Cascade Crew

chevymad · Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 5:54 pm Post subject: Firebird headlight tech

Firebird guys. If you have a headlight that won't move correctly but you can hear the motor run then it's probably the plastic bushings in the main gear that have crumbled. Here's a cheap fix.

Here's a pic of my motor. I've allready removed the 2 piece gear and you can see what is left of the plastic bushings.

This is a pic of the 2 piece gear.

The 3 lobe metal piece fits inside the triangular hole in the plastic gear. Originally there are 3 round plastic bushings that go in the corners. Those block the 2 pieces so that they spin together. The fix is to take a bit of JB weld and put it in the gear then push the metal piece into position. Let it cure then reassemble.

I did this years ago to both of my motors and it worked great. Evidently sometime one of my motors died and I replaced it. So today I pulled it out and doing the fix to it.

Who would have thought pontiac used wankel powered headlights.. Laughing

fiveoformula · Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 10:33 pm Post subject:

I wish I had some pics like these back when I was 17 and mine quit working on me... I put up with manually opening my headlights everyday for like 3 years. I was almost kinda pissed when I fixed them and it was so easy. My three round bushings had turned into dust just like this picture. I think I spent 20 Bucks on the top down solutions rebuild kit that had new bushings like the OEM ones. They've been working flawlessly for probably 3 or 4 years now.
Girls don't find it that cool when you have to pop your Hood everytime you need headlights.... haha.

chevymad · Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 6:09 pm Post subject:

Apparently you should use Jb that's not too old as well. The stuff I tried never hardened.

Alphius · Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 6:48 pm Post subject:

chevymad · Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 7:16 pm Post subject:

Felt like it had worked so I put it all together.. only to find I created some kinda viscuous clutch.

fiveoformula · Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 9:40 am Post subject:

RSFreak · Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 11:18 am Post subject:

Think that will fix my problem? My pass side light pops up about 10% of the time. A slight nudge of the knob on the motor and it pops right up.

chevymad · Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 4:34 pm Post subject:

chevymad · Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 4:35 pm Post subject:

fiveoformula · Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 9:26 pm Post subject:

I would try rebuilding them, mine hesitated and winked some what before they completely stopped going up and down. Maybe you only have one of the three bushings left in one peice.

chevymad · Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 9:44 pm Post subject:

Ya, thats what this tech fixes. At least it does if you use jb that actually hardens. Fixed that tonight.

Johns problem is different though because the motor doesn't actually start to turn until you bump the knob.

fiveoformula · Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 10:02 am Post subject:

Oh I see. suppose that could be bad brushes or something. In that case Id get another motor from picknpull, do new bushings or the JB weld trick then it should work perfectly.

RSFreak · Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 2:49 pm Post subject:

The motor isn't sluggish or anything. As soon as the knob is bumped, it opens like it was new.