Parking lamp failures, is LED the fix?

[Psycho75]

Ok so I am about done with all of the turn signal bulbs I have had to replace. I know they ride like 50 year old trucks especially when they are lowered like mine is. My 65 has popped at least half a dozen in the same number of months. I have since learned to lower the hood slowly but it seems like any road jarring is also causing enough impact to pop a filament. My question is should I try the LED bulbs for the front turn signals? If they survive they are worth the $25 a bulb to me? Do I need an electronic flasher if I only replace the fronts and not the back ones. Does it have to be normal or reverse polarity? I have tried researching it on the forums and just not getting the specific answers. Could it be as simple as adjusting my hood down so that it sits on the stoppers when latched? Any help or input is appreciated. Thanks all

[Sharps40]

I updated to 71 and up front turn signal sockets. They go in with a screw...no popping out. Course, ya get to remove the houseings to replace the bulbs but thats no issue...gives me a chance to clean out the houseing and lens when a bulb burns out. I can slam the snot outta the hood of my 65 and no popped out sockets. No ground faults....lights and signals work 100% every time....no more burned out bulbs lately either. Give me a minute, I'll insert the nuts and bolts from my thread on the conversion.

Cheeper than LEDs, no led flasher needed, works just dandy...and I just rewired the harness at the same time so no more faults for another 20 years or so. Totally reliable.

My hood is a bit bouncy and the suspension is too. But, since fixing up with the newer sockets, no burned out bulbes. Now the chinese bulbs don't last long, smooth or rough ride but good sylvanias will take quite a beating from bumps, jolts, vibration and no failiure of the filiments for a long long time.

[Sharps40]

Well, a bit tired of tweekin the front running lights and turn signals. They were intermittent due to bad grounds. A fault on these, the ground is thru the attachment of the socket to the lamp to the hood to the body.....less than usefull at nearly 50 years old. So, new sockets from a 71 up GM that have separate ground wires and I'll fix the harness up with a new one.

Driver side socket is three wires...ground is thru the socket, the third wire is a paired feed for the PS parking light. I'll replace it with a 3 wire socket that has ground wire and still pair up the parking light to feed the Passenger side parking light like original. The pairing is because the bulkhead connector has only three wires...L TS, R TS and a single feed for parking lights that pairs off from the DS lamp socket to feed the PS lamp socket.



PS lamp socket is two wires, grounded thru the socket itself.



The three wire bulkhead connector is in good shape and I'll reuse it, can't find a new one aftermarket anyway. Its the upper of the two going thru the firewall at this point. LT, RT and Park light wires only.



The original lamp sockets have seen better days. Neither stay in place and neither provide adaquate ground. The original style pop out to change bulbs...that becomes important later as I switch to the 71 and up GMC sockets and mod them to work.



New sockets are three wire with wired ground...not an exact fit but they can be made to work. I just have to remove the lamp bucket and lens to change the bulbs. A bit more work but its a better socket and minimal changes to the original lamp buckets...minor tweeks only to the cheep and replaceable lamp sockets and one small hole in the lamp bucket.



Here's one installed. Instead of snapping in and out like the originals, I simply mount them in the factory hole and slightly bend the tabs to hold them snugly in place. Again, a minor change to the original lamp bucket will be required and result in a better quality separatly ground socket making a more reliable circut.



Just so you know...the running/park light filiment is always the taller one, its dimmer. The shorter filiment is always the flasher, its brighter. I marked all the running light wires for creation and hook up of a totally new wireing harness from brand new wireing with all soldered connections.



I partly remove the DS hood brace to access and remove the original wireing harness. This prevents any cutting of the old harness for now since I want to copy and build it anew one wire at a time.

[Sharps40]

The old harness is removed, unwrapped, untangled and laid out on the floor to measure and one by one replace the original wires and sockets with new ones.



Starting with the parking light circut, I hook up the drivers side lamp, its run back to the proper connector on the bulkhead plug and its paired wire that feeds the parking light filiment on the passenger side. All soldered and insulated. As you see, the original wireing harness is only removed one joint at a time as I insert new wires to replace old, new sockets to replace old, etc....keeps me from reversin wires and messin it up. Do it right Richie cause yer gonna tape it all before its installed and tested. Brave or foolish, you decide!



All taped up and ready to install....



A test install, the ground wires are looped from the new socket over to the lamp bucket hold down screw. Each lamp with a solid ground now. And at the intial hookup, I have running and turn signal lamps functional on the passenger side.



Woo Hoo, the drivers side running and turn signal lamps work too.



OkeyDokey Piggie Pokie....time for bed. I'll route all the wires and reassemble everything tomorrow and pretty much forget about worryin if my front lamps and signals are working. No more trips to the front of the truck before each drive to wiggle the sockets into a good ground ... Just start the truck and drive. Gettin more like a reliable vehicle every day.

