MTFCA Forum

I would like to install electric turn signals in my 1915 side lamps. I'd like to get the reflector out to facilitate installing the wiring and socket. Anybody know how to remove the reflector without damaging anything?

Steve, unscrew the top cap, and the whole thing will come apart.

Like Tim M says. Really easy. With the bottom font and burner removed, unscrew the top (brass in this case), and the chimney will literally fall off. The chimney sets down in just barely enough to hold the reflector in place. Once you pick the chimney up off the floor, the reflector snaps out with ease.

I forgot to mention, there is also an inner chimney that the top cap threads into. It pushes down in and out the front of the lamp. Easy as pie.
It really is a clever design. The pieces all slip and sandwich together neatly.

The real snag is screwing that top cap off. It has a coarse thread stud on which a nut is run up. If the nut will not let go, you can easily twist the stud off. Use the penetrant of your choice, and soak over time if needed. Failing that, heat is your friend. On a restored light that may mean some repainting is needed.
The reflectors in 1915 lights are usually brass. The finish is nickel plating, but without the usual polishing for a mirror finish.

Hope this helps,
allan from down under.

May not be much room behind the reflector. Leave it in place and add a bulb that replaces the flame. Once these were available, but easy to fab. Solder socket to a half circle spring wire and insert to the groove of the lamp housing rim.

Oops! Steve, the nut is captive in the inner chimney. You can see it from the outside, but it is fixed to the chimney, so screwing the cap off is the way to go.

Allan from down under.

Old lamps that haven't been apart in decades? The bolt on the top cap will often break, often even if great care and lots of penetrating oil is used (heat helps, but even then sometimes). I have gotten quite good at welding/brazing new studs onto the caps.

I installed running lights, the round one which is white, and separate amber blinkers. Frank

I was able to install a light socket in my lamps without making permanent modifications to the lamp, no drilling, soldering, or removing the reflector. I removed the oil font and replaced the burner with this socket that I bought from Napa, which comes in versions for both one and two filament bulbs: I attached the socket to the base of the reflector with screws, nuts, and washers, which sandwiched the base of the relector, without modifying it, and ran the wire out the hole in the lamp where the knob for adjusting the wick goes, and replaced the empty oil font.

This method might be useful if you find the chimney top too rusted to remove easily.

Wayne, the reflector cannot be removed for drilling unless the top can be screwed off and the chimney parts removed down through the reflector. Then the reflector can come out.
I fitted mine using the socket soldered to the wire circle and clipped into the rim of the lamp. The wire simply threads down through the top of the lamp. No holes drilled, nothing modified in the lamp, complete burner mechanism still in place, brake and tail lights operational at the rear.

Allan from down under.

Steve , i fixed up directional lights in my sidelamps without changing the lamp and can be returned back to burner in two seconds flat.
I turned a piece of plastic/nylon to the same size as the wick holder and mounted a generic bulb holder on it , the wires go out where the adjustment for the wick goes in.
simply twist off the tank and replace wick holder with bulb holder or vice versa..

Steve it comes apart just like the later ones do, gees. You're the one who helped me with the details of the differences between 1915 and the later style.

You unscrew the top and take off the chimney, then pass the damper down through the reflector and out the lens door (might be easier to remove the font and burner first, they tend to get in the way of removing the damper). When you pull the reflector out, the vent ring will most likely also fall out as well. But I think you should probably get those bulb ones that have the spring ring that fits into the lens door....shame to ruin perfectly good (and those are really nice ones too) reflectors to install turn signal bulbs. I was going to do that too remember...but have since decided against it, because you'll never be able to use the sidelight again once you start popping holes in the housing and the reflector.

I'm with Martynn. There is no need to drill anything or even remove anything, if you use the clip-in wire holder in the lamp body and feed the wires down through the chimney.

Allan from down under.

Listen guys, there's absolutely no need to take anything apart, drill holes or whatever. The burner/wickholder is a loose item that is held by springs that are in the neck of the tank.
Simply make a block of any non conducting material like wood or plastic, nylon, that has the same height as the lower part of the burner/ wickholder, the same springs that hold the burner will hold the block that holds your bulb/LED whatever.
Pass the wires out through the slot provided for the adjusting wheel of the wickholder/burner and connect to the blinker relay or whatever you choose to operate the directional lights,
You could even butcher one of those remote operated battery powered directional setups from cheapbay and hide the electronics in an extra tank that has rusted through and can now be used instead of thrown away.
You can make a realy bright LED and battery operated rearlight in an oil rearlamp too this way, easy peazy.
The main idea is that you don't have to take anything apart, do not have to alter a nearly 100 year old part, AND it is reversible in two secons flat per side.
stick the burner somewhere under the seat in a plastic container and replace as needed for originality on a carshow or such events, or even when a bulb burns out and its dark out.

Sarikatime wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 24, 2021 9:08 am

I installed running lights, the round one which is white, and separate amber blinkers. Frank

where have you found OR how have you made that round one? I would love to copy your solution on a couple of my T's.

I have sourced on Ebay some 90mm round disc led lamps which act as running lights and/or indicators. The discs can be inserted between the lens and the burner with the wires being threaded through the lamp chimney.
I attach a picture of the leds on an Ebay page in the U.K and a photo of the lights on my 1921 TT. Although my lamps are Raydyot the diameter of the lens is the same.

Also work well as a brake light. "See and be seen" is one of my mottos!

Michael, I didn’t realize I couldn’t attach pictures to private messages, so I am posting it here.