65 headlamp adjustment

[RIVNIK]

Can anybody out there give me advice on how to aim my '65 headlights without the use of one of those gizmos? I thought I could drive up to a blank wall, turn them on, and run the adjustment screws in & out till they looked right, but I find I can't access the upper or lower (vertical) screws,because the clamshells don't open far enough. Thanks for any help you can give.

[Guest RyanC]

You need to pull apart the linkage that connects to the headlight motor just behind the radiator. With those off, you can open the clamshells enough to get to the adjusting screws...<style id="_clearly_component__css" type="text/css">#next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } </style>

[RIVNIK]

You need to pull apart the linkage that connects to the headlight motor just behind the radiator. With those off, you can open the clamshells enough to get to the adjusting screws...<style id="_clearly_component__css" type="text/css">#next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } </style>

Thanks,RyanC... I've gotten that far. So far, I've been popping the linkage, turning the screws a few turns, reconnecting, turning the car back on, finding I went too far on one lamp, not far enough on another,doing it over again, thinking I got it right on the garage wall, taking it out for a drive to find it's not even close, stopping, getting out, pulling out some nosehairs..... get the picture? And probably due to some creative rewiring done either by a previous owner or by the body guy when he put the front end back together,my clamshells will not open unless the engine is running, (only one of many electrical anomalies that are beyond my ability to figure out) so I'm totally fumed out in my small workspace. And, needless to say,I'm scared to death of doing anything that might fry my clamshell motor. What I need to know is, should I anticipate trouble if I activate the motor by turning the lights on with the linkage disconnected? The switches should operate properly whether the linkage is connected or not, right? Or should I disconnect the motor? And will the lights come on with the motor unplugged? I'm scared! I once lost a beautiful '71 ElCamino SS to electrical fire, so I guess I'm overly cautious. Anyway,thanks for the advice....until now I was thinking my doors weren't opening enough because they were improperly adjusted. thanks Drew Smith #4675