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Author Topic: Headlights - Emergancy Pull Cord  (Read 6468 times)
Gib
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« on: May 04, 2016, 09:38:03 am »

I have got about half way through the headlight refurbishment, but even with empty pods it is almost impossible to pull the pods up past half way using the emergency handle?? The cable is loose with minimal drag (lift the lights using the link bar then pull the cable back and forth no problem). The pods have no drag on them the only part that seems to offer any resistance is the vacuum operating arm.

When they are perfect what sort of pull force is required to operate them?
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TELBOY
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« Reply #1 on: May 04, 2016, 05:06:53 pm »

I would assume that you are trying to raise the lights whilst there is nothing wrong with them. I believe the emergency handle should only be used to raise the lights if there is a catastrophic vacumn failiure. At present you are forcing the lights against the vacume that is stored in the lights. Disconnect the vacume pipe and then you should find that the lights will raise easily using the cable.

Terry
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Gib
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Posts: 128


« Reply #2 on: May 04, 2016, 05:28:44 pm »

No Vac pipes connected at the moment so just the resistance of the bladder which can be pulled in and out by hand with some force. Just trying to judge what should be the norm.

PS. My Brother lives opposite Moss on London Rd and if possible I would love to come and have a look at yours some time.
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Gib
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Posts: 128


« Reply #3 on: May 04, 2016, 07:28:56 pm »

Just disconnected the actuator and they pull like the pope in a nunnery.
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TELBOY
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« Reply #4 on: May 04, 2016, 07:38:46 pm »

Welcome anytime as long as I'm not working!  Give me some dates and we can arrange.
Terry
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Gib
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Posts: 128


« Reply #5 on: May 05, 2016, 09:06:40 am »

So some bad photo's to show the current raised position ( The closed is fully closed and balanced). Are these high enough ? The car is not on level ground but can you use the swage line as a guide i.e 90 deg to it? They look very similar to most other pictures I can find

 OR
 do I just get it on the headlight alignment checker and set them up as they are?


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TELBOY
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Posts: 422



« Reply #6 on: May 05, 2016, 06:28:25 pm »

Hi Gib, Looks in better condition than mine!!!
My lights look the same, but if you look at he bottom picture you can see an adjuster to make them higher! Can be seen clearly because I removed the wings for better access whrn I did the front!
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roy4matra
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« Reply #7 on: May 14, 2016, 04:24:39 pm »

No Vac pipes connected at the moment so just the resistance of the bladder which can be pulled in and out by hand with some force. Just trying to judge what should be the norm.


You should understand the system fully before you start adjusting anything as there is more to the system than you might think.

First, as has been stated the emergency pull cable is only for if there is a complete vacuum failure.  The system uses a double acting servo, so it pulls the light pods up BUT it also pulls them down.  So when let's say the electrics fail to activate the pods, there will probably still be vacuum pulling them down (if the engine is NOT running and the vacuum system is empty there should be no vacuum but other wise there probably will be).  If there is any vacuum pulling them down then you will not be able to pull them up with the emergency cable and anyway the moment you release the cable they will close again.  If there is no vacuum at all, you should be able to pull them up to full height but only if they are adjusted properly.  And this means that the pivot goes 'over centre point' so they then lock in the up position so not even air pressure on them when driving or vibration, will cause them to drop.  Nor can you simply push them down by hand.  Once they are locked in the 'over-centre' position if you wish to lower them, you need to reach under the front and push the lifting bar backwards first to move the over-centre position back out of locked position.  Then you could lower them by hand from above.  If you don't have that 'over centre' position when fully up, they are incorrectly adjusted.  This should be corrected before any head light adjustment is made to get them correct for an M.o.T.

Another thing often missed is that there is a second cable linked between the head lamp raising mechanism and the bonnet release catch.  This was done because when the pods are up, the inner edges of the pods are narrower than the bonnet section between them, so if you went to lift the bonnet with the head lights up, you will hit the pods and damage the bodywork.  So the bonnet release interlock was designed to stop you releasing the bonnet from the inside handle if the head light pods are up.  This interlock is sometimes broken and could be restricting the head light lifting mechanism.  Have you checked it at all?

If you pull the servo rod fully out, measure the length from the centre of the socket to the seal so we can see if the servo is coming out fully.  In fact if you measured all the link pivot points from centre to centre including the adjustable links that connect the pods to the lifting cross bar, I could compare them with a correctly set up car.  Certainly in one of your photos the link does not look correctly set.

Finally in the photo from the front the RH head light glass is not correctly fitted or not locket in the keyhole slots as it is tipped anti-clockwise compared to what it should be.

Roy
« Last Edit: May 14, 2016, 04:35:08 pm by roy4matra » Logged

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