Headlight wiring preference

L

Lefty W.

Member
I'm starting the process of rewiring my 1931 FrankenVicky, to replace the old wiring, fix some weird connections and shorts, and possibly to address my problem of the generator not sending a charge to the battery.

So, when I get to the headlights, what is the collective wisdom on the preferred method of wiring them - do I use the plastic connector plugs or not?

Les Andrews' book #1 often mentions the 'possibility' that headlight wiring connections may have been changed on a vehicle. Should I take that as a big hint on which way to go?

Thanks.

Lefty W.
 
As I have seen several places, and I quote: "The connector at the base of the headlight bucket was not one of Henry's better ideas". After tracing down shorts to that pesky connector, I wired mine straight thru with bullet connectors inside the bucket.
 
I have stock sockets and connectors that I replaced the wires with the next gauge wires (aircraft wire I had), for the last 12 years I have been using the direct fit halogen bulbs ---the only problem I have had in 40 years with the original setup was 1 light went dim ---it was the ground, I replaced the lockwashers with new plated ones --that was 20 years ago.

Repro parts may give different results.
 
This is one of those areas that will try your patience if you are using repro. parts. Over the years I have installed many of the original style headlight wiring systems. But it involves re-wiring original sockets. If you have the original components go for it. If repro. it will take a little longer and lots of patience.
This is not for purists but a little trick I learned a while back. When rewiring headlights, where Cowl Lights are involved, I order the Two Bulb Wiring Harness and the Two Bulb Headlight Sockets. Near the Head Light Switch Bulb carefully pry open the cloth binding and pull out the 2 Yellow wires. Cut them. Put a bullet connector on one of them and connect it to the Cowl Lights as normal. Put the other one back in the harness. About 2 or 3 inches from the "Y", where the harness crosses to the passenger side, pry open the harness and pull out the 2 Yellow (park)wires. Put a Terminator on them and fasten them to the frame rail using one of the hood latch screws. Inside the headlight, cut the park light socket off and discard. Solder the wircut end (goes to Yellow wire in the harness) to the Bulb Socket. This will provide an excellent ground to the headlights and will hardly be noticed. Only appplies where Cowl Lights are involved.
 
Thanks. I neglected to mention that I currently have thru-wired sealed beam headlights, and I'd like to go back to lenses/bulbs/reflectors.

Lefty W.
 
I wired mine stright with quick disc. inside the bucket, Very easy to do and no more problems with alining the old conn.
 
I also used bullet connectors inside the buckets.

One area that will bite you is grounding. I used internal star washers between nut on the headlight mounting bolt and the headlight cross bar. Also between the cross bar and the top of the bolts to the fender brace. I also put them under the nuts on the cross bar bolts and between brace bolts and the brace and the frame. Basically between each "junction". The internal star washers are hard to see.
 
Since mine is a driver, not points, I ran a dedicated ground wire back thru the conduit and grounded each light to the radiator/frame bolts.
 
The only problem I see with the headlight connectors is when repro socket spacers are used to hold the terminals. The repro parts I've seen allow for enough slop so the terminals can touch each other or touch ground and short out.
 
Tom,

I know from where you speak. I'm in the process of having headlight problems and upon realizing that the focus screws were initially too short, I replaced them with longer ones. Now they are apparently too long and thus causing other short problems.

Since I am not interested in building my car for Points, but sticking with the 32/50 style bulbs and alternator, what would you suggest in the way of sockets? I am about to order new ones.

Thanks in advance
 
bobpo said:
Tom,

I know from where you speak. I'm in the process of having headlight problems and upon realizing that the focus screws were initially too short, I replaced them with longer ones. Now they are apparently too long and thus causing other short problems.

Since I am not interested in building my car for Points, but sticking with the 32/50 style bulbs and alternator, what would you suggest in the way of sockets? I am about to order new ones.

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

I buy original ones at swap meets. Also the conduits and end that locks it in place to the headlight.
 
Re: Rainmaker Grounding Remedy

I have had good results keeping the headlights grounded like so;
Use a sharp center punch to make 3 burrs in each of the cups on the headlight bar before bolting the headlamps in place.
Rainmaker Ron
 
My car came to us with repro connectors. They were a never-ending source of trouble, mostly because the wire tips on the wires running to the headlights were too long (also repro) and, over time, caused the springs in the connectors to bend which caused the connections between the two sides of the plug to be, shall we say, erratic. I did what CarlG and others have mentioned as our car is a driver. Nary a problem since.
 
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