Headlight assembly sequence

[eworl]

I totally disassembled both (mistake) headlight assemblies to clean them and to paint them...1960 Bug. Now I am having trouble with the re-assembly although I have looked at the Wolfsburg West catalogue....Anyone have any detailed pics or ideas?

Eric

[62donb]

I did my headlight buckets a couple of months ago. No pictures to help you, but here goes from memory. Apologies for not using the correct terms for each part. I rebuilt mine because I could not adjust the bulbs using the screws anymore, and to repaint them. I ordered new screws, trim rings and glass, and gaskets from Wolfsburg West.

I started by installing the adjustment screws into the trim rings. I used 2 jam nuts and a small coil spring and washer on the back side of the trim ring and ran the nuts down almost to the screw head to just compress the small coil spring a small amount so that the screws would stay in the ring. Then I installed the headlight bulb holder into the bucket. That only is held in place with an "e" shaped clip so that it pivots.

Install a new gasket on the glass, and put the glass in the trim ring followed by the bucket and install the wire clips that hold it together. I did that operation in my lap with the glass facing down to protect it, and it worked. Some wrestling was involved...!

Next I worked the 2 adjustment arms into the slots in the headlight bulb holder, and lined them up with the adjustment screws and got the threads started a little. Install the tension wire into the holes in the adjustment arms, and then into the tabs on the bucket near the parking light hole. Then I carefully ran the screws down which applied tension to the tension wire.

After that, install the headlight bulb and retain with more wire clips, and install the parking light socket and retain with 1 screw.

I used a new gasket around the fender bucket hole too, and they look and fit great.

That's basically it, I hope I remembered correctly and you have success reassembling yours.

Don

[eworl]

Thanks for the detailed instructions! I have just bought the seals and will follow your sequence later this week....Where exactly do the first set of spring clips go? I realize that there are two sets of spring clips for each headlight...I'm having difficulty visualizing what the first set holds down....Eric

[akokarski]

can't help you with where the springs go exactly, i think there are 3 on the rim and 4 to hold the back ring in the beam assembly. One thing for sure wear eye protection. those springs snap and go for your eyes, even if you have em aimed in totally opposite direction of your face. Kinda boomerang effect there....

Anton

[KantDriveFast]

[drscope]

Before you put the clips o the chrome ring, go look at the fender. Make sure you leave room for the mounting tab on the fender at the top. If you don't, the headlight won't hang on the tap and you will have to start all over again with the clips for the chrome ring. And ditto on the eye protection!
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Mother Nature is a Mean Evil Bitch!

[62donb]

I agree also on watching out for the flying spring clips that will go directly for your face, for some reason!

Four clips on the bulb holder and four to five on the chrome ring have always been plenty for me.

[rokemester]

Thanks for some of the tips submitted on this thread. They came in handy as I reassembled the light fixtures for my 66 Bug. I confirmed that there are two sets of springs. More springs are required for the glass lens to trim ring and I avoided the very top of the trim ring so not to interfere with the fender tab. I found the springs easier to install on the glass and trim ring. The actual headlight assembly was tougher because of the rubber gasket. Definitely wear safety glasses or reading glasses. I had one of the clips spring up into my face hitting the lens of my glasses!

[old_n_slo]

Is this count correct?

[rokemester]

Yes I had 5 clips for the headlights (tough to install watch your eyes and face) and 7 clips for the lens and trim (easy no worries).

[duginabug]

holy crap, 12 springs does seem a bit excessive.

Seven seems to work just fine.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=372189&highlight=
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1960 Sedan. L349 Jade Green.

[JinxedSydney]

[glutamodo]

7 and 5 are the clip count on the NOS Hella buckts I have. Hard to see in the photo but there's one spanning either side of the parking light fixture.

[vdubtt]

I did this too... I eventually figured out how they went. These headlights are a paiin!

[IOWA1970VW]

Hey Dudes! We are having trouble installing our headlights correctly. We are using the early style headlight covers( clear) on a later model car. The trouble you axe? When the 3 tabs on the headlight retaining ring are lined up in the buckets, the 3 tabs on the back of the glass headlight make the bulbs 90 degrees off and we get a stream of light vertical.

Could it be we need to use VW bulbs instead of Sylvania sealed beam from parts house?

Thank you, TR
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Why would you buy a tool/part for $50, when you could build it yourself for $100?

[hitest]

The trouble is- you have splittie bus bulb units. Advertise those through the classifieds here under splittie bus parts- they'll be gone in one day.
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[glutamodo]

Really, they'll sell that quick? Maybe I ought to advertise my set of NOS Hella SB20 and SB21 Bus buckets sometime!!

[IOWA1970VW]

I don't want to sell them. I want do use them.
What can I do to fix them? and run them on my VeeDub? I'm thinkin run these bulbs.
www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=111941261A

Thank you.
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Why would you buy a tool/part for $50, when you could build it yourself for $100?

[glutamodo]

Nope, a different headlamp won't help. You need the bulbholder guts in your buckets changed out with ones for a Bug. Are these really Bus lights you got? I mentioned in passing that SB 20 and SB 21 are the Hella part number for Bus buckets, if you have Hella buckets.

Here, I just took some photos and labelled them up good to illustrate the difference between the two pieces that hold the bulb in place on the two different styles of buckets. I have both because I have this pair of Bus buckets I "might" convert over to Bug. Bus buckets also have a little tiny drain hole at edge of the chrome ring, which is on the bottom of used on a Bus but on the side if on a bug, (I'd probably solder these up if I used them on my Bug)

As you can see below, you can't just get a Bug outer bulb hold-down ring and use it, the slots it fits into are in different locations as well. You'd have to replace both.

-Andy

[IOWA1970VW]

Thank you !

Son of a previous owner !!!! We'll check it out when he's done cruising for the day.

Thanks again, TR
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Why would you buy a tool/part for $50, when you could build it yourself for $100?