Front blinker bucket repair

[mklotz70]

So, I started work on the lighting for the NL.  Several of the blinker buckets are pretty bad.  I've been weighing out my options for repairing the buckets themselves, but the primary concern was the bulb sockets.  After looking at how many pics I already have and know there will be more...I've decided to split front & rear into separate threads.

The fronts are by far the worse!!!  This is how they come out.  Obviously, they've not had any attention in the 44 years they've been on this rig!

It was bad enough just getting the bulbs out of the sockets.  I wiggled them back and forth until the glue holding the glass to the base broke loose.  Then I twisted the glass part until the wires broke.  I was then left with just the base.  It still has a small amount of glass in the bottom of the base but the bulb is out of the way.  I took a small screwdriver and pried/twisted it to separate the base from the socket.  Then I could grab it with pliers and remove it.  Now that I've figured out how to replace the socket, I won't bother doing it this way next time

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8203.jpg[/img]


[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8204.jpg[/img]


Aren't these beauties?  I thought is was headlights that got silicone....uumm...never mind

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8205.jpg[/img]

I fired up the bigger sandblaster.  There's no way the glass beads were going to do the heavy work.  I then put some Ospho (metal prep) on them to convert the rust that was left.  I think they were galvanized.  Whatever it was, the acid in the Ospho turned it white.
Getting the base out was fun.  I sandblasted the front and back enough to get the rust out of the way.  Then a tap with a small screwdriver from the backside popped it loose.  Again....I'd just replace the whole socket next time.

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8206.jpg[/img]


I'll add the part number info for the socket a bit later.....but you can see it matches up pretty nicely.

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8237.jpg[/img]


I cut the socket off with a cutoff wheel and sanded it down to the last ring.

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8238.jpg[/img]


The new one snapped right in like it was made for it!

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8242.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8239.jpg[/img]


So after I tigged a couple of spot welds on to make sure that I was going to have a good ground contact between the two, I bent the prongs over on the inside.  The socket does not need to separate since the lense comes off the front to replacet the bulb.

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8245.jpg[/img]


The spot welds and the glass bead finish.  I wanted some "tooth" on all of it in case I decide to powdercoat them.

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8246.jpg[/img]

[mklotz70]

Got some more work on them done. 

Okay...here's the part numbers for the front/rear sockets and the flasher.

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8250.jpg[/img]


Couple quick measurements, a little tracing, a little drawing, a couple of snips with the scissors and I have a mock up

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8252.jpg[/img]


Let's not forget the scotch tape!

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8253.jpg[/img]


So I made a second, sturdier template that I could more easily trace around.

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8255.jpg[/img]


I traced it onto some 20ga and cut it out on the bandsaw.  A bit of careful folding and tada!

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8256.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8257.jpg[/img]


I even remember to fold the second one the other way for a mirror image.

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8259.jpg[/img]


I did the front piece out of 16ga.  Cutoff wheel made the initial inside cuts, then the air body saw finished it up.  Outside done on the bandsaw again.

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8260.jpg[/img]


The clean up shaping was done on the disc sander.

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8262.jpg[/img]


I have the equipment, but I'm not a welder, so tig welding these together was a nice challenge for me.  I love the tig, but man is it tedious!!  After they were tigged, I flattened the open end on the belt sander.

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8264.jpg[/img]


With it clamped down, I tacked the four corners, then welded all the way around.  Trying to join the two different thicknesses was fun....especially since that 1" slab of metal was acting like a massive heat sink!

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8265.jpg[/img]


Of course, I'm only showing the nicest one and the nicest side   Cleaned it up with the glass beads after it cooled down.

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8266.jpg[/img]


First one got the hole made on the mill with the boring bar.....then I pulled my head out and did the second one with a step drill!  So much easier!  I cut the tacks off the sockets on the stock buckets and reused them on the new ones.  I tacked then on the new ones again for continuity.

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8267.jpg[/img]


This is with the brighter of the two filaments lit up...and it's not even silver yet!

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8269.jpg[/img]


So, I set the new lense in front to get an idea of how it would look.....then I realized that the bulb should have been centered on the rings in the lense!!!! ARGH!!  Read my siggy!!

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8271.jpg[/img]


A quick comparison confirmed that I should have paid more attention at the start.  Oh well.....they'll work just fine for now!!

[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8272.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k162/ ... P_8273.jpg[/img]


There's still some holes to drill and tap, but I need a tap.  May be a day or two before I finish them up. 

[1962 datsun]

Ive had the same problem so what i did is shoot penitrating oil in all your bulb sockets and let it do its magic while you have a beer then push on the bulb numerous times hopefully you will feel the spring once you feel the tension on the spring then you will be able to remove the bulbs if you have any ?s look me up on face book william merseburgh or e-mail me [email protected] you can also check me out on you tube datsun pickup truck 1962 L320 honolulu hawaii...Aloha Willie