Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Model A (1928-31)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 10-20-2021, 03:13 PM   #1
Mister Moose
Senior Member
 
Mister Moose's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Hartford area, CT
Posts: 374
Default Stuck 1930 instrument light

My instrument light is as seen below.

20201118_211059.jpg

It had been working fine (How many threads start out like that!!!) and now the outer housing is stuck. It's usually push in to light the bulb, pull out to turn it off.

I don't want to break it... should I pull harder? Take off the panel and address it from the rear? Will twisting help or will that bend and damage it?

Thanks
Mister Moose is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-20-2021, 04:54 PM   #2
mercman from oz
Senior Member
 
mercman from oz's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Queensland, Australia
Posts: 10,289
Default Re: Stuck 1930 instrument light



This is Mister Moose instrument light.
"I don't want to break it... should I pull harder? Take off the panel and address it from the rear? Will twisting help or will that bend and damage it?"
mercman from oz is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 10-21-2021, 10:16 AM   #3
Badpuppy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Guthrie, OK
Posts: 1,140
Default Re: Stuck 1930 instrument light

I think you're supposed to twist it to a point where it pulls off easily, but I've never found it. I just yank the sucker off and hope for the best. It still works.
Badpuppy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2021, 10:50 AM   #4
jayvee34
Senior Member
 
jayvee34's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: St. Augustine, Fl.
Posts: 437
Default Re: Stuck 1930 instrument light

I would not force it. Remove it, lots of WD 40, work it in and out, twist if need be,
until it smooth's out. Should work after that without sticking. Might use a little
electrical grease to keep it lubed.
__________________
IN GOD WE TRUST - SEMPER FIDELIS
John
jayvee34 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2021, 11:05 AM   #5
bavArian
Senior Member
 
bavArian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Germany
Posts: 215
Default Re: Stuck 1930 instrument light

The one on mine looks identical to yours and twists ~45°. I'm not 100% sure but I think it's clockwise for on/in and counter clockwise for off/out. Doesn't need much force.
bavArian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2021, 11:29 AM   #6
40-A Twins
Senior Member
 
40-A Twins's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Oregon City, OR
Posts: 121
Default Re: Stuck 1930 instrument light

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
I bought a repro dash light cover once and it was a little oversized and stuck in the light base. I finally found an original at the next swap meet and it works fine. Those dash lights are so common on e-bay that if you break it you can get another one and have it in a week.
40-A Twins is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2021, 11:34 AM   #7
40-A Twins
Senior Member
 
40-A Twins's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Oregon City, OR
Posts: 121
Default Re: Stuck 1930 instrument light

some found on e-bay
Attached Images
File Type: jpg dash lights.jpg (43.2 KB, 83 views)
40-A Twins is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2021, 02:29 PM   #8
Ivan in southeast va.
Senior Member
 
Ivan in southeast va.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Portsmouth, Virginia
Posts: 303
Default Re: Stuck 1930 instrument light

Fix it, make sure it works and never use it again. LOL
Ivan in southeast va. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2021, 03:59 PM   #9
Synchro909
Senior Member
 
Synchro909's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 7,471
Default Re: Stuck 1930 instrument light

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivan in southeast va. View Post
Fix it, make sure it works and never use it again. LOL
They get too darned hot!
__________________
I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood.
Synchro909 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2021, 07:53 PM   #10
McMimmcs
Senior Member
 
McMimmcs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Fort Gratiot, Michigan
Posts: 2,296
Default Re: Stuck 1930 instrument light

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivan in southeast va. View Post
Fix it, make sure it works and never use it again. LOL
Those are my feelings also. Wayne
McMimmcs is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2021, 08:12 PM   #11
J Franklin
Senior Member
 
J Franklin's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Oregon
Posts: 5,946
Default Re: Stuck 1930 instrument light

Quote:
Originally Posted by Synchro909 View Post
They get too darned hot!
A good place for an LED!
J Franklin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2021, 10:30 PM   #12
bavArian
Senior Member
 
bavArian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Germany
Posts: 215
Default Re: Stuck 1930 instrument light

Quote:
Originally Posted by J Franklin View Post
A good place for an LED!



