Red91vette

iTrader: (3)

Ok, as some may know, especially blackduk98, I have been having tons of problems with my headlights. The gear was stripped on the passenger side, I replaced the gear, worked for a few days, then acted up again. Then it got real bad, headlight wouldn't move, it just flipped up and down uncontrollably. So I finally replaced the whole motor, 140 bucks worth. Then today, my headlight is stuck up! So I manually put the driver side light up to see how that looked, and saw a bolt on the broken passenger side should be flipped around. I did that and the headlight worked again, but when I put my headlights down by the switch, the driver side headlight began to make the same noise when my passenger headlight gear got stripped! It worked fine until I manually put it up, could it strip out just from manually putting the light up? WTF is up with these lights? GM is retarded for making such a shitty design! Now I am going to have to dump another 140 bucks on another head light? What else can I do? Push my car off a cliff?

bjamick

iTrader: (31)

No man there is a guy who makes brass gears that are alot stronger than those nylon gears. Put some of those brass ones on there and problem solved atleast til they get stripped but it will be awhile.

Red91vette

iTrader: (3)

I know about the brass ones, I didn't have the money at the time and ordered plastic ones. But I've seen people strip out the brass ones. When I did the gear install, something went wrong, and instead of making a grinding noise when it goes down, it did when it went up and then eventually the motor wouldn't hold the light in place. But I got a new motor for the other side, so total with parts, tools other gears etc I've spent over 300 bucks! But I have two new motors and working headlights again, hopefully for another 80k miles. Thanks.

LebaneseShowoff

iTrader: (6)

easier solution, sell it n get a camaro. But i think they sell a certain headlight bracket so that they just stay open, kind of like the C5.R i saw it @ a car show.

taintedmeat

iTrader: (1)

Headlight are about the only reason I wish I'd have gotten a Camaro instead I've replaced both my motors.

JD_AMG

Look on the page with the brass gear install (someone will provide a link, I dont have one). The main problem is the plastic housing comes loose, and there are metal tabs you need to make sure to have secured down. I actually used a large washer and bent it to reinforce the housing, Ill make a picture/diagram of what I did tomorrow.

lovin myls1

iTrader: (4)

As jd amg said ,the motor comes loose from the plastic head.Brent Franker,the guy that makes the brass gears,shows pics on his website and says that even the brass gears will FAIL if you neglect to check for this condititon.He has sold over a thousand brass gears and has a lot of feedback.You should read his research very carefully as any headlight problem ,he feels, can be attributed to this.I presume a new motor may loosen in time or maybe just from handling too much.Holding parts together by bending tabs over is a **** design,for sure.

taintedmeat

iTrader: (1)

I wonder if putting a good epoxy over each of the tabs and letting it run down over the edge there a little would serve as a good reinforcement. You'd probably never get it apart again, but maybe it'd help keep the tabs from separating.

'Trust'

iTrader: (24)

You need to be sure to let the motor housing seal and cure properly, if not, even the brass gears will strip from it popping open. Honestly I'd just bite the bullet and buy another motor and not deal with it for another 50k

brad8266

iTrader: (23)

Ok I must be a genius because i am the only person that I know that did this and it works like a ******* charm. Try this out man:

Buy the brass gears and then go to home depot and buy 4 of the very small C-Clamps that they have. Now when you install the brass bears and then epoxy the case together, place 2 C-clamps on each motor and crank them down fairly tight and then cut the handle part of the clamp that you turn off so that it allows you more room for the re-install. Then install the motors again. The epoxy combined with 2 c-clamps on each case will hold forever and you will never have to worry about stripping a gear or splitting the case again.

brad8266

iTrader: (23)

read above post.

taintedmeat

iTrader: (1)

That won't keep the metal tabs from loosening/bending over time.

brad8266

iTrader: (23)

Havent had a problem since. My concern was keeping the case intact because that can cause even the brass gear to strip.

taintedmeat

iTrader: (1)

When my brass gear stripped, the case was unaffected

brad8266

iTrader: (23)

How did that happen? You were pretty unlucky huh?

taintedmeat

iTrader: (1)

I guess I was. After that I replaced it with a new motor and it's been solid for over a year.

I guess the tabs were a little lose. I had to break the thing apart to get that brass gear out after it stripped.

lovin myls1

iTrader: (4)

So there are two main problems, even before a rebuild:
1:loose tabs=stripped gears(brass OR plastic)

2:loose case after gluing=stripped gears(brass OR plastic)
That about sums it up!

MyWs62FaST4u

iTrader: (2)

one would be set for life if he created the COMPLETE solution to this damn problem...

MyWs62FaST4u

iTrader: (2)

ebay has gr8 brass gears for 45 bucks, just do the search... they last... (knocking on wood)

Air

iTrader: (12)

OK so how do you make sure that everything is tight? I put brass gears in and 2 days later i hear the same grinding noise, and i know that i got it all epoxyed back on right