Types of 6 volt sealed beam headlights

[tubman]

I have been following the thread about 6 volt LED headlight bulbs for the earlier cars with some interest. I have a later model (1951) that has it's original 6 volt system and regular incandescent sealed beam headlights. This has piqued my interest, and I am wondering if there is an upgrade for my car as well. Instead of "hi-jacking" that thread, I thought I'd start a new one.

After about an hour long internet search, I have come to the conclusion that no one makes a 6 volt 7" LED sealed beam (yet). Even if someone did, if they are anything like the 12 volt units available, they would be "funny looking" and I wouldn't like them on my car. What I did come across was a plethora of 6 volt 7" halogen sealed beams. From what I can gather, these light use about 75% of the wattage of regular incandescent. They also produce a better quality light and last twice as long as regular incandescents. I checked the popular auction site, and find that you can get a pair of them for less that $30 (including shipping). On top of everything else, from pictures I have found, they look almost identical to the regular sealed beams. I believe that anything that would reduce the load on the generator and electrical system in general would be a plus.

For the price, I think I'm going to order a set for my car. Has anyone here had experience with these? Do they work and look as good as they appear to in the advertisements? I would appreciate any and all feedback.

[blucar]

I don't quite understand all of the hype regarding the replacement of 6v sealed beams with something from the aftermarket.
I converted my '36 coupe to 6v sealed beams shortly after I bought the car in 1952. I omitted the original switch on the bottom of the steering column in favor of a dash mounted switch and a dimmer switch on the floor. A relay was added to the system to minimize voltage drain and a '39 Ford 2 brush generator with a regulator was added in lieu of the original cut out.

I have driven my Ford over 94k during the years I have owned it in all kinds of road condition, city, rural and the open hiway, never had a problem with the lights, in fact on high beam, people that failed to dim their lights did so very quickly when I flashed my lights at them.
The bulbs that are currently on my car are G-3, G-E..

[toby]

Have them on my Coupe for about 4 years. Last summer one cracked and had to replace it. They seem to be better than originals. Got them at NAPA. PN H6006 or H6006N

[rotorwrench]

I never had any troubles with the old 6006 bulbs being bright. On vehicles that have grounding issues, they will be dim. A lot of the new ones are halogen so those will be a bit brighter but likely use more current. I've not seen any LED types yet so I can't comment on them yet.


They should be able to make a 7-inch glass or plastic reflector housing where the LEDs or Halogen bulbs can be replaceable. These would be similar to the motorcycle lamps that have been available for years. Getting a 6-volt bulb for them might be problematic unless there is a halogen type that would fit. LEDs might need a special reflector to get the beam focused. The LEDs are usually ganged together and getting focus depends on the shape of the output pattern. I've seen a lot of modern automotive lighting that is too bright for my taste. I would hate getting flashed all the time if my dims were brighter than most high beams. I'm not a big fan of the HID lighting but it works well for aircraft landing lights.


The G-3 bulbs are a 6-inch bulb and were popular for motorcycles at one time.

[tubman]

Ton be specific, I have never been disappointed with the brightness of the headlights on my '51. It just seems to me that the reduced current draw and increased longevity would be worth the slight increase in price. I think I'll take the plunge.

[FireEngineMike]

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I seem to recall a comment about the "modern"aiming lugs not fitting in the headlight retaining rings on some early Fords. Maybe someone can address this.

This is from a post by Ken/Alabama on Feb 15, 2018:
"The modern 6 volt headlight bulbs have the alignment tits on them that will interfere with the headlight bezel on the 40 . They can be ground off if you use lots of patience and plenty of water to keep them cool. Of course use an air grinder and don't get aggressive."

[tubman]

Ahh! There's always something.

