nylon parts that the adjusting screws screw into? Just broke some of mine when I hit the guard-rail :(

Ed at DeLorean EU has had them remade

[john 05141]

I replaced those last winter. Even tough my frame and all is in a very good condition, I was surprised to see the headlight buckets. completely rusted. I bought a complete new set (buckets and retainers)at Deloman in Germany, they are not that expensive. So everything new. Even tough I did coat them as an extra protection. (simple brush, it is not visible anyway)
I wanted to replace them without removing the front facia, but honestly... I regret I did this.
I did the drivers side first and this one came out quite easily. The top screw I could remove thru the bonnet and the facia. the passengers side however was far more difficult. the result is that I damaged the paint from the facia right next to the headlights. It is not that bad, and if you do not know you might not see it but I had prestine facias, so I was a bit... you know. And I did tape off the sides to protect. But most of the damage came from removing the tape. the face had been painted again, and some of the paint came off :angry:

So think twice before doing this. and this may save you quite some time;
See first you can remove both screws from the top. Becasue if you cannot reach those, you have to remove either the bonnet and / or the facia.

John