1965 front directional indicator bulbs

[Hank Chinaski]

Greetings and Happy Holidays fellow Bird lovers - what tool is needed to remove bulbs from housing on front directional indicators located on each side of front hood. Bulbs will not move and sit inside what looks like a ring with 2 notches for a tool to be inserted to loosen the bulb.

 

[Patdown45]

I took mine apart with a custom ground socket I don't remember what size I think around 10 mm 1/4 " drive just grind down until there are 2 pins left

 

[Poppy Red]

Greetings and Happy Holidays fellow Bird lovers - what tool is needed to remove bulbs from housing on front directional indicators located on each side of front hood. Bulbs will not move and sit inside what looks like a ring with 2 notches for a tool to be inserted to loosen the bulb.

There probably is a special tool. but all you need is a big wide screwdriver, or similar flat blade that will fit inside the housing, into the notches. Then, it is a simple counter-clockwise turning to un-screw the locking ring. You should find a rubber seal, amber cap,. and the bulb. The amber cap and gasket may be stuck and you might need a very thin hooked wire or similar to get behind the cap and pull it out. The bulb also is a bit difficult to get out. It is the bayonet type, meaning you have to push and turn counter clockwise to disengage the pins on the bulb from the locking slots on the case. A soft piece of hose usually does the job, as long as it is sufficiently sticky and does not slip on the glass of the bulb. Reverse process to install a new bulb, and then the fun of lining up the threads of the locking ring, with pressure from the internal spring pushing back! It is difficult to get it started and not cross-threaded. Good luck!

 

[Gary Tayman]

I had the unfortunate experience of this. The indicator was not always lighting up. While the car was on a lift, I asked if someone could reach up and tighten the nuts underneath to improve the ground connection. Instead, they immediately put the car down, and proceeded to take the assembly apart. No, no, NO! It's GROUND! But I could not convince then before it was in pieces. Finally I got them to stop for a moment. Took a jumper cable, connected one end to the car and touched the other end to the lamp housing. It lit up! See, it's GROUND! Well, before they got it back together they proceeded to break the bulb. Found one at an auto parts store, but it's dim. I still have a bad ground. Geez . . .

So now I need the PROPER bulb, and must take it apart again, and THEN try and tighten the mount. It requires a socket extension of about six feet . . .

 

[waymilky]

There probably is a special tool. but all you need is a big wide screwdriver, or similar flat blade that will fit inside the housing, into the notches. Then, it is a simple counter-clockwise turning to un-screw the locking ring. You should find a rubber seal, amber cap,. and the bulb. The amber cap and gasket may be stuck and you might need a very thin hooked wire or similar to get behind the cap and pull it out. The bulb also is a bit difficult to get out. It is the bayonet type, meaning you have to push and turn counter clockwise to disengage the pins on the bulb from the locking slots on the case. A soft piece of hose usually does the job, as long as it is sufficiently sticky and does not slip on the glass of the bulb. Reverse process to install a new bulb, and then the fun of lining up the threads of the locking ring, with pressure from the internal spring pushing back! It is difficult to get it started and not cross-threaded. Good luck!

I'm really struggling to get the indicator back together. I'm pushing the spring, light bulb housing, rubber gasket, and amber lens so hard into the housing that I'm afraid I'm going to break the lens in order to get ring nut to engage, and no success yet. Any suggestions?

 

[Poppy Red]

I'm really struggling to get the indicator back together. I'm pushing the spring, light bulb housing, rubber gasket, and amber lens so hard into the housing that I'm afraid I'm going to break the lens in order to get ring nut to engage, and no success yet. Any suggestions?

It is critical to make sure the locking ring is square to the housing, so the threads line up. It is difficult with a screwdriver, or such, as the locking ring tends to flop over one way or the other. what I have done, is to line up the bits as square as you can, then turn the assby in the reverse (un-screw) direction until you can feel the threads kind of bump, and"feel" square, then retry to screw the assby in. I found the rubber gasket was causing most of the problem. It is hard to push it into the socket recess. You could put a bit of lubricant on the rubber, liquid soap or similar. (no oil) An alternative would be to get or make as suggested above, a modified pipe or socket so you can keep the locking ring square to the housing.
Cheers, and good luck!

 

[waymilky]

Thanks for the help. I ended up using a socket driver pressed against the amber lens to compress the springs enough to get the ring nut started. I was able to use my fingers to get the ring nut started then used a nickel to screw it the rest of the way in.