[Sharps40]

Finishing up the front lamps this morning. Routing the new wiring harness and ever so slight a modification to the lamp buckets to ensure no vibration related failures of the new lamp sockets....i.e. no popping out like the original snap in jobbies.

The new 71 and up sockets come with a handy hole down one side....I reamed it out with a 1/8" drill bit by hand, lined it up on the lamp bucket and bored thru with the 1/8" drill bit. A stainless steel tapping screw (deck screw) thru the convenient hole and the new lamp socket is pulled down firmly against its rubber seal and affixed to the lamp bucket....basically hood-slam proof. Should be less consternation now with the sockets staying in place every time I close the hood.



A view of the inside of the bucket, socket firmly held in place by the new screw mounting. Its pretty solid. I think I'll be pleased. And the bulbs are easy to remove once the lens is off the bucket. Plenty of room for fat fingers in there.



The PS side lamp installed, grounded to one of the mounting screws and initial routing of the main wiring harness over to the DS hood support I loosened up earlier when removing the old harness.



The DS lamp bucket mounted, also separately grounded to the bucket mounting screw. Routing the main harness thru spankey new rubber lined clamps and then down into the DS hood brace to hide the long run/keep it from dangling into the engine compartment.



And back at the firewall, the main harness comes out from under the DS hood brace, thru another pair of rubber lined clamps and into the bulkhead connector. A thorough check of function and I have no worries. Slammed the hood a couple three times, no pinched wires and no failure of the bulbs to function. As soon as it stops raining, time for a ride....all new lights up front, worry free night time driving.....Wonder if I should link the park leads together to give me front running lights? (These are park lights, means they are on in the park position and off with the headlights on. (This was the norm till 66 or 67ish when the Fed mandated all front and rear lights light up with the switch in the park and run positions instead of the rear only.)

[WhippinSaw]

When I shut my hood, the bulbs come loose in the sockets, so I ordered a new wiring harness, maybe a loose or bad connection in your sockets as well. Didn't think about going led, it would also replace the worn out harness.
http://www.classicparts.com/1963-66-.../#.Ugt0NpKG0hM

[WhippinSaw]

Nice mod Sharps, thats a pernament solution. The way the socket just snaps in to make ground is a fault waiting to happen.

[Sharps40]

Thanks. I plan to add grounds to my truck this weekend. Its old and ya can't ever have enough good paths to ground. I'm figurin on addin at least...

Hood to firewall.
Cab to frame.
Engine to frame.
Radiator support to frame.
Bed to frame, both sides.

[kieth]

I kept the old metal bulb socket, cleaned up the outside of the housing with a small grinder, soldered a ground wire to the outside of the housing, put the ground wire into bundle, then routed the ground wire back to a common grounding block. This grounding block is then attached to the frame of the truck with heavy wire. (one at the front one at the back of the truck)
No more grounding problems, did this on every light in the truck, lights are brighter than they have ever been......no more looking around for ground problems hooked to the body of the truck. It may sound extreme but it solves all the grounding issues........Kieth

http://kieth.smugmug.com/Trucks/66-G...H2c2&lb=1&s=X3

where to buy grounding block:

http://www.electricalconnection.com/...tion/02207.htm

[Psycho75]

Originally Posted by kieth

I kept the old metal bulb socket, cleaned up the outside of the housing with a small grinder, soldered a ground wire to the outside of the housing, put the ground wire into bundle, then routed the ground wire back to a common grounding block. This grounding block is then attached to the frame of the truck with heavy wire. (one at the front one at the back of the truck)
No more grounding problems, did this on every light in the truck, lights are brighter than they have ever been......no more looking around for ground problems hooked to the body of the truck. It may sound extreme but it solves all the grounding issues........Kieth

http://kieth.smugmug.com/Trucks/66-G...H2c2&lb=1&s=X3

where to buy grounding block:

http://www.electricalconnection.com/...tion/02207.htm

Wow I really like that ground block I may have to look into that option would help make things much cleaner.

[Sharps40]

Yep, good grounds and upgrading the headlights to halogen on relays, Worlds of Improvement!!!!

[tincan1966]

Nice conversion, Sharps!
I'd sure like to be the guy selling you electrical tape, tho! LOL!
I use only 3m super 33 or 88, couldn't afford to wrap that much wire.
But it does look OEM and will keep the harness in place.

[Sharps40]

I like the oem tape, no stickey left on it after 50 years, real easy to remove!

I keep at least two rolls handy. for this job I had a short roll left, turns out it was perzactly the right amount...I went out for a drive after and fed my lectric tape addiction by purchasing two more rolls at lowes.

I have managed to ween myself down on blugoo, relying instead on good felpro gaskets but I dunno if I'll ever get away from lectric tape and duct tape. I was wonderin if I could cut gaskets from duct tape, they'd be self stick and I wouldn't have to buy felpro stuff anymore!

