Headlight Ajustment
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Topic author - Posts: 150
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:49 pm
- First Name: Jim
- Last Name: Wilson
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Roadster Pickup
- Location: NE Mississippi
Headlight Ajustment
My 26 Roadster has headlights mounted on the bar. There is a dealer set up for headlight adjustment shown in maintenance literature but that’s not practical for anyone to do. Are there any tips for aligning/adjusting headlights?
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Re: Headlight Ajustment
Jim
With the bar mount type '26-'27 headlamp buckets, those are the most easy to adjust than any other Model T headlamp! The earlier '26 was fender mount similar to the pre'25 and need a special wrench as noted in Service Bulletins. But the new bar mount are swivel.
Just locate the height as noted in the Service Bulletin, Sept '25 on your garage door with tape or something, then at dust park the T level about 25' away from the garage door, or the side of the barn or whatever.
Then adj. the lamps by the big nut under each, they swivel on the bar recess, a large cupped washer should be between the bolt shank and the recess. Swivel up down or sideways, lock the nut, check lamp showing on your marks on the 25' away vertical surface. Get the lamps to shine in the marks you made. Rather easy, only tool is a wrench
With the bar mount type '26-'27 headlamp buckets, those are the most easy to adjust than any other Model T headlamp! The earlier '26 was fender mount similar to the pre'25 and need a special wrench as noted in Service Bulletins. But the new bar mount are swivel.
Just locate the height as noted in the Service Bulletin, Sept '25 on your garage door with tape or something, then at dust park the T level about 25' away from the garage door, or the side of the barn or whatever.
Then adj. the lamps by the big nut under each, they swivel on the bar recess, a large cupped washer should be between the bolt shank and the recess. Swivel up down or sideways, lock the nut, check lamp showing on your marks on the 25' away vertical surface. Get the lamps to shine in the marks you made. Rather easy, only tool is a wrench
The best way is always the simplest. The attics of the world are cluttered up with complicated failures. Henry Ford
Don’t find fault, find a remedy; anybody can complain. Henry Ford
Don’t find fault, find a remedy; anybody can complain. Henry Ford
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Topic author - Posts: 150
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:49 pm
- First Name: Jim
- Last Name: Wilson
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Roadster Pickup
- Location: NE Mississippi
Re: Headlight Ajustment
Now that I look at the service bulletin layout, I can probably do that in my garage. Will have do some garage cleaning which is needed anyway. The only other issue is the pretty good slope where the driveway joins the garage floor but should be able to ramp up at the rear wheels to compensate. For some reason (probably old age), I thought the distance from front wheels to wall was much greater than 25 feet. Ease of adjustment was one reason I traded out the fender mounted headlamps to the bar mount items. Thanks for your input.
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Re: Headlight Ajustment
Duckwing- Go to page 11 of the October 2013 Newsletter. Focusing headlamps is so easy a girl can do it. Really!
https://tennesseets.weebly.com/uploads/ ... ter_br.pdf
https://tennesseets.weebly.com/uploads/ ... ter_br.pdf
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Topic author - Posts: 150
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:49 pm
- First Name: Jim
- Last Name: Wilson
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Roadster Pickup
- Location: NE Mississippi
Re: Headlight Ajustment
Wow. Nice article. How to do it photos are always good.
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Re: Headlight Ajustment
Now, Duckwing, if you get to the point that you've focused the headlamps and the bulbs create a tall, vertical oval, rather than the correct horizontal oval, come back on the forum and let us know. There is a way to correct the vertical "focus factor".
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Re: Headlight Ajustment
Do tell Bill. Always learning Dallas.
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Re: Headlight Ajustment
Great article. Don't use windex-type cleaners on a silvered reflector, use a quality silver flatware cleaner and hand buff. jb
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Re: Headlight Ajustment
The only level surface I had was the center of the street where I used to live, but traffic was not an issue, so one evening at dusk I parked the car straddling the crown of the road and set up my cardboard "target" attached to the side of a stepladder. Gas headlights don't exactly give a "concentrated oval" of light, but you can make it work. After adjusting the burner focus (fore & aft) and aiming the lamps, I discovered that if the mirrors are mounted "cock-eyed" you can have everything dialed in correctly but the headlights appear to be pointed who-knows-where. It was (eventually) a worthwhile effort, because it eliminated glare to vehicles ahead and reduced "dead spots" in my own meager beam. And entertained the neighbors. To this day.
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Re: Headlight Ajustment
I guess Bill hasn't seen your question. Rotate the focus assembly 90 degrees. Do this by drilling a hole at the top, punching out the socket and rotating the assembly 90 degrees to line up with the new hole. We used loctite bearing and sleeve retainer to hold the socket in the new position. We made a fixture to locate the new hole since we did several cars, but careful measurement should enable you to do it.
1926 Tudor
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Re: Headlight Ajustment
See if this helps- Fix A VERTICAL FOCUS: https://tennesseets.weebly.com/tech-page-3.html
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Topic author - Posts: 150
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:49 pm
- First Name: Jim
- Last Name: Wilson
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Roadster Pickup
- Location: NE Mississippi
Re: Headlight Ajustment
This has turned out to be an interesting and more helpful topic than I expected. The community is a well spring of knowledge. Thanks for all the info.