1915 Headlamps

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: 1915 Headlamps
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Aldrich Orting Wa on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 - 12:12 pm:

Did the 1915's running on magneto have a single or double contact bulb in the headlights?

The Encyclopedia doesn't say.

Thanks!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Davis-SE Georgia on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 - 12:17 pm:

Single filament, double contact. The bulbs were wired in series. Mag current came from the MAG terminal on the coil box, through the light switch just to the right of the coil box, through the right head light, then left head light and back to ground.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Aldrich Orting Wa on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 - 12:38 pm:

Thanks Hal.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 - 02:05 pm:

It looked like this when operating.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Davis-SE Georgia on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 - 02:23 pm:

With the engine revved up.....


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Nowell Herman on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 - 04:35 pm:

Great Picture!!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Davis-SE Georgia on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 - 04:53 pm:

You gotta love the lights getting brighter until you shift gears, then find yourself doing 10- miles per hour in the dark.:-) And I wouldn't have it any other way!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Thomas Mullin on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 - 06:44 pm:

You might want to modify the lamps so that the bulbs are in parallel, not series as is original. Otherwise, when one bulb blows they both go out - like the old "Italian" Christmas lights. You still use the two contacts and the tube on the back of the radiator, just that each bulb goes to ground independent of the other.

Bulbs need to be different than original because the voltage "seen" by each bulb will be your full battery or magneto voltage. The original way split the voltage between the bulbs.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Davis-SE Georgia on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 - 07:23 pm:

You missed my last sentence. I LIKE it that way. It is part of the experience.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Aldrich Orting Wa on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 - 07:57 pm:

Great picture Steve. My cowl lamps are still oil. Got a long way to go with this car but progress is being made!

1915 body on.jpg


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 - 10:07 pm:

I found that the cowl lamps are just parking lights. Driving blows them out.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mike_black on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 - 10:16 pm:

Steve,
You need to do some adjusting. Mine stay lit.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Don Lyon, PDX, OR. on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 12:11 am:

On a nonstarter car what bulb is used on a single taillight. Is it wired with the headlights or by itself. I use a lawntractor battery for the coils on starting, how long do you guys think I could run the two head lights and the taillight on that so I don't have to worry about burning them out with the mag. voltage? Don.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By George_Cherry Hill NJ on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 05:20 am:

John,

For the '15 the today nomenclature for a 'proper' lamp would be BA15D/G16.5/9V...but you aren't going to find anything new like that! That number is code for... bayonet base/15mm brass barrel/double contact/ball shaped glass of 2-1/16" (33-16ths/2)/9 volt

Guys do turn them up at flea markets and swap meets. The closest modern bulb for the application is the GE 14575 and you can't buy them Autozone, but some have them mail order...is a 10V lamp. Using the code...BA15D/S11/10V. If you have a 10V lamp, it last a tad longer...but not much :-)

So like Hal and Steve, you want the thrill? Buy extras if run on mag. A cheaper choice that some use is to just use 12V lamps, still wired in series...but at idle you'll be near blind.

A better choice and lots cheaper on the pocketbook is to cheat. Like Ford did starting in '17 when they threw in the towel with mag driven headlights but before storage batteries were standard. Find a reactance coil from a '17 up...hide it somewhere as you wire it...and then just use standard 1130 lamp or anything rated 6V as a BA15D/..../6V


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Dallas TX on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 06:30 am:

A non starter car uses a kerosene tail lamp for all years. There is no kerosene light bulb so far as I can tell!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 06:50 am:

Yep, mine's kerosene.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Wells on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 08:16 am:

Gotta give you credit Steve for having your car so correct. I like it. I do worry though that you are already sitting on a ten gallon tank of gas. Now, you are keeping a handy ignition source on the back of your car for the proverbial Hummer that wants to rearend you.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Aldrich Orting Wa on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 11:30 am:

There is more to this mag driven headlight bulb than meets the eye.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Larry Smith on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 11:46 am:

I got stopped by the highway patrol once. He said I didn't have a tailight. I said yes I do. It had actually blown out. So, I got a match, re-lit it, and off I went.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Davis-SE Georgia on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 12:22 pm:

I got stopped by the highway patrol recently for no tail light. It was still lit, but my lens is so dark, it doesn't show through as bright as I would like. I popped it open to show him it was 'on'. He was not amused.

I had gotten caught out after dark. I don't normally drive it at night without my magnetic LED on the back, but I did not have it with me. I DID however have my son following me for safety sake. GSP had to pull in between us to pull me over.

As for the lights blowing out....Get some Lamplight brand Ultra-Pure paraffin lamp oil. It burns much cleaner and stays lit better than kerosene. Smells great while it's burning too.


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