[1963c-10]

Hey rich....a lot of places sell sheet gasket also. I have used it before when gaskets weren't available and had to make my own.

[Sharps40]

I got sheet gasket, but it still needs gobbs and glops of blugoo to get it sticky. What my addiction is callin for is a way ta make selfstick gaskets at home. I wish double sided tape was thinner....I could tape up the entire truck and never have to show countergal how to find an ol truck gasket again! Would be neat if tape came in 16" wide sheets, I could make one piece gaskets!!!!

Oh well, way off topic and I'm just funnin bout the tape.

Back to lights...LEDs are neat. But for the expense of two bulbs on an old harness with old corroded sockets, I believe I'd just do what I did for John Lee...give him a better quality socket and a new harness and new sylvania bulbs. Gonna do the rear harness soon.

[1963c-10]

Have you ever experimented with the spray on gasket materials commonly used on head gaskets? I don't know how easy it is to get a part off once sprayed on....just a suggestion. I know they have the blue & copper in sprays.

[Sharps40]

No way, I'd have spray gasket on the firewall, windshield, rubber, radiator, hoses, wires, hands, pants, glasses, hair.....I ain't too good with spray stuff.

[1963c-10]

haha...I hear you there.

[Psycho75]

Thanks for the info Guys and Sharps I like your idea I may have to try that. I still haven't touched the wiring on my signals yet and I know that is needs serious attention but if I can keep it bulb I will. Do you think the universal bulb sockets (Autozone specials) would work if secured properly and grounded or should I order replacement sockets for a 70-72. I would like to go with something that is corner auto parts store servicable but robust enough to not have to spend all my time and money there on bulbs.

[tincan1966]

Repairing your wiring is probably going to be the biggest improvement in bulb life. Low/poor voltage thru aging/worn wires and insufficient grounding are the main culprits. Slamming the hood doesn't usually make a lot of difference, other than dislodging the sockets.

I, personally, like to run a 10ga wire for a ground from the firewall to the hood, then all I do is a short ground from the housing to the hood. Easy to do if you don't need to replace the hood harness.

[Vernski]

I bought some 1157 type LED's they were working fine until a friend said they were flickering, what I noticed was the bulb housing in the truck was just a we bit larger diameter than the bulb socket so it let it flicker. Sitting still it was ok but when i was going down the road then it would flicker. These were Asian bulbs so I think thats why they were loose in the socket, maybe a glitch in the caliper reading would be my guess. My fix, cause they were not cheap bulbs was tin foil and die electric grease so far so good they quit flickering. I have grounds on the housing to the frame on both ends of the truck and they are nice and bright with no problems since..Vernski

[Psycho75]

Originally Posted by tincan1966

Repairing your wiring is probably going to be the biggest improvement in bulb life. Low/poor voltage thru aging/worn wires and insufficient grounding are the main culprits. Slamming the hood doesn't usually make a lot of difference, other than dislodging the sockets.

I, personally, like to run a 10ga wire for a ground from the firewall to the hood, then all I do is a short ground from the housing to the hood. Easy to do if you don't need to replace the hood harness.

Well I have them short grounded to the hood itself but not a ground from hood to firewall. So I will try that next and they are universal 1157 sockets from oreilys installed but no the ones with a screw to lock them down, currently they have a home made wire strap holding them in place from the PO. I haven't been slamming the hood so much as the well the truck rides a little rough and the hood could use some adjusting so that there is less of a gap from bottom of the hood to the grill support panel. maybe this weekend I will take the whole damn thing out and come up with a more secure solution running new wires all the way to the firewall plug along with a ground to the firewall.

[Psycho75]

Well Sharps I followed your advice and went down to Oreilys and got me a pair of universal parking lamp sockets. I don't remember the part number but they were cheap and went to go ahead and rewire my hood. I took all of the old wiring out except the plug and about 5in. of he original wires. The sockets I got didn't have a screw mount so I had to make one with some heavy guage wire and some screws. Here are the pics.









The funny thing is, I got everything all tidy and lookin nice and I think I have a faulty socket because when the parking lights are on, the left side is lighting both filaments. So now I have to take it out and go back and get another.

[jtrichard]

sounds like a ground problem

[Psycho75]

Well I ran the ground from the socket all the way back to the headlight relay ground. That is not to say there may be a problem in the socket itself for the ground. But when I looked at the inside of the socket the hot side contacts are on the bottom and the ground is a tab that flexes over to contact the body of the bulb from the side. Both lights are tied to the same ground but only the passenger side lamp has this issue. I checked voltage at the firewall plug but the parking lamps both get run off of the same line. This weekend I am going to pull the lights again and swap the sides just to check the sockets and go from there I guess. the problem was there before the rewire so nothing has changed in that respect. hhmm