Do they disperse the light as well as the original bulbs do? The originals light up the speedo quite well. (compared to what you'd expect by looking at that construction )
bavArian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2021, 06:17 PM   #13
Mister Moose
Senior Member
 
Mister Moose's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Hartford area, CT
Posts: 374
Default Re: Stuck 1930 instrument light

Update.

After letting it sit long enough that the gremlins got bored and left, with some pull/twist and canting suddenly it popped right out.

Here's a few photos of the innards. I didn't take photos of everything, there is also a spring that pre-loads the socket, and the socket easily comes out of the holder. Everything appears to be original.


Side view


Side view, rotated 90 degrees


View of the instrument panel casting the socket fits into. Notice the 3 tabs that guide the socket.

The bulb has its own slot the bayonette pins lock into, and then the socket twists and locks (sort of) in the panel housing. I wanted the hood to be easily operated, so since I was topping off my steering box, Penrite grease/oil seemed like a good choice for something slippery that wouldn't run off. I coated just the first 1/8" of the hood, and pressed/turned until it popped in.

Wow.

It has never worked this well before. Mine operates as bavArian describes, twist/in/click and it's on, twist/out/click and its off. I wouldn't have thought looking at the hood it would work this way as there is only one shallow keyed depression stamped into the hood rim. It's silky, it's easy, and it works perfect. Hope it lasts. And yes, I'm sure the bulb will get hot.

Scratch that off the list!
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 20211110_173053.jpg (33.1 KB, 163 views)
File Type: jpg 20211110_173111.jpg (30.4 KB, 163 views)
File Type: jpg 20211110_173247.jpg (39.5 KB, 162 views)
Mister Moose is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2021, 07:31 PM   #14
rotorwrench
Senior Member
 
rotorwrench's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 16,367
Default Re: Stuck 1930 instrument light

I really haven't seen a good original since all the ones I've seen are reproductions. They have a small piercing in the base socket that allows a small part of the piercing to be bent inward to hold the light socket in place in the base. If that little piece of metal shears or wears off then the light socket will come out like the OPs.

All the reproductions have to be twisted a few degrees to turn the light on or off. It seems like it has to be pushed in to turn so that it can disengage one set of bayonet lugs and then engage the other set so that it locks in place for on and for off.

Last edited by rotorwrench; 11-10-2021 at 07:58 PM.
rotorwrench is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-10-2021, 08:43 PM   #15
old ugly
Senior Member
 
old ugly's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: alberta canada
Posts: 585
Default Re: Stuck 1930 instrument light

they are a nuisance.
i would take the dash off and wire it directly to the tail light wire, then leave the light turned on. every time you turn on any of your lights the dash light comes on.
put an LED in it if it gets hot.
__________________
old ugly

my old father-in-law told me. "listen close when people tell you how to do stuff they may know something. then do it the way you want."
old ugly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-11-2021, 09:19 AM   #16
rotorwrench
Senior Member
 
rotorwrench's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 16,367
Default Re: Stuck 1930 instrument light

Another thing is shorting. I had one short out and burn the wire once. It was one of the modern reproductions I'm pretty careful with them now. It also cooked the ammeter.
rotorwrench is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-11-2021, 09:29 AM   #17
Patrick L.
Senior Member
 
Patrick L.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Largo Florida
Posts: 7,225
Default Re: Stuck 1930 instrument light

Those pesky little gremlins ! You do have to keep them occupied to keep em around.

It doesn't seem like that lite should be an issue on such a low mileage vehicle.
[ smiley face ]
Patrick L. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-11-2021, 08:24 PM   #18
Mister Moose
Senior Member
 
Mister Moose's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Hartford area, CT
Posts: 374
Default Re: Stuck 1930 instrument light

Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick L. View Post
It doesn't seem like that lite should be an issue on such a low mileage vehicle.
[ smiley face ]
For the restoration, I sent out the instrument panel and light hood for chrome plating. When I re-assembled it, it seemed to work fine enough dry fit. It got cranky, and then stuck. With a little lube it's working better than it ever did. So probably my fault more than the car's.

Generally when I'm driving in the dark it's when the days have gotten shorter and it's cooler out. Hot bulbs haven't been an issue yet.
Mister Moose is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:02 AM.