A better approach for Firebird Headlight Doors?
05-01-2011, 10:27 PM
#1
A better approach for Firebird Headlight Doors? I recently fell victim to a loose headlight motor body, which stripped a metal gear after just three grinds:
When I put the metal gears in, I also did an experiment with the adhesive (didn't use epoxy) and I have since lost one of my gear housing covers - on the side that didn't strip. So, I purchased new Cardone Motors:
(The rubber caps were cleaned and moved over from my old motors.)
I was pleasantly surprised to see that these motors have gear covers secured by screws!!! Given that the metal gears seem to be brittle and the Chinese empire will be keeping brass expensive for a while, I think that I'm going to stay with plastic gears and just have replacements on hand for the next gear mishap. The new motors should make the switch-out a snap.
BTW - The part numbers are 82-9124H (passenger) and 82-9125H (driver). Rock Auto has a great deal on them but they aren't coming up in the parts lookup for our cars for some reason.
Also, if anyone needs a single metal gear... let me know.
When I put the metal gears in, I also did an experiment with the adhesive (didn't use epoxy) and I have since lost one of my gear housing covers - on the side that didn't strip. So, I purchased new Cardone Motors:
(The rubber caps were cleaned and moved over from my old motors.)
I was pleasantly surprised to see that these motors have gear covers secured by screws!!! Given that the metal gears seem to be brittle and the Chinese empire will be keeping brass expensive for a while, I think that I'm going to stay with plastic gears and just have replacements on hand for the next gear mishap. The new motors should make the switch-out a snap.
BTW - The part numbers are 82-9124H (passenger) and 82-9125H (driver). Rock Auto has a great deal on them but they aren't coming up in the parts lookup for our cars for some reason.
Also, if anyone needs a single metal gear... let me know.
The following users liked this post:
k3000 (08-05-2019)
The following users liked this post:
k3000 (10-11-2021)
The following users liked this post:
k3000 (10-11-2021)
The following users liked this post:
k3000 (08-05-2019)
Trending Topics
05-09-2011, 10:00 PM
#9
There are two sets of metal gears out there. One that is solid metal and the other has the OEM-like rubber insert in it. I think that rubber insert is important as it can take some of the shock when the motor grinds. I had the set without the insert and just after three grind events, my gears were toast. (There was no give and the hard metal is brittle.)
-->> This is where the Camaro owners step in and tell us that we're a bunch of fools and the pop-up headlights perfectly accent our mullets. (I still like mine, though... and they make my mullet shine wonderfully at dusk.)
05-10-2011, 07:50 AM
#10
There are two sets of metal gears out there. One that is solid metal and the other has the OEM-like rubber insert in it. I think that rubber insert is important as it can take some of the shock when the motor grinds. I had the set without the insert and just after three grind events, my gears were toast. (There was no give and the hard metal is brittle.)
Thats what is in my drivers side along with the new design case, and T-bar 
05-13-2011, 12:49 PM
#11
If you want to reuse those gears that you think are already stripped...this is what you can do.
You see that there is very little that was damaged...It is because the worm drive has moved backward away from the gear which is what strips it. As stated the metal tabs that are bent to hold the plastic housing to the metal motor.
I saw this and did 2 things. First I looked at the housing right where the worm drive is. I placed a piece of plastic right behind it that is the same size as the housing in that space behind the drive. This pushed the gear up against the gear and got rid of the play that allowed the gear to strip in the first place.
Second...there is side to side play as well. I actually placed a thin washer on the gear pin to keep side to side play to a minimum. By pushing the drive into the gear and getting rid of play in the gears I was able to reuse what I thought were stripped gears on plastic gears. I had brass ones that were stripped to.
I also made sure I squeezed the tabs back together on the outside of the housing. They become loose over time.
When I did this...I had no more problems. There was also little play at all so all the tolerances were much better which eliminated the gear problem altogether.
You see that there is very little that was damaged...It is because the worm drive has moved backward away from the gear which is what strips it. As stated the metal tabs that are bent to hold the plastic housing to the metal motor.
I saw this and did 2 things. First I looked at the housing right where the worm drive is. I placed a piece of plastic right behind it that is the same size as the housing in that space behind the drive. This pushed the gear up against the gear and got rid of the play that allowed the gear to strip in the first place.
Second...there is side to side play as well. I actually placed a thin washer on the gear pin to keep side to side play to a minimum. By pushing the drive into the gear and getting rid of play in the gears I was able to reuse what I thought were stripped gears on plastic gears. I had brass ones that were stripped to.
I also made sure I squeezed the tabs back together on the outside of the housing. They become loose over time.
When I did this...I had no more problems. There was also little play at all so all the tolerances were much better which eliminated the gear problem altogether.
05-14-2011, 09:13 PM
#12
If you want to reuse those gears that you think are already stripped...this is what you can do.
You see that there is very little that was damaged...It is because the worm drive has moved backward away from the gear which is what strips it. As stated the metal tabs that are bent to hold the plastic housing to the metal motor.
I saw this and did 2 things. First I looked at the housing right where the worm drive is. I placed a piece of plastic right behind it that is the same size as the housing in that space behind the drive. This pushed the gear up against the gear and got rid of the play that allowed the gear to strip in the first place.
Second...there is side to side play as well. I actually placed a thin washer on the gear pin to keep side to side play to a minimum. By pushing the drive into the gear and getting rid of play in the gears I was able to reuse what I thought were stripped gears on plastic gears. I had brass ones that were stripped to.
