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How to do the headlights 1 Saabers Like This Post!
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Posted by spiv (more from spiv) on Sun, 16 Nov 2003 14:11:56 Share Post by Email
In Reply to: need sources mirrors, wheels, etc, DougD., Sat, 15 Nov 2003 13:42:36
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The right headlight tends to get saggy because the pullrod mechanism is connected to the LEFT headlight, so there's some extra play going across to the right side. There's a fiddly procedure in the Sonett service manual for adjusting it, which I'll tell you in a sec.

But first, make sure the nosepiece isn't hanging down too far. When you put the nose on, you're supposed to put two wood blocks, 2-1/3" square, on the outer edges of the radiator frame on top. These act as spacers to make sure the nose doesn't sit down too far when installed. After you've got the nose aligned and have tightened the bolts, you take the blocks out. If you skip using the blocks, the nose may point down so much that there's no way to adjust the headlights correctly.

So, assuming you've got the nose correctly aligned, there are two steps to adjusting the height of the headlight pods. For the first step, you adjust the bracket that bolts onto the body and secures the bellcrank that connects to the headlight pullrod:

[with the headlights raised]
"1. Remove the headlight frames." (These are the chrome rings tht fit around the headlights to conceal the adjuster screws; they're held on by spring clips.)

"2. Align roughly in the vertical direction by slackening the screw (1) [this is the one that goes in the slot on the bracket bar] and adjusting the headlights with the retaining bar (2). After alighing, tighten the screw." [In other words, you loosen the bolt in the slot, slide the retaining bar back and forth until the headlights are at about the right height, then tighten up the bolt.]

Once you've done that, you need to do a fine adjustment using the tensioning screws on the two headlight pods. The tensioning screw goes into a tab that sticks out at the front below the headlight. When the pod comes up, this screw hits a stop on the front of the body to limit how far the pod rises. You need to adjust these screws so that there's more tension on the right pod than the left, to allow for the extra slop mentioned above. Okay, back to the manual:

"3. With the headlights fully raised, i.e. with the pullrod in its rear limit position, make two marks on the pullrod, one at a distance of 0.2 in (5mm) and the other at a distance of 0.4 in (10mm) from the instrument panel.

"4. Slacken the lock nut and adjust the tensioning screw on the LEFT headlight so that it comes up against the stop when the pullrod os 0.2 in (5mm) from the limit position, i.e. at the first mark. Tighten up the lock nut.

"5. Adjust the right headlight in the same way, but so that the screw comes up against the stop when the pullrod is 0.4 in. (10mm) from the limit position, i.e. at the second mark

"These adjustments impart a certain amount of tension to the headlights so that they do not vibrate in the raised position. The reason why the right headlight is to be given more tension than the left one is that compensation must be provided for the turning which occurs in the intermediate shaft.

"6. Pull the pullrod all the way out and align finely both vertically and horizontally with the headlight adjusting screws." [these are the screws around the headlight rim -- the top one adjusts the beam vertically and the one at the 9 o'clock position adjusts it horizontally.]

"7. Refit the headlight frames."

Following this procedure should get the headlights to stay put well enough to get the beams within spec IF all the hardware is in good condition. I hadn't been able to get my right headlight to go up far enough to get the tension screw to hit the stop AT ALL... and eventually found out that it was because the metal tube inside the headlight pod had rusted almost completely through the middle and was too weak to take the tension. I had to take the whole pod mechanism apart and replace it with fresh parts from a Sonett salvager. It was a messy job, so let's hope the adjustment procedure does the trick for yours!

posted by 68.13.13...
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