Headlamp motor rebuild

[paftga]

If your headlamp motors do not open, a rebuild is in order. Within the motor assembly are three solid gel inserts that deteriorate over time and become crumbs that will no longer engage the nylon gear. The replacement inserts are available from Top-Down Solutions (www.top-downsolutions.com) at cost of $20.00 for the ?Deluxe headlight repair kit (item #209280). The labor to remove both motors is intensive, but the repair to the motors is completed in a short time. This is the same repair kit used for Corvettes and Firebirds. Most motors that fail just need the three inserts, this repair beats purchasing a new motor from the dealer at a cost of $215.00.

[Guest F14CRAZY]

That'll do-er. I've been getting mine from ebay (did my car, Maui, and the Select 60)

[PeterAidan]

My left light doesn't pop up until I hit 30mph, and then it sorta wobbles around. The right light works but gets stuck on the way down, and needs to be coaxed into retracting fully. (otherwise the motor seems to be drawing power from the battery)

Will the rebuild kit solve my problem? Or will I also need this:

<span style="font-weight: bold">"More than likely the OEM gel bushings are all that have gone bad on your headlight actuation unit. A few customers have discovered that a jerry-rigged repair was previously done on their headlight actuator unit, so a new gear was required. If you find out you also need a new gear order TDS 504040 GM Headlight Actuator Motor Gear."</span>

How difficult a job is it?

[Barney Eaton]

The plastic rollers are only half of the potential problem. The factory bellcrank is a zinc diecasting and the motors steel shaft works on the softer zinc. Over time the locking flats on the bellcrank begin to look like a "bow-tie" ....they will continue to get worse until there is only a round hole with no locking mechanism.

When everything is shot, the wind at 30-40 mph will open the headlight.

Go to www.reatta.net and read the headlight rebuild procedure.

If you need bellcranks, I have developed a steel bellcrank that will probably last the life of the car, and the price is about 1/3 of the new GM price.

[Kev2862]

I bought my replacement inserts on e-bay for $3.00, however when I was reattaching the motor to the car I accidently grounded it out against the body. Now the motor does not work at all. The fuse is not blown, is there anything else I can do to try and get it working again??

[Barney Eaton]

very difficult to do what you did, plus there is no power to the wires unless the lights are being raised or lowered. I don't think you shorted anything.

You may have the problem I posted elsewhere. The rollers may be too long and have locked the assembly.

I was sent a headlight motor by an owner and he sent new rollers he had purchased. For some reason they did not look correct and in fact they are 1/2 inch long. I installed them in the motor and tried to turn it by hand and nothing would move. I installed some of my rollers and everything was fine.

Look at the rollers and if they are more than 7/16 long, that is the problem.

[Booreatta]

If I remember correctly when you are putting things back togather

make sure that the headlight bulb is also installed. When I did mine I tried

to make everything work and I hooked up all of the wires and nothing. I put the

headlight bulb in and presto it worked. The elect drawings does not show that the bulb has to be installed. I have used a set of bellcranks that Barney has made and they work great. It solves the issues that we all have been fighting.

Try it youl like it

[Guest Ranger]

Had my local tech install a new driver's side motor today. Asked him to save the

motor and to put a new Barney bellcrank on. The headlight had been bobbing on

turning it on and had to be helped up by hand. The bellcrank had the "bowtie"

shaped opening that Barney described. I'll open it up next week to check the

plastic blanks. BTW, 1 hour labor. Left Barney's instructions with the garage,

they told me that's why the labor was only one hour, thanks Barney.

[Guest F14CRAZY]

yup, some of those fasteners are a pain to get your hands on