[supereal]

I have 6 volt halogens in my '47. When first installed, they were less bright than the originals. When I ran a jumper directly from the battery to the lamp. it became very bright. Checking the circuit from the battery to the dash switch, then on to the dimmer switch, I found much of the power was lost before getting to the headlights. All the "bullet" connectors were making contact. I constructed a small terminal board using two 6 volt starter solenoids, and installed it to the headlight wiring on the left side of the radiator. Using the original wiring to run the solenoids one for bright, the other for low beam, the problem was solved. A #10 wire to the solenoids was more than enough to furnish power. The only evidence of the system is a small "clunk" as the solenoids were keyed. I had already replaced the dimmer switch and checked the dash switch. Replacing the wiring would require all the associated wiring, so my bypass was a quicker and less costly remedy. The car is now safely after dark if needed. It can be removed by just reconnecting the bullets by the headlights.

[JT FORD]

Tubman, go for it and install the new halogen bulbs. I put a pair in my l950 about three years ago and love them. They are not much higher than the regular ones, draw less power, and they are brighter. Put one in and see the difference over the reg. bulb. I also have a relay on the high beams. The aiming posts are just like the regular bulbs and fit just fine, no need to grind them off.

[flatheadmurre]

I have installed the "lucas" style 7" H4 inserts and they look fairly original with nice convex glass...you can have them with built in parking if needed.
Some of the led bulbs have a descent light beam...but so far i have found none that pass the early inspection here.
Going for 6v headlight leds are a gamble some work but on reduced power at 6v...

[uncle buck]

Originally Posted by blucar

I don't quite understand all of the hype regarding the replacement of 6v sealed beams with something from the aftermarket.
I converted my '36 coupe to 6v sealed beams shortly after I bought the car in 1952. I omitted the original switch on the bottom of the steering column in favor of a dash mounted switch and a dimmer switch on the floor. A relay was added to the system to minimize voltage drain and a '39 Ford 2 brush generator with a regulator was added in lieu of the original cut out.

I have driven my Ford over 94k during the years I have owned it in all kinds of road condition, city, rural and the open hiway, never had a problem with the lights, in fact on high beam, people that failed to dim their lights did so very quickly when I flashed my lights at them.
The bulbs that are currently on my car are G-3, G-E..

If I read this correctly, You went to a whole lot more work to improve your headlights than just replacing the bulbs?

[blucar]

Originally Posted by uncle buck

If I read this correctly, You went to a whole lot more work to improve your headlights than just replacing the bulbs?

It was not a matter of just replacing the 6v reflector bulbs with sealed beams.
The system I used brought the whole electrical system up to 1940 + standards and eliminated a very troublesome switch that was located on the bottom of the steering gears. Actually, other than the '39 generator/regulator, the system I used was taken from a '40 GM vehicle.

[42guy]

Like Supereal I instead used a relay controlled by the headlight switch. Use 10g wire for the feed then to dimmer switch. Works great and bulbs are brite. easy and fast job.

[JSeery]

If anyone is interested.

[paul2748]

I always heard the Halogen's used more electricity than regular sealed beams. Wrong?

[tubman]

Originally Posted by paul2748

I always heard the Halogen's used more electricity than regular sealed beams. Wrong?

Everything I saw in my internet searches indicated that they use about 75% of the power of regular incandescent sealed beams. I think it may be the other way around for the older units with separate bulbs, but I didn't research that at all.

[grumppyoldman]

I bought 2 horn relay's to wire my lights like J shows in his diagrahm. Haven't got a round tuit. Al

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by grumppyoldman

I bought 2 horn relay's to wire my lights like J shows in his diagrahm. Haven't got a round tuit. Al

I have no experience with using horn relays, but would have some concern because the horn relays are designed for very short current cycles. The starter relays I use are constant current relays. I believe others have used the normal short current cycle starter relays with success. Let us know how they work out.

[meric42]

Just to confirm the statements above, after being sure that you have good ground connections, the single best thing you can do with your headlights is to install relays. This ensures that you will get the maximum voltage available to the light source and also reduce the stress on your wiring/light switch.

