| Author | Message | ||
| Harry Gerritse (Tinlizzy)
Registered Member Username: Tinlizzy Post Number: 1 Registered: 4-2003 Posted From: 204.191.166.109 Rating: N/A |
SOOO embarassed that I had to share this !! I have been working on converting my original headlights to new halogen square headlights a few hours at a time for about a week now. took out original buckets,headlights and the front skin off. Took the original headlight buckets and squared the holes to allow the new lights to fit. test fit the headlights in the buckets and they fit well. Painted the old buckets with box liner paint and they looked great. Found a great rubber sealer to fit around new lights and it worked great. Tonight I fired up the coach after charging the batteries for about an hour and drove it into the shop. Left the coach running with the backend out side the door and worked for about 3 hours fitting buckets, notched out a small section under door to allow the back of the headlight bucket to fit, re-riveting them in, refitted front skin over buckets and rivetted back in place. Stood back took some pictures and patted myself on the back several times!!! What a genius!! Only thing left to do was manufacture a filler piece to allow for curve of bus. I Decided that it was time to go for supper and that I would come back tomorrow , manufacture the filler piece and connect wires and aim the headlights. Jumped in the coach released the air brakes and tried to push in the clutch.....................1/2 inch of travel and then nothing. stomped on it several times with no luck and decided to take the trouble light and check it out. Everything seemed ok but why a frozen clutch??? Called my buddy Dave (MCI Cruiser) all the way in Arizona to ask his opinion. His suggestion something I did was blocking the clutch. Not a chance says Harry I didn't move anything. Took out the hammer and beat on the clutch pedal for a while and nothing!, took the hammer and went into compartment under drivers seat and beat on the mechanism a little.....nothing. Grabbed the clutch arm and pulled down hard and to my surprise it stopped when it hit the top of the plastic housing on the back side of the new headlights.!!!! took out the new headlight on the drivers side and surprise the clutch works just fine......another lesson learned. Back to the drawing board and start from square one again. Just when I was starting to think I had this mastered. Harry | ||
| Bob greenwood (Bob_greenwood)
Registered Member Username: Bob_greenwood Post Number: 570 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 64.136.49.228 Rating: N/A |
think about moveing them forward a few inches OR how much of the plastic houseing it just 'bulk'.all you really want to do is not hit the headlight bulb. (Message edited by bob greenwood on January 19, 2007) | ||
| Cameron Jones (Crazy71)
Registered Member Username: Crazy71 Post Number: 11 Registered: 12-2006 Posted From: 75.179.158.67 Rating: N/A |
I feel for you. I can't say been there; done that...cause I have not attempted anything with my head lights other than replacing burnt out sealed beams. I HAVE done several similar ooop(es) before. It seems the older I get, the more geometrically challenged I am. And I'm a baby compared to a lot of the bus converters out there. Hope you can 45 degree slope the back of the box instead of full square or something....Good luck. | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 97 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 4.235.203.128 Rating: N/A |
You haven't lived till you have installed SS "U" bolts to hold a front mounted trail bike and had the windshield wipers only move an inch! Quick work with a hacksaw on the long inner part of the U , solved the hassle. Busses are works of art in 3D , amazing what could be done before the computer! FF | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
Registered Member Username: Rjlong Post Number: 1166 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 71.195.127.101 Rating: N/A |
Harry - Hate to tell you this, but I will anyway: If you'd just invested the $250 or so for a complete set of Cibie European-code round headlights, you wouldn't have had all this hassle, plus you'd have a far better light output than the US-code rectangular halogens you're attempting to install. Live and learn. . .  | ||
| Bruce Henderson (Oonrahnjay)
Registered Member Username: Oonrahnjay Post Number: 131 Registered: 8-2004 Posted From: 69.143.43.3 Rating: N/A |
Cameron Jones said "I feel for you. I can't say been there; done that...cause I have not attempted anything with my head lights other than replacing burnt out sealed beams. I HAVE done several similar ooop(es) before" __. Yeah, my "never-was-anygood-at-anything-autmotive" Dad (who was fine at carpentry, and other mechanical tasks) once installed an 8-track player in my brother's car. He called everyone to come sit in the car and listen; he was so proud and my brother just beamed. Then my brother shut the driver's door to drive away ... __. Something is gonna happen to us ... just a question of when. | ||
| Stephen Fessenden (Sffess)
Registered Member Username: Sffess Post Number: 684 Registered: 1-2002 Posted From: 67.142.130.33 Rating: N/A |
How about using a heat gun to soften the headlight housing so you can create a depression for the clutch pedal? |