I'm posting this in the technical thread rather than in my build thread for one reason. If someone else is looking for help to do this work it might be easier for them to find my instructions here than in my build. My build will have a link to this thread - so I'm covering both bases.

First off - I'm not a mechanic so please be gentle with me on specific words etc. These instructions can be used as examples of what not to do - or what to do - depending on your mechanical ability. I'll leave it to you do decide which one applies to you!

I have an 88'GT and finally had the problem everyone gets with headlights that start to come up - then don't then do - or have motors that spin for a long time after they close. My driver side motor started to act up in Sept 2007 at Archie's place - just before the Chop Top Reunion. I made do until the end of the season, but by that time it was clear I had to repair the units (might as well do both sides if I have to do one)....

So here goes...

I had picked up Rodney Dickman's rebuild kit at Fierorama - but when I got home I realised the instructions were all words - and for many makes of cars - no pics at all. As I'm not a mechnic I really need pictures to guide me to the parts I need to unscrew etc. Otherwise I break things quickly! I also ordered the complete rebuild kit from the FieroStore. The instructions with that kit were short and - no pics! So I search PFF and other sites and came up with some instructions from FieroDomain.com. Seven pages of instructions with quite a few pictures. Way better than the other two - for my needs anyway! Thanks are really due to FieroDomain.

Here is the link to the FD instructions - .... http://fierodomain.com/content/view/172/100

I took about 40 pics and need to size them for this thread. I'll post the pics and the rest of the text in chunks....

Dave

I've already taken out the headlight - I have Fiero1Fan's 1/2 height buckets with round H9 lamps - but the process is the same for anyone. Use a torx (I used a T27) and a 10mm socket to remove the headlight. I guarranty if you do not tape the hole just under the headlight that a part WILL fall and drop into the front bumper skirt. How do I know this? One of the plastic spacers went clink - plunk - oh crud! Now I have to take the driver side wheel well skirt off to get to that freekin bit of plastic. Guess I could ask a small child to try to stick their hand in and get it.....

but first is a picture of the tools I used....



Make sure you disconnect the power connector to the headlights before you pull the buckets and the disconnect the power connector to the headlight motor.

This picture is of the driver side with the 10mm socket ready to undo the two top bolts. I just loosened them at first then did the same for the two bottom nuts. Only loosen the two bottom ones, then come back and remove the two top nuts. The assembly slips right out. The bottom of the assembly has two "U" shaped recesses - so it slips out easy after the top two nuts are removed.



These two pics show the location of the lower nuts - on the passenger side. They are in the same location on both sides.



And Woila! Headlight motor assembly beating in my hand!



With a clean(ish) naked headlight bay!



The passenger side headlight was still working OK - but decided now that I'm here - better do both at the same time! SO out the second side comes. Here is a picture of both untis out. Notice the motors are on the inside.



Here is a pic of the passenger side headlight bay - empty as well.




Now it's off to warmer spaces to do the rest of the work! Will post more later....

Have fun with that passenger side one, whatever you do don't pull the motor off the top of the gear housing

I did that with mine and spent half an hour trying to get it back together. Rodney's directions are the best way to go I think, brute forcing the gear out then shaving it down to re-install. The guide on my site is unfortunately lacking in those details.

+ for you!

[This message has been edited by Xanth (edited 03-29-2008).]

Just a note. If you do reuse the gear be sure and take a screw driver etc. and scrap the bits out of the gear teeth.
I would also add some fresh grease to the gear while you in there.
You can get the plastic slugs from ebay fairly cheap. I've seem 6 of them selling for $10 shipping included.
You can also get them at parts store from the !Help! section although they cost more.

One down - on to number....



First, a reference shot to make sure I put the arm back on correctly...



The passenger side is a reverse (kinda) operation. The side gear housing is on the inside - so I need to take off the arm assembly. The three 1/4" screws are on the shaft side ..



So the motor assembly needs to come off the mount assembly...



There are three bolts that need to be reoved, the front bolt is white steel and the other two are black steel. Don't know why - but might as well keep them like that. I remove them and place them in the mount in the right spot once all three are out.



Next, remove the three 1/4" botls from the gear side cover..



Then, pry it up like the other side - remember about that delicate gasket!



Now comes the more challenging part. take the two screws out that hold the actual motor to the assembly. Take the screws out and VERY SLOWLY wiggle the motor cover back. Do this real slow. You need to take the motor off as the gear wheel has a lip that fits under the shaft spline. You cannot remove the gear like you did on the driver side.

