Anybody ever install one of those electric light modifications in their rear kerosene lantern.
I think its a combonation running light, stop light. I'm curious if folks have had successs with that mod.

Dave

So......no one has put the light bulb kit in their kerosene tail light. Interesting that Langs sells this mod and nobody seems to have anything to say about it...

not yet...

Dave,

It goes just inside the lamp. The bulb ends up being just behind the lens with the lens/door being shut. I bought one but have not installed yet. You will have to figure out how/where you want the wires to come out of the lamp. My light has been "pre-butchered" by someone who put an automotive bulb socket in where the wick came up through. It's only a single contact type socket- no brake light. Thats why I got the part from langs. I will probably just run the wires through the hole the last guy put in the light. Maybe you could find a discreet place for yours.

Steve

I have one sitting on the bench ready to be installed. j

Are you talking about the later steel tail lights and not early E&J type brass ones? if so:

I converted the tail lights on the Lamsteed Kamper to stop tails and turn signal. If you can get to the clubs museum and see Jay he will be able to show you the result. The conversion is invisible until you open the front of the light.

The bracket is thick enough to allow you to drill a 1/4" hole down the center and put in 3 wires.

One stop/turn, tail and earth. I used bulb connectors from a Japanese car as I had access to them. I just cut them out of the light leaving enough material to fix the into the top of the lamp font after I removed the wick mechanism.

You have to drill a hole in the back of the light behind the round bracket flange that has the center bolt which holds the lamp to the bracket.

I made my own that hangs down from the chimney. I put a piece of thin metal on the bottom of the socket and bent it in a u shape and shoved it up in the chimney. It holds itself in there just fine. I routed the wires out through the chimney holes and covered them with a short piece of black wiring loom. You hardly notice it. No modifications to the lamp and the wick is still in place.

Not rear lamps but these were setup for front turn signals. The same process can be done for the rear. These used an amber bulb so when off, the lens was stock clear.

If you leave the burner out of the bottom, you can run the wires thru the hole where the adjusting rod goes. If painted black, they will not be noticable.

David

I added a light conversion to the rear kerosene lamp on my 21 runabout. I used a socket available from Napa. I removed the burner. Then with a little grinding on the mounting flange of the Napa socket I was able to twist lock it into the font spring tabs and run its wires through the slot for the wick adjusting shaft. No modifications were made to the oil lamp itself, parts available from Napa. gives both tail and brake light. Requires only slight grinding to the Napa socket flange. Save your burner for when you convert back to kerosene.

The Napa part number that I used was LS-6252

Volume II of Tinkerin Tips pages 66-67 offers a similar solution that requires removing 2 of the font spring tabs and attaching the socket with screws.

As soon as I am able I will post pictures of my assembly.

Good luck

Kim

Hi guys / gals About the tail light I have a 1914 and I don't drive much after dark so I used a L E D bike light that fit right inside the light.It has three settigs on it. Strop, fiicer that looks like a flame and on all the time.

Some lamps were factory made with both wicks and bulbs.

1916

I wired all of the kerosene lamps on my 15 touring in the way you are proposing. Even took an extra rear bracket with the license plate bracket cut off and mounted on the right side so that I could have turn signals both sides. Restoration supply sells wiring with woven cover and different color tracers so that the instalation looks somewhat "period." You can either drill a hole in the back of the body or chimney or sometimes enlarge one of the holes in the chimney to permit the wire to pass. This works real well with one of the blinker kits sold by Lang's. Only problem has been that if you are rough with the instalation, you can break the solder joint between the bulb receptacle and the wire loop.

Forgot to mention, you can drill a small hole and attach the ground wire to the inside burner assembly with a screw so that you only have one wire to contend with for the instalation.

Here are pictures of my oil tail lamp electric conversion. This will provide a brake and tail light with no modifications to your original tail lamp and uses a socket available from napa.


modified napa socket


dual filament bulb and socket


modified socket locks under 2 of these leaf springs


installed under springs


bulb inside lamp


wires exiting wick adjusting hole


ready to install on car

I do the same thing Kim does, except I wrap duct tape around the socket until it fits snug in the hole where the wick holder used to go.

Thanks Guys! Great pictures and great ideas.

Dave

I'm looking to perform this modification for my brake light for now and possible for front turn signals in the future.
I only have 1 wire going to my existing brake light.
Will this 2 wire socket allow my tail light to operate as a brake/tail light or what further modification will I need to do.

I do plan on getting the turn signal switch from langs at some point, but it is not in the budget right now. New tubes and tires have to come first.

Thanks!

Those bent wire converters have been around since the 20's. I cant believe how much they want for them now! The above photos and ideas are great and should cost a lot less. Thanks

I need to thank Kim as well...she sent me some more good info and pitures!
Project time! Hope I can find some parts at this weekend's swap meet.

What swap meet and where? Somewhere near Hamilton?

Tim,

Bendigo national swap meet, Victoria, Australia.
I will be on site 3006. Hamilton is a couple of hours west.

Allan from down under

On the square lamps, '14 and back, I set a 12v bulb holder up in the chimney a little with some sponge. Run the black wires out the chimney top opening edge and put two connectors where it could be attached to a switched line to the battery. No extra holes, no wick removal. Can take it out and light the kerosene quicker than I wrote this. No need to drill/cut up an original lamp.

I have a similar set up in the gas lamps and spot light on the front of the car. Reflectors with 12v bulbs. Feed the lamps with a 12v garden battery on rear floorboard. The setup is as good as the 6volt lights on my '35 Ford except I have to charge the battery after several hours on the T. I saw one of the 12v garden batteries at Lowes Saturday for $28.

Hope this helps,
Ken

I must Apologize to Kim, HE helped me out a lot!
A simple click of the mouse to check his profile would have prevented my embarrassment over the mistake.

Tom, I'm referring to the one in Springfield, OH.

Ohioswapmeet.com.

I've been to the summer and spring events, but didn't make it this year, so I'm going to give the winter meet a try.