Installing cowl lights

P

PaddyR

Junior Member
I am installing cowl lights on a 1931 Model A Ford pickup. The mounting brace was installed by the factory with the hole drilled to accept the cowl lamp arm.
The gas tank/cowl clamp is preventing me from positioning the cowl light wood block in the mounting brace. Does the gas/cowl clamp need to be removed to slide the wood block into position? And then replaced. Anyone who has installed cowl lights please advise.
 
Just loosen the clamp and reposition it where the clamp and cowl light / block all fit. The clamps don't have an exact location for installation as far as I know
 
The wood block fits between the bracket (AKA Strainer) inside of the cowl and cowl skin panel. Its purpose is to prevent bending the internal bracket while tightening the arm attachment nut. The block has a hole in it for the cowl light arm to pass through. I am not sure that the block is original equipment.
 
Bob Bidonde said:
The wood block fits between the bracket (AKA Strainer) inside of the cowl and cowl skin panel. Its purpose is to prevent bending the internal bracket while tightening the arm attachment nut. The block has a hole in it for the cowl light arm to pass through. I am not sure that the block is original equipment.
Click to expand...
Bob - my unmolested '30 Town Sedan has blocks. In the case of PaddyR's 31 PU, unless he has a pretty rare Deluxe PU, I'm not sure that cowl lights were original with or without blocks.
 
I need help ~ I drilled the hole through the cowl as directed. Used the cutting tool offered by Bratton's. The tool did a very good job, however, the the cowl arm, lights, do not line up correctly. No wiggle room to adjust the angle of the light. Did Ford use a rubber grommet on the 30-31 installation of the cowl light arm? Any help here is appreciated.
 
Ford may not have used a grommet or washer, but I had make one out of PVC in order for my cowl lights to have any semblance of facing forward.
 
CarlG said:
Ford may not have used a grommet or washer, but I had make one out of PVC in order for my cowl lights to have any semblance of facing forward.
Click to expand...

You must have used the repros made by Vintique. They pint outward, making the car look walleyed. Get a set of originals and have them rechromed.
 
Bob
Have you drilled the hole for cowl lights on a 30/31 Model A? I've got the tool from both Brattons and Snyders and it's nothing like the old pictures were. I'd like to put Cowl lights on my 31 pickup but am nervous about drilling the hole. I could take the light off our 31 S/W Town sedan and make a template to see how accurate the tool is. With the block of wood in the frame work on the cowl it should be ok?
I haven't taken the wood block and checked it with the tool to see if the tool fits tight in the block of wood? From the pictures I'm not sure but to get a centered hole I would think it should fit tight before you hit it with a hammer to make a dimple?

Let me know your thoughts.
MrBruce
Charlotte, NC
bjhyland87@gmail.com
 
The tool is only meant to line up where the hole in the outer panel would be center-punched. I doubt it will have a significantly tight fit in the hole in the wood block. I don't think the cowl light arm has a significantly tight fit in the wood block either as the part of the cowl light arm that goes through the wood block does not have a machined finish.

As Bob Bidonde stated in his reply post, the purpose of the wood block is to stop any metal deformation when the arm is tightened. I respectfully disagree, however, that the deformation would be in the inner cowl light brace. Instead, I suggest the deformation would be in the outer cowl panel which is a much lighter gauge metal than the inner brace. Over the years I have seen many examples of this in cars without the wood blocks.
 
No cowl lights from factory; the Snyders tool works. The wood blocks may be loose fit depending on panel skin and brace so don't over tighten nut. It can deform the cowl band, but tighten enough to get a good ground path. Also, one can do a rough dimension check
on the outside from the center line of the cowl light arm stud to cowl band, etc before putting dents in the skin.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top