Original Headlight socket & connector hardware

[eystein]

Several threads have warned about failures in repro connectors and harness at the headlamp to harness connector.

It is a prfoblem that many cars have had the original wiring ripped out or "repaired" by previous restorers or tinkerers, so that one ( myself included) does not know what it should really look like.

It is possible that anyone who have been looking into this seriously could post some pictures and explanations on where the common repro parts (Brattons Snyders) differ from the originals and tips on any sources for original-like hardware and how to correct the repro parts

[CarlG]

This is a direct quote from the Snyder's catalog:

NOTE: The way that Ford designed the connection for joining the headlight wires to the main lighting harness wasn't one of their better ideas. If you are not a purist, I would suggest doing away with the plastic headlight plugs, gutting the socket assembly and wiring the wires directly. Quite often shorts develop where the two wires join if the lights are hooked up as Ford did.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I like the original connectors on my 1928. My camera battery is low and I can't find my charger, so it might be a while before I can take a picture of an original plug.

[ctlikon0712]

Eystein, I would like to see some pics as well. Thanks for bringing the subject up. Somthing that I have been meaning to do also.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Here are three pictures showing my 1928 bulb socket and headlamp connection socket. The wires joining the two sockets are rubber coated, not cloth.
The next two pictures show the plug for the end of the headlamp wire harness. Notice the flat head on the two brass screws that secure the wires to the terminals.

I don't have any repro sockets to compare.

[ericr]

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Originally Posted by CarlG

This is a direct quote from the Snyder's catalog:

Carl I have seen that quote and I'm not directing this at you, but the quote seems like a load of baloney to me. So the Company with all assets, research and engineering abilities produced several million cars, over a multi-year period, each of which with two headlights, and kept a fundamentally unreliable design? Wouldn't dealers have complained and essentially forced a change if it was a serious problem?

The quote in reality applies to repro sockets.

[CarlG]

I only saw that "quote" in Snyder's catalog AFTER I had "fixed" mine. When I bought my truck, these connections had been cobbled together so that there was no way that they could work. My failed attempt to put it back to "original" resulted in my backyard engineering. It was only later that I discovered that what I had done was the way that many others had done it. Then is when I saw the quote in Snyders catalog. I'm with you 100% in that 10 million connectors made that way -- must have done something right. I'm sure that my 2 earlier Model As had the original connectors and they worked fine. Of course that was 50+ years ago.

[d.j. moordigian]

Thanks Tom,

Your photos helped me with my pile of sockets....I see were the problem is
with the repops. My very old repops(best guess) are made as nice as Ford's,
except for the problem..

[700rpm]

My original 1929 sockets work fine and have never been "restored". My repros all had to be reworked to get them to function, but eventually I got them to where they too worked fine. I buy originals whenever I find them at swap meets. I recently bought two of the ugliest light buckets I'd ever seen because they had original '28 sockets (and good fluted lenses) in them. The buckets are good for yard art and not much else. It's always best to keep or use original stuff if you can find it or already have it. Don't replace it just for the sake of a "total restoration", whatever that is.

[KGBnut]

One of the first things I did on my 1930 coupe was rip out the originals and replace them with repops... Nothing but trouble. This was before I found the FordBarn and discovered all this great advice.

I was smart enough to save my originals and would love to restore them, but the insulators that support the spring-loaded connectors are warped and forcing the contacts to touch.

By the way, has anybody really looked at the engineering on these things? It is amazing... Just take a few minutes to check out the TINY, high-precision brass sleeves in those flat insulators. Even if I could find the right material to replace those insulators, I have no idea how I would replace those sleeves. The wires are easy...simply soldered into the spring-loaded contacts.

Until I figure out how to properly restore the originals I simply put some modern female bullet connectors in the headlights. Here is the really good news... those modern connectors are available in .176 diameter. That is within 4 thousandths of the diameter of the ends on the original 3-wire harness (the connectors that go in the little barrel-shaped plug). I didn't have to modify my wiring harness, and haven't had a single problem since.

I still want find good originals, or restore mine, but this is a great temporary solution. (Pop always told me, "if you are going to do something temporary, make sure it is good enough to be permanent...because it probably will be.")

[Special Coupe Frank]

Some observations based on my own '28 which came with repro headlamps and repro connectors... and comparison against an complete, original 1930-31 truck headlamp and other original connector bits I have scrounged:

1 ) The metal bits of both the repro bulb sockets and the repro connector sockets are made from much lighter, more flimsy metal than the originals, so that even if made to the original sizing / tolerances, the metal itself flexes and deforms.

2) the insulating material of the original connector plug appears to be hard, precision moulded/ machined heat-resistant baekelite; repros have modern (not fit for this application) thermo-plastic plugs that soften and deform when they get hot, allowing the contact rivets & springs to mush into each other or the outer shell, causing all sorts of electrical Gremlins.

In short (no pun intended) the original Ford plugs were simply made better, and from better material.

Not to say the originals were 100% trouble-free, but the cheapo repros are absolute junk.

[Steve Wastler]

From my experiences, I have never had issues with ANY original light connections on mine or others I have worked with. I find no fault with the original design and functuality.

[eystein]

I saw a post over at the Swap Meet section from a guy wanting to contact Robert Paul in Colorado to buy headlight parts.

Is Robert Paul really into making reproduction headlight parts in addition to his shock rebuilding service ? - Or is the guy over at the swap meet section mistaken ?

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by Jeff/Illinois

I went with repop sockets, cut the wiring connector ends off, crimped and soldered Bratton's bullet connectors on the wires of the socket and plugged them into Bratton's double barrelled female connectors and they work fine.

Good temporary fix until I get around to doing the permanent repair. Going on about 6 years now

Exactly what I did

[sethkestenbaum]

cut+crimped = HOURS of time saved dealing with short

just my opinion. I felt aweful straying from "Ford's Way", but just couldn't deal with the shorts any more.

[AL in NY]

I did the same fix as many others by eliminating the 3-wire repro connector. Can someone post pictures(similiar to Tom W's) showing the original 30-31 3 wire connector? Thanks in advance!!

[BrianBurkert]

The repro sockets have the cardboard insulator inserts. I've had them come loose and cause a short. If I have to use the repros, I reinforce the inserts with epoxy so they don't come loose.

[leo]

I used reproduction sockets and plugs from Bratton's and did not encounter any problems with them. I did replace the wire terminal ends to the blunt brass type and my headlight conduits, socket ferrules are originals. Is it possible that parts other than reproduction sockets are the cause of connection problems because things don't line up properly.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I've heard some guys have used heat shrink tubing on the contacts so they fit better (tighter) in the insulator blocks.

If you have any bare wires liquid tape works very well. It costs about $5 a bottle at Fleet Farm.

[Special Coupe Frank]

I just had another headlight shorting problem with my '28-'29 repros... dead short on low-beams.

Turned-out to be the spring-loaded contacts in the bulb socket shorting against the side barrel, due to the red fibre insulting disc losing one of its little "ears" and going cock-eyed in the barrel.

Am going to find some Original Ford sockets soon...

SC Frank