There is a small ball bearing at the end of the spline shaft - make sure you don't loose it. The unit had lots of lube left and the bearing stayed in place with the grease for me. There are two brushes in the motor that are spring loaded. I sat on the floor and held the unit next to the ground so that no parts would fly out! Each of the two brushes are connected by a wire to the power plug lead. The springs go behind the brushes and the arc of the worn brush needs to go back together so that the coil - when spinning has smooth contact. They only really go in one way.

Looks like these brushes will last another 20 yrs at least. With the motor removed, the gears slips out - and it goes back together the same way as the drive side - pins go under the gear. It looks like this before you put the motor back on....



Now the tricky part to getting it back together. I used a pen to keep the brushes aligned and just slightly in the sliding housings they sit in.



I din't have any paper clips or string - like the FieroDomain instructions mentioned. So a hunting I go looking for something to hold the brushes back so I can put the motor back on the spline shaft... I know - I'll try using a small twist tie from sandwich bags that I use to pick Ginger's poop up - I know - too much info.

I pull a twist tie off and twist it so the plastic cover is narrow.



Next, I take the motor and then slide the twist tie under the wire and push the brush into it's slide with my finger, then bend the twist tie down the outside of the motor housing. I do this for both sides, and use my left hand to hold the ties tight and remove the pen. Ding Ding DIng - it works!



Next, slide the motor onto the shaft - goes in like butter!



Now to pull out the twist tie. I slide the housing out about 1/8" and snip one end of the tie as short as I can. I then push the tie into the motor, turn a fraction and pull out the remainder of the tie. Works like a dream!





Now to put the motor back into the gear housing. First you'll need to back off the cover about 1/8" of an inch to get some wiggle room. Wiggle the gear and the motor assembly until it sits properly. It's a bit persnikety because of that bottom lip - but a little patience and it's done!



Now put the gear side cover back on, then the motor and gear assembly back onto the headlight mount, put the arm back on and test the unit by manually turning the knob at the top of the motor. Smooth as silk!

Last but not least is the final clean up! I'm a guy - but there bits of the old plastic parts everywhere! Here's proof I know how to vacuum...



So that's it for the fix! Need to button up the headlights tomorrow, put in the car battery and fire up the Taz to do the final QA on the fix! I'll post later on the score!

Nice work! You did a much cleaner job of re-assembling that motor than when I first did it. I went too quick and the springs sprang all over

[This message has been edited by Xanth (edited 03-29-2008).]

quote Originally posted by Xanth: Nice work! You did a much cleaner job of re-assembling that motor than when I first did it. I went too quick and the springs sprang all over

Thanks! I was worried about that and read the instructions about ten times before attempting it. I thought for sure I'd be asking someone to help me put it back together after buggering it up. The twist ties was a lukcy moment of clarity for me - I don't get too many of those anymore (tehee). Anyway - hope this helps others who are not mechanical to get their own work done!

[This message has been edited by DrCPU (edited 03-29-2008).]

10AM Sunday Morning - time to get the rebuilt headlight motors into the TAZ and to try out my work! First thing to do is slip the lower mount over the bottom screws/bolts (that were not removed).



Next, tighten up the four bolts...



Do the same thing to the other side - and put back the headlights!



Test everything out by using the manual motor knobs. Make sure the headlight (three) bolts aren't too tight so the headlight moves up and down smoothly.

Now to plop the battery back in and fire her up for the first time in five months to try out the motors!

I've uploaded an AVI to YouTube.....

Here it is...



.

Waaaaaaaa Freeeeekin WHOOOOOOOOO! Smoth as butter baby!


A recap of this fix. There are lots of written instructions, but pictures help me a great deal. The job is easy, and the hardest part is putting the motor and shaft back through the gear and brush housing. The twist ties worked like a dream - and I'm sure if I'd had some paperclips that it would have been just as easy. A big thanks goes out to FieroDomain for the excellent seven pages of instructions. Without them I'd have been lost - or would have had springs and a ball bearing everywhere!

[This message has been edited by DrCPU (edited 03-30-2008).]

I wanted to pass along my thanks for this article as it pulled my bacon out of the fire in what was my first big automotive repair. I thought that things were going well through the driver's side light, so I hit the passenger side a little too confident. The directions that came with my rebuild kit only mentioned that I might need to file down the back side of the gear to get it to fit. Anyway, with the assistance from this post, I worked my way through, and it is sure nice not having to "assist" the lights going open when I need them.