MTFCA Forum

I installed new headlight rims on my model T in the restoration process. Now I want to remove them and can’t get them off. I know you are supposed push in and rotate to the left approx. an inch and then they should come off, however they will not budge. Has anyone else had this problem?
Thank you for any replies!

Yes it is a problem to remove a headlight rim. In theory you push in and rotate and they are off, realistically it takes 4 hands, one to push and rotate at each rivet. I have had success with a helper so we have 4 hands pushing and turning. The Ford Service Bulletins have a drawing to make a tool that clamps down on the entire headlight rim and I can attest that it works like a charm. I fought loosing battles with headlight rims for 50 years never wanting to take the time to make the tool, I broke down and finally made one recently and love it.

Link to the tool thread
https://www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic. ... 89#p296589

After you get the rims off, grind down the pins to make them shorter. The repro rims have pins that are too long making removal difficult. I, and many others, have shortened pins with success. The real trick is getting the rims off to do the job.

Here are the dimensions of the original tang of the 4 rivets on the headlamp rim. Use for reference.

Many folks forget to bend the rim tangs down over the edge of the lens, allowing the lens to be loose and rattle against the lens. I know, because I’m one who forgot. Bending the tangs down over the edge of the lens attaches the lens to the rim. Jim Patrick

My headlight rims were in bad shape. I purchased a pair of repros from one of our suppliers. I could not get them to fully install properly. I then sent the originals out to be re-Nickle plated. When I got them back, they slid into place perfectly. Conclusion: The repros are different in some way from the originals.

Thank you all for your responses on my headlight rim dilemma. I like John’s idea of getting the originals replated and putting them back on. At least they fit well and go on & off as they should.

I finally took my belt off from my jeans, wrapped around the rim and put it thru the buckle without the tongue. Stretched it out hard around the rim and pushed the rim in while trying to rotate the rim. Rim came off with no problem