Need a 2-pin plug for a 1930-ish Stalite tail light - FIXED!

[Gary_Ash]

Where can I buy a 2-pin plug to connect to a Stalite (or Seelite) tail light?  This is for a 1930-ish Studebaker Type C tail light.  The plug o.d. should be about 11/16" with two indexing pins to lock it in place.  The two contacts in the tail light are spring loaded, so the contacts in the plug can be fixed.  I looked at Restoration Specialties, riwire.com and Y n Z, but didn't see anything.   I've Googled for an hour or so, didn't see anything close, didn't think this would be difficult. 

Edited January 7, 2020 by Gary_Ash (see edit history)

[maok]

They are listed on  eBay, make sure you are sitting down when you see the price.

[trini]

How about making them yourself  ?  The "dot" like terminal on the wire is simple to make. Use a tack nail and sink the sharp end  into the cable and solder. Most times one "dot" is higher than the other and cause irregular lighting. Clean "dots" and put on fresh solder, Use fine electrical solder and a solder gun.  I repaired mine.

[Gary_Ash]

Somebody, somewhere has a bin full of these...

[HarryLime]

https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/ProductDetail/WEB-KIT-0340_LIGHT-SOCKETS?fromCategory=Products/model-t/lights/head-lights

[Gary_Ash]

Thanks, 23hack, just what I was looking for.  I ordered a pair.  I had not expected to find them under Snyder's classification of "headlights", nor would I have called them "sockets".  But, hey, there they were and the price was right at $8.50 plus shipping.  I just hope there was only one size of these, but I'll find out in a few days if they fit.

 

 

Edited January 1, 2020 by Gary_Ash (see edit history)

[Gary_Ash]

Alas, my fears were realized!  The Model T plugs are too small in diameter by about 1/8".  Right style, right shape, but too small.  I may have to 3D print my own connectors.  I was able to pull the two pins out of the Model T one.  They are made from 3/16 brass rod with a little knurl about 3/16" wide.  They had been pressed into a black nylon body machined from 5/8" dia rod stock.  The back end of the plastic rod had been threaded for the screw on cover.  I'll use a piece of 3/4" nylon rod cut it down to about 0.725" dia.  The cover will be a little tougher to make because of the interior threads, but my little Harbor Freight lathe can do that kind of job.  I had hoped to buy these connectors and not spend time making them.  Sigh! 

[Gary_Ash]

Plan B:  I eventually realized that the two contact pins in the Model T plug had the same 0.3" spacing as the larger connector on the tail light housing.  I 3D printed a couple of 1/2" long sleeves with the 0.720" o.d I needed and 0.595" i.d. to fit the plugs I bought.  I just have to extract the 0.072" brass cross pins from the plugs and replace them with some longer pins.  K&S sells brass rod and tubes in a wide variety of sizes, as well as other materials, so a quick visit to Amazon found the brass rod I need.  The trick will be to drive out the existing pins as the brass is pretty soft.  I may have to drill them out.  But, it's a lot easier than making entirely new connector housings.

 

[Gary_Ash]

I went to drive out the little brass pins to put the sizing sleeves on.  I thought it was one long pin that went all the way through the connector body, but, no, it was two little short pins pressed into each side.  On one of the connectors the pins stood out just far enough for me to grab them with Visegrips and pull them out.  I buggered the others, had to drill them out, so drilled all the way through.  The main contact pins are only about 0.140" apart so putting a 0.078 hole between them was chancy, but it worked.  Did you know painted coat hanger wire is 0.074" o.d.?  I made some new long pins from a coat hanger to retain the sleeves.  I put the sleeves on, pushed in the pins, and went to test the connector in the tail light housing when I realized the contacts were now 90 degrees out of position.  I couldn't just drill another hole in the side of the connector because that would have shorted out the connections.  I 3D printed some new sleeves in black PLA plastic with some protrusions for pins, slid them on the connector body, and poked the coat hanger wire into the cross hole to retain the sleeves.  Finally, there is joy in Mudville!  [Even though the Patriots lost on Saturday night].]  

 

Since I bought a 1930-ish Studebaker Type C tail light housing without the glass lenses, I also had to 3D print a "beehive" lens and a large sector lens to go in front of the STUDEBAKER STOP mask, plus a clear lens for the license plate illumination.  I used transparent red PLA for the beehive and stop lens, clear PLA for the plate light.  It's not perfect, but not too bad.   Since my Studebaker Indy car replica will run on 12 volts, I found that a #1156 bulb worked for the brighter stop function and a #89 fit the socket for the running light/license plate illumination.  These are higher wattage/brighter bulbs than the originals, but I didn't want LEDs.