I have just fitted a vintage dual 6V relay and semi-sealed beams to my '41 Coupe. With slightly higher wattage Quartz Halogen bulbs the resulted performance is fantastic i.e. it's like driving a new car, no more dim yellow glow for me .

Here's a link to one the same as I used.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/NORS-Dual-H...item56bfd47d35

[JSeery]

That's an interesting relay, I had never seen one. This is the arrangement I use.

[meric42]

Originally Posted by JSeery

That's an interesting relay, I had never seen one. This is the arrangement I use.

Very ingenious but probably a little bit of overkill

The solenoids you are using will draw more current than a 6 Volt relay and may get quite warm after being on for some time JMHO

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by meric42

Very ingenious but probably a little bit of overkill

The solenoids you are using will draw more current than a 6 Volt relay and may get quite warm after being on for some time JMHO

That depends on the solenoids, these are constant service solenoids. They are designed to run with a contestant load on them, they are not the starter solenoids you are accustom to seeing (they just look similar).

[meric42]

Originally Posted by JSeery

That depends on the solenoids, these are constant service solenoids. They are designed to run with a contestant load on them, they are not the starter solenoids you are accustom to seeing (they just look similar).

I stand corrected my bad

You always learn somthing new.

[tubman]

I will repeat this for those who don''t seem to understand what I'm saying. The incandescent sealed beams that are currently in my '51 are just fine.They provide a good white light that is sufficient for nighttime driving. I believe that this is because this is a good original car and the wiring and grounds are in good shape. I am not looking for brighter lights; I am looking for longer life and decreased load on my electrical system.

All of this talk about solenoids etc. is just looking for band-aids for people who don't maintain their cars properly.

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by tubman

All of this talk about solenoids etc. is just looking for band-aids for people who don't maintain their cars properly.

I was with you Tubman until you get to this line. I totally disagree with that statement. Take a good look at just about any newer car, all most everything is controlled by solenoids. I understand you can get bright lights with the original direct wiring if everything is in top shape. And also understand you are looking for something like LED headlights for lower current draw. Several folks are keeping your post alive and up at the top of the stack to see if there is any inputs on that topic. I maintain my cars/trucks properly and I use solenoids and relays a lot!

[meric42]

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Originally Posted by tubman

All of this talk about solenoids etc. is just looking for band-aids for people who don't maintain their cars properly.

I also maintain my vehicles properly and have fitted a relay to minimise the stress on the headlight switch contacts by the current needed to supply the headlights as well as maximise the light output from my headlights for safer driving. It is by no means a "band-aid".

[SDJason]

Sorry to revive an old thread - but one of the things I've been looking into is finding a led replacement for H6006 sealed beams (when I acquired my Town Sedan, it already had those in place of the original headlights).

Anyways - in case this helps someone, I came across these today:

"7" round 6 volt high/low beam crystal clear H4 conversion 3rd Generation LED headlight. Includes one 6v 3rd Gen LED Xenon 6500k super white led bulb...The GEN 3 LED conversion kits from Octane Lighting have the driver built in to the bulb, which means there are no external parts to mount or plug in, just replace your old halogen bulbs with the new ones and plug them in like the originals.

• 2,600 Lumens Low Beam / 4,000 Lumens High Beam Light Output Per Bulb
• 26 Watts Low Beam / 40 Watts High Beam Energy Usage Per Bulb
• LED Light Color: 6,500K"

cost: $49.95 per headlight
For $100, I might give this a try

[tubman]

The light they throw looks pretty good; the looks of the units themselves, not so much.

[leon bee]

Man, I never go out after dark anymore, guess I don't have to worry about this one.

[Aarongriffey]

Are headlight relays no longer available for 6 volt cars?
They would be cheaper than having a relay for dim and another for bright.
If you reach under the dash and touch the back of any headlight switch, that is on the dash, you will see, or feel, that it gets hot.
With a headlight relay they stay a lot cooler. And the lights are brighter.

