padgett Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 Just had to replace another set of headlight rollers but these are ones I replaced at the start of the century. Anyone else finding replacements disintegrating ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Eaton Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 The originals and some of the replacements are molded. I have used several different versions and the machined nylon or delrin seem to last longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted June 19, 2019 Author Share Posted June 19, 2019 Well all of mine were done at least a decade ago and just redid one that was crumbles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 Nice thing about parting cars is that you just grab a different motor. I have yet to rebuild one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted June 19, 2019 Author Share Posted June 19, 2019 Until you run out of good ones. Pulling the headlamp assembly is the hard part, I just keep some #4 shorties around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Eaton Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 10 years back I made some using some semi ridged plumbing tubing I found at the home improvement store. I was afraid it would collapse so I filled the center with urethane...also had to take a slice off the outside diameter as it was 1/2 inch. They were very tough, never broke but they would compress and come out triangular shape.....they would then have a little slop but they were very tough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buick City Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 Quote I like the rollers from Barney ( a lot better than the wood dowels I used to use )ha-ha 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Eaton Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 I did a motor once that had pieces of dowel in place of the plastic parts. Also have open them up and found........hex nuts, ball bearing, BB's, caps from aerosol sprays and one filled with epoxy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wufibug Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 Barney, aren't they the same as the ones used in Corvettes? If so, are those any better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Eaton Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 The plastic rollers were used in several GM car headlights.........the rollers were never available from GM as an individual part. The same size rollers were used in Ford power windows..........so several vendors have and are making the rollers. Some people have made aluminum rollers which will never degrade.........BUT why did GM put them in there? We think they were like clutches or shock absorbers. If you have something in there that does not give.....will some other (more expensive) part break? The rollers are cheap and cheap insurance against ruining a gear or something else. I forgot the rubber faucet washer (see last photo) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 Just found a box of Fiero motors, was how I got started in this. Guess the life is about 15 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrspeedyt Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 are they similar to other GM power windows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayarbee Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 Years ago when the rollers on my headlight disintegrated I was able to replace them with the large size hot glue sticks, cut to size. I noticed recently, while trying to get the car mobile again, that the headlights did not open, so I suspect the problem to be with the 'glue' rollers! I'll check them soon, but they lasted quite a while. Pain to change, as I recall, but cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Eaton Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 Jay......when you take them apart.......take a picture of the glue "rollers" and post them..... that is if they did not melt and glue everything together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayarbee Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 I'll do that. It should be interesting. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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