Is this how headlamp adjustment and mounting is meant to work ??

[rfs1957]

My PL headlamps have been in use for 30 years and I've never paid much attention to the way they were fitted, until I swapped them for what I hope - from reading on the Forum - will be a better type, as retailed by the usuals.

https://www.sngbarratt.com/Francais/#/F ... LM9609K%60

Mine came in a WIPAC box, with instructions calling them Quadoptic Split Beam Lighting Set.

I bought them in February 2019, and have stored them in their original box, in the dark, on a dry and warm shelf - I mention this because they now have a slight pale grey haze over the inside face of the glass, see the picture ; the right hand one was rinsed out this morning with acetone and compressed air, which has gone some way to restoring what I imagine to be the intended clarity.



Anybody else suffered from this ?

My real question relates to how the actual mounting of the bowls works, and wondering which - if any - of the parts I've got are wrong.

The principle appears to be that there are two pillars - the adjusters - that carry two corners of the mounting "triangle", the spring then provides a pull to seat everything under tension, and the third corner of the triangle is some indeterminate interference between the bowl and what I shall call the seating bucket, the flat-backed socket that is screwed to the bonnet.



Is this indeed the correct mounting principle ? I've never thought about it before.

My bowls were apparently modified, before I got the car, and not particularly nicely, to accept the locating ribs on the rear of the actual headlamp.



Would the originals have been very different to this ?

Can one buy anything that would work better ?

The chrome bezel currently requires a rubber or foam strip under its lip in order to pinch the glass assembly between the bowl and the bezel - again, presumably not original somewhere ?



Any observations or light-shining most welcome.

[Gfhug]

Hi Rory

A few photos from my S2, I’m guessing the principle is similar to your car if they are of any use. And like your Mini?







This might help show what to expect in the parts for a light, eg the rubber mount between bowl and body.

https://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/ ... it-3-screw

Whether you’ve got some “modifications” to yours who can tell. But there are small rubber buffers at the insets where the light is located. Can’t see them in your photos. Different or cut away? Next to the screw holes for holding the chrome bezel that holds the light in place.

Without taking the other side off, which is a bit awkward, I’m sure the sides are upside down one to the other. But you still get a screw adjustment at top or bottom and left or right to align beam vertically and horizontally.

I’ll re-read your post and see if there’s anything else I can photo. Or say so yourself and I’ll happily do so.

Hope this is of use. And if it’s your usual morning routine I’m glad to hear you haven’t gone totally native by having coffee and croissants in bed at 7 o’clock.

Regards, Geoff

Why is my name highlighted I delete it then write it again and it’s still highlighted

[rfs1957]

Thanks Geoff,

Are there rubber buffers, then, rectangular, in those cut-outs or indentations in the bowl rim ?

That would explain why my light unit is not held properly by the chrome bezel, and why I’ve been using a foam strip under the bezel to get an adequate clamp.

I cant see on the AES website where the rubber buffers would actually feature, are they part of the second rubber ring that is shown ? I get that there’s a sealing rubber between the bucket and the bonnet, but where does the second one go ?

Much obliged.

R

[Gfhug]

Rory, the rubbers are rectangular and glued into the indentations not the cut outs you seem to have and which aren’t in my headlamps. I agree it doesn’t show clearly on the AES pages. On this page I see a rubber dust ring to go under the headlamp rim. Don’t have it so can’t comment, sorry.
https://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/c/headlamp-parts

Cheers

Geoff

PS Rory, apologies as I re-wrote this a couple of times so you may have seen an interim version

[Allrand]

I had a similar problem with new PL's misting over from sitting on the shelf for many years. Figured it was from the glue evaporating from the sticky tape they'd used to seal the globe holes. No option other than to clean it as best you can. Wrt to fitting, the hole at the top of the triangle you refer to is not for adjustment, it's one of the four fixing points to the bonnet. The side ones are for the horizontal adjusters & the bottom for vertical. IIR there are protrusions molded into the back of the PL's which engage with those cut outs. I don't recall any rubber buffers on mine.

[ralphr1780]

Rory, no rubber buffers seen on mine upon assembly.
If i may, couple of hints : check that the wipac set you have is well for lhd and not rhd car, otherwise you will have an issue adjusting for controle technique. Then the 2 adjustment screws can be slotted on their end, allowing you to adjust the beam from the wheel well after the glass and chrome are fitted. Saves you quite some struggle.
Bonne continuation !

[Allrand]

"allowing you to adjust the beam from the wheel well"

Good idea, do you remove those rubber plugs or cut through them?

[Gfhug]

On another headlamp set I can not see those rubber buffers. Gives two questions:
How do you hold the headlamp firm without them?
Were these fitting by a PO to hold the headlamps firmly in place? I think they are useful PO modifications (unlike many!)

Geoff

[chrisfell]

Not sure if it was just my car or.....

I changed my headlamps including the mounts. I found the OE mount was upside down. Result? The vertical adjuster was originally under the headlamp unit. I changed the mounts and the headlamp such that my headlamp's vertical adjuster is on top of the headlamp. IMHO a much better place for it to be. However I did have to cut two new holes in the headlamp panel for the adjusters to poke through.

[rfs1957]

Many thanks for the different inputs.

I’ve asked SNGB if those Wipac lamps are compatible with the original “headlamp seating rim” ref 8595 that they list, and the next question will be whether they come with any requisite seating rubbers.

If the clamping works without rubbers, then as I can’t believe they are there for any kind of vibration protection for the bulb, I may give them a whirl.

Re adjusting from the wheel-well, I did float that here 10+ years ago but as David pointed out at the time, once they’ve been adjusted do you really need to revisit them ?

It probably boils down to whether your S1 headlamp perspexes are a bitch to remove and refit.

Luckily for me, this is one area of my car where everything “fits”, so it’s not a dockyard job.

My adjusters are resolutely at BDC, or 6 o’clock, and 4 o’clock - not sure why it would be better to be at TDC ?

[rfs1957]

Wrt to fitting, the hole at the top of the triangle you refer to is not for adjustment

The ???? on my drawing/diagram refers not to any hole, but alludes to some point of contact between the two bowls.

This somewhat nebulous (invisible) third point of the triangle, in whose midst the spring applies the force, is what enables the whole adjustment system to function, I am presuming ?

All very Joe Lucas.

Is that how others see it ?

[Gfhug]

It is how I’ve assumed it to work and seems fine for the requisite adjustment in azimuth and elevation. OK, that sounds far too clever for me, let’s say for up and down and for left and right.

Geoff