[SDJason]

Originally Posted by tubman

The light they throw looks pretty good; the looks of the units themselves, not so much.

yeah - I don't like the "modern" look of that glass...but taking a second peek at their website, it appears they have a more traditional look available as well

[Merc Cruzer]

Originally Posted by tubman

I will repeat this for those who don''t seem to understand what I'm saying. The incandescent sealed beams that are currently in my '51 are just fine.They provide a good white light that is sufficient for nighttime driving. I believe that this is because this is a good original car and the wiring and grounds are in good shape. I am not looking for brighter lights; I am looking for longer life and decreased load on my electrical system.

All of this talk about solenoids etc. is just looking for band-aids for people who don't maintain their cars properly.

I did my LED replacements based on reduced load:

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...22#post1796222

I just converted my 4" fog lights to LED too. So if I want I can run the headlights and fog lights at the same time and not over stress the generator.

Less draw, so no need for relays. Then if you want to put it back to original, real easy.

[Lawson Cox]

Originally Posted by meric42

Just to confirm the statements above, after being sure that you have good ground connections, the single best thing you can do with your headlights is to install relays. This ensures that you will get the maximum voltage available to the light source and also reduce the stress on your wiring/light switch.

I have just fitted a vintage dual 6V relay and semi-sealed beams to my '41 Coupe. With slightly higher wattage Quartz Halogen bulbs the resulted performance is fantastic i.e. it's like driving a new car, no more dim yellow glow for me .

Here's a link to one the same as I used.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/NORS-Dual-H...item56bfd47d35

What the heck are "semi sealed beams"? Inquiring minds want to know. LOL

[tubman]

Originally Posted by SDJason

yeah - I don't like the "modern" look of that glass...but taking a second peek at their website, it appears they have a more traditional look available as well

That's more like it!

[SDJason]

Originally Posted by Merc Cruzer

I did my LED replacements based on reduced load:

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...22#post1796222

I just converted my 4" fog lights to LED too. So if I want I can run the headlights and fog lights at the same time and not over stress the generator.

Less draw, so no need for relays. Then if you want to put it back to original, real easy.

Thank you - just took a look at your thread - it's nice to have other choices, and it looks like the bulbs you chose have MUCH lower current draw than what Octane Lighting sells. I think I'm sold!

[Merc Cruzer]

Originally Posted by SDJason

Thank you - just took a look at your thread - it's nice to have other choices, and it looks like the bulbs you chose have MUCH lower current draw than what Octane Lighting sells. I think I'm sold!

Let me know if you have any questions.

[meric42]

Originally Posted by Lawson Cox

What the heck are "semi sealed beams"? Inquiring minds want to know. LOL

Semi-sealed beams are headlights effectively the same as a sealed beam unit, but with the ability to replace the bulb without having to replace the complete beam unit allowing you to fit different bulb options. I am currently running these in my '41, '42 and '53 Fords with Quartz Halogen bulbs.

These are easier to obtain for country's like New Zealand where we drive on the left side of the road.

The ones I have installed, with relays, give lights comparable to or better than some modern 12V systems.

[SDJason]

Got them today - and WOW, what a difference!
Much brighter, and about 1/4 the current draw.

Thank you Merc Cruzer (also - got your message - the taillights were swapped out to LED a few years ago - that helped quite a bit on both the brightness and current draw as well)

[Lawson Cox]

Originally Posted by meric42

Semi-sealed beams are headlights effectively the same as a sealed beam unit, but with the ability to replace the bulb without having to replace the complete beam unit allowing you to fit different bulb options. I am currently running these in my '41, '42 and '53 Fords with Quartz Halogen bulbs.

These are easier to obtain for country's like New Zealand where we drive on the left side of the road.

The ones I have installed, with relays, give lights comparable to or better than some modern 12V systems.

Thanks. Regular old sealed beams are fine for the speeds we should be driving these old cars.