How Do You Replace Headlights on 1966 Toro

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Otto Skorzeny
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How Do You Replace Headlights on 1966 Toro

Postby Otto Skorzeny » Mon Mar 03, 2014 9:38 am

Seems like a silly question but how do you keep the headlights up without having them stay illuminated?

I haven't tried yet but the only way I can figure is to turn them on and then disconnect the battery cables.

Any other suggestions?

The car has all it's original T-3 headlights but they suck. I drove home from Chattanooga to Atlanta last night and I couldn't see worth a crap. I have Sylvania halogens on all my other old cars and they are as good as any new car.

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Doc Hubler
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Re: How Do You Replace Headlights on 1966 Toro

Postby Doc Hubler » Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:52 am

It's a good question. I never had to do this before either, so here is a suggestion, then others can chime in.

First: Buy a Service manual. They certainly will have the procedure to change the headlamps, in addition to many other procedures that you need to know to properly service your Toro. The 1967 manual is orange, not sure what 66 is, though they would mostly be the same. Shared engine components such as engines, carbs, etc. are in the front basic section, while all the Toronado specific info is in a separate section at the back of the manual. Good investment, I'm sure you can pick one up on ebay easily.

Second: I wouldn't disconnect the battery. The way the headlights work is that the actuators move them up when vacuum is applied which happens when you pull the headlamp switch. Be happy that they work! There is a vacuum switch on the headlamp switch and there is also a switch (vacuum only) on the driver side inner fender, closer up front (red-, blue-, yellow-striped, and black vacuum tubes; one of these may be green can't remember and don't have my manual handy). Usually older cars develop leaks, and they don't work properly. What happens after headlamps go up is that they "lock" into place when fully opened and you should hear them make a loud click/clank noise (locking switch). If they don't clank, they haven't opened fully. So until vacuum is applied to release those headlamp locks, they will stay locked open (happens when you shut off headlamp switch, and vacuum is re-directed to unlock position and vacuum bleeds off slowly retracting lamps. So I'm guessing the way to do it is open the headlamps, then disconnect the proper vacuum hose on the unit that controls this operation located on the inner fender, driver's side. Then shut off the headlamps switch. You would have to start your car if there isn't vacuum in the ballast tank anyway, so you need to have the battery on. WIth old leaky vacuum tubes likely present, I would think this might be the case.

But get the manual and go with the correct procedure! Others that already know can chime in here.

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Otto Skorzeny
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Re: How Do You Replace Headlights on 1966 Toro

Postby Otto Skorzeny » Mon Mar 03, 2014 12:40 pm

Sorry Doc, I should have mentioned that I have the 1966 Olds FSM and it's completely silent on the procedure.

It describes how to disassemble non working lights and housings and actuators but not how to change a bulb.

My actuators work well going up and down and the ballast tank has enough reserve to operate them with the engine off.

I'll try turning them on and then pulling the tubes.

waterzap
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Re: How Do You Replace Headlights on 1966 Toro

Postby waterzap » Wed Mar 05, 2014 10:50 am

You can just lift them up by hand. Reach in, and press down on the shaft of the actuators, and when they start to lift, just lift by hand the rest of the way. Or put a small screwdriver in the gaps and just lift it up. They are made to be activated if the actuators dont work.

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Otto Skorzeny
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Re: How Do You Replace Headlights on 1966 Toro

Postby Otto Skorzeny » Sat Mar 08, 2014 6:03 am

All the new halogen headlights came from Rock Auto yesterday but one low beam was broken! That sucks. I hate not finishing the job. Rock Auto's warehouse is over in Austell, GA about 15 minutes from me. Unfortunately they don't allow pickups so I'll have to wait until next week to get the last headlight.

These headlights are the biggest pains in the neck lights I've ever changed on any car. That probably explains why nobody ever changed the T3s in the last 50 years.

Anyhoo, I didn't try to pry them up or anything even though I found reference in the owner's manual that you can do that in the event of vacuum failure.

I tried turning them on and then disconnecting the vacuum lines but they drop about two inches, making it impossible to reach all the screws. I tried wedging them with some pieces of wood but I couldn't find a good place that would actually hold them up.

So, I tried the method I thought of first and it worked. I turned them on, unplugged the battery and Voila! The lights were off and the switch being on kept the vacuum locked in and kept the headlights in full up position.

So, 4 screws on each headlight bezel that had never been off since the car left Lansing, then finagle that thing out of the headlight door - barely enough room to get it out without scratching it or the hood lip in front of it, then two tight screws on each retaining ring. There was enough dirt stuck in the rings and behind the bezels in general to make a couple good size mud pies.

It was a tough job getting the sockets off the prongs of the old lights. If I had thought of it I would have put some dielectric grease on the new ones before popping them in. Oh well, they better last another 50 years 'cause I ain't taking those suckers off again!

One more to go when the replacement comes in next week. Now I have to figure out what to do with the T-3s.

1977 Cutly
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Re: How Do You Replace Headlights on 1966 Toro

Postby 1977 Cutly » Wed Apr 16, 2014 5:02 am

Otto Skorzeny wrote: There was enough dirt stuck in the rings and behind the bezels in general to make a couple good size mud pies.


I just did the same trick on Sunday, replacing both low beams.

mine too had at least 30 years worth of accumulated mud pie dust in each ring.

I just left the lights on and engine running to keep em up, it was no big deal. I made sure to use the correct screwdrivers to avoid damaging the fasteners, and applied a bit of wd40 a few minutes before going after em. I had no problems except for dropping one of those little screws into my front bumper and having to search for it.

Now I get to do it again because I wasn't smart enough to buy all 4 bulbs at once. Now that I have 2 halogens I really want four.
1966 Toronado, 1992 5.0 Mustang notchback w/T-56 6spd, TOA #1059
"Aftermarket parts are simply the beginning of a very expensive search for the next weakest link in your drivetrain. You heard that here first." -MKing


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