installing new wire in a 1930 head light
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Brentwood Bob
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Bob
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mike657894
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use a multi meter. thats what i did because i only had black wire on hand for the re wire. switched to highs found voltage made connections etc etc i was done in ten minutes. its always nice to have a meter because if things dont light it helps find the problem.
I'm doing that right now with my car, actually changing the reflectors so as to get the correct depth for bulb focusing. Bought the more expensive of the two reflectors from Snyder's and they appear to be the correct depth.
From the front of the car looking into the headlight bucket with the lens off and the bulb out of the socket, you should see two contacts in the socket, one on the left as you look from the front of the car at it and one on the right. In low beam position (first click on the light switch) current should come to the contact you see on your left and in high beam position (second click on the light switch) current should come to the contact you see on your right.
The bulb should be inserted so that the V-shaped filament (the high beam filament) is on the bottom and the straight filament (the low beam filament) is on top. I don't have colored wires coming from my bulb sockets, so I just make sure I have them connected so as to accomplish the above. If you have parking lights in the headlight bucket (no cowl lights) you want current to come to that bulb when the light switch is in the parking lights position. I have a deluxe coupe with cowl lights and they serve the purpose of parking lights and thus I do not have that small light socket in my headlights.
From the front of the car looking into the headlight bucket with the lens off and the bulb out of the socket, you should see two contacts in the socket, one on the left as you look from the front of the car at it and one on the right. In low beam position (first click on the light switch) current should come to the contact you see on your left and in high beam position (second click on the light switch) current should come to the contact you see on your right.
The bulb should be inserted so that the V-shaped filament (the high beam filament) is on the bottom and the straight filament (the low beam filament) is on top. I don't have colored wires coming from my bulb sockets, so I just make sure I have them connected so as to accomplish the above. If you have parking lights in the headlight bucket (no cowl lights) you want current to come to that bulb when the light switch is in the parking lights position. I have a deluxe coupe with cowl lights and they serve the purpose of parking lights and thus I do not have that small light socket in my headlights.
Brief follow up here. Reassembled my headlamps and was able to make the focusing and aiming adjustments just as shown in the old service bulletin at http://www.abarnyard.com/workshop/focus-2a.htm and got the perfect ellipse of bright even light as shown in that picture.
Took the car out for a night drive and it is really impressive how this old lighting system on the original 6 volt system performs! It must have been breathtaking back in the day to see a roadway illuminated at night this well.
Though I've never seen it described, I focused my headlights much easier with the headlight lens off and when you turn the little screw at the back you can see the circle of light close down to a brilliant spotlight of illumination. After doing so on both sides and making basic aiming adjustments for height and position as described in the service bulletin, I replaced the headlight lenses and made final adjustments and took her out for a night drive and made one other tiny adjustment so a perfect, smooth bright ellipse of light shines evenly on the roadway.
I read of owners changing to 12 volts, I assume for lighting purposes, but once the old stock system's details are attended to, I'm not sure what you'd gain. And besides, I love that old slow 6 volt cranking speed sound that comes right out of the past.
Took the car out for a night drive and it is really impressive how this old lighting system on the original 6 volt system performs! It must have been breathtaking back in the day to see a roadway illuminated at night this well.
Though I've never seen it described, I focused my headlights much easier with the headlight lens off and when you turn the little screw at the back you can see the circle of light close down to a brilliant spotlight of illumination. After doing so on both sides and making basic aiming adjustments for height and position as described in the service bulletin, I replaced the headlight lenses and made final adjustments and took her out for a night drive and made one other tiny adjustment so a perfect, smooth bright ellipse of light shines evenly on the roadway.
I read of owners changing to 12 volts, I assume for lighting purposes, but once the old stock system's details are attended to, I'm not sure what you'd gain. And besides, I love that old slow 6 volt cranking speed sound that comes right out of the past.