Rebuildable headlight motors.............

[Guest HessLakeGuy]

Every once in awhile I see a headlight motor (such as in a U Pull lot) that seems rusty and looks like it might be ready to crumble if you touch it hard. Almost like the metal cover absorbed water over its life.

Are motors like this rebuildable, are they good just for parts or are they total junk? What has been your experience?

I have only rebuilt three motors and their outside cases were bright and looked perfect, so I don't pretend to be any kind of expert.

See you in Danvers.

Tom

[Barney Eaton]

What you are probably seeing are the later units that were powdercoated.

Once moisture gets under the powder coating, it swells, peels and look generally discusting.

The only solution is to strip off all the coating (ideally sand blast) and repaint. On the underside of the motor housing there is a date code.... motors manufactured during the Reatta build will end in 88,89,90,91, replacement motors, most of which are powdercoated will have later dates in the '90's

In my opinion, the important part of the motor is the gearbox. The gearbox is either alumium, zinc or some alloy of those and they do not rust, hence can be salvaged. The other components are common with Firebirds, Corvettes, etc so the motor housing is a common part that is interchangable.

If you can buy ugly motors for a song, I would, just for the gear housing.

[Guest HessLakeGuy]

Thank you.

I am sure you have worked on dozens of these motors.

Tom

[Jim]

Tom,

From my experience there are so many motors around now when I see them in junk yards I don't even bother with them unless they are nice appearing.

Jim

[Guest steveskyhawk]

I have never seen a rusty headlight motor. If anybody need one I have lots of them.

[Barney Eaton]

Since the gearbox part of the motor is some sort of aluminum alloy, of course it will not rust.

The motor housing is a steel stamping and it will rust. I once received a motor from a Reatta owner to rebuild, it's motor housing was rusted enough that the magnets inside had broken loose and the motor shaft would not turn. I suspect the motor and maybe the entire front of that car had been under water.

I also have lots of (rebuilt) headlight motors. If a Reatta owner is paying a mechanic to fix the headlights, it is often cheaper to give the mechanic a rebuilt motor. The overall cost is usually cheaper than their time to put in the rollers.