I also made sure I squeezed the tabs back together on the outside of the housing. They become loose over time.
When I did this...I had no more problems. There was also little play at all so all the tolerances were much better which eliminated the gear problem altogether.
You see that there is very little that was damaged...It is because the worm drive has moved backward away from the gear which is what strips it. As stated the metal tabs that are bent to hold the plastic housing to the metal motor.
I saw this and did 2 things. First I looked at the housing right where the worm drive is. I placed a piece of plastic right behind it that is the same size as the housing in that space behind the drive. This pushed the gear up against the gear and got rid of the play that allowed the gear to strip in the first place.
Second...there is side to side play as well. I actually placed a thin washer on the gear pin to keep side to side play to a minimum. By pushing the drive into the gear and getting rid of play in the gears I was able to reuse what I thought were stripped gears on plastic gears. I had brass ones that were stripped to.
I also made sure I squeezed the tabs back together on the outside of the housing. They become loose over time.
When I did this...I had no more problems. There was also little play at all so all the tolerances were much better which eliminated the gear problem altogether.
05-25-2011, 01:31 AM
#15
On The Tree
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Ramstein AB, Germany
Posts: 170
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ok I have the old Bfranker Brass gears but my housing's are wrecked ...hell one of them has a make shift cover that I made out of an old peice of fiberglass I had in the shop....
My Q: is whats this "T-Bar" you8r talking about
AND
My pass side while up shakes....the arm that raises it up, were the plastic joint/bushing is at the joint of the arm, is worn out ....so while driving now, with my kick **** BBLS HID's I see my cutoff line bounce up and down.....
HOW do i replace that arm/bushing ?
My Q: is whats this "T-Bar" you8r talking about
AND
My pass side while up shakes....the arm that raises it up, were the plastic joint/bushing is at the joint of the arm, is worn out ....so while driving now, with my kick **** BBLS HID's I see my cutoff line bounce up and down.....
HOW do i replace that arm/bushing ?
05-25-2011, 10:58 AM
#16
ok I have the old Bfranker Brass gears but my housing's are wrecked ...hell one of them has a make shift cover that I made out of an old peice of fiberglass I had in the shop....
My Q: is whats this "T-Bar" you8r talking about
AND
My pass side while up shakes....the arm that raises it up, were the plastic joint/bushing is at the joint of the arm, is worn out ....so while driving now, with my kick **** BBLS HID's I see my cutoff line bounce up and down.....
HOW do i replace that arm/bushing ?
My Q: is whats this "T-Bar" you8r talking about
AND
My pass side while up shakes....the arm that raises it up, were the plastic joint/bushing is at the joint of the arm, is worn out ....so while driving now, with my kick **** BBLS HID's I see my cutoff line bounce up and down.....
HOW do i replace that arm/bushing ?
To the best of my knowledge, that bushing is not serviceable so you'll probably need to find a salvage part or come up with a home grown solution.
12-17-2011, 06:08 PM
#17
BEWARE *** BEWARE *** BEWARE *** BEWARE
A headlight door just crapped out on me 7 months after installing these motors. When I took everything apart, I found the gear was pristine and the motor looked great!
But... I found that the electrical connectors are total ****. The terminals that Cardone's manufacturer used are made of thin metal and they didn't install the proper seals on the wires. (The seals were several sizes too small and don't even engage the connector body.) As a result, water got in to the connector easily and the terminals rusted right through, breaking the connection.
So, that leaves me with a dilemma:
- I can take them back and exchange under warranty to get a new set that will last me less than 12 months from now.
- I can go back to GM motors and have the gear issue further on in to the future.
- I can replace the connector terminals and seals with the proper parts.
I believe I'll go for the latter. The motors look great and its just the terminals that suck - and I have the needed terminal tools. About $20 will get me (shipped from Mouser) all new Delphi-branded terminals, connector bodies, and seals for both sides of the main connector. Hopefully we'll be back in business by the end of the week.
Here are the details on the connectors:
12084891 - Female Metri-Pack 280 Connector Body (Attached to Car)
15324857 - Metri-Pack 280 Terminal Assurance Lock (Used on the Female Connector)
12077411 - Female Metri-Pack 280 Terminal (0.35 to 1.0 mm wire)
12186400 - Male Metri-Pack 280 Connector Body (Attached to Motor and Headlamp Leads)
12084673 - Metri-Pack 280 Terminal Assurance Lock (Used on the Male Connector)
12020833 - Metri-Pack 280 Connector Lock (Used to lock Female and Male Connector)
12048159 - Male Metri-Pack 280 Terminal (0.5 to 1.0 mm wire)
15324982 - Green Cable Seal (2.85 to 2.0 mm wire - used in both Connectors)
* Note: I used the green seals, but I recall that if I were to do it over again I would have used the tan seals: 15324984 - Tan (2.4 to 2.0 mm wire) I remember (but am not completely sure) that I wasn't completely happy with the tightness of the green seals, although they matched what was stock on the car. (The tan seals are a little tighter.) If anyone does this behind me, I'd recommend springing the extra 75 cents to have both green and tan seals on hand to try them both out.
Special tools are also needed. The crimper is critical but other tools or a large paper clip can probably be brought in to substitute for the terminal removal tool. Mouser is a great source for the terminals and parts, which are really inexpensive. The tools are much more expensive but there are occasional good deals to be found on eBay on used tools.
12085270 - (J-38125-6) Metri-Pack 280 Crimper
12094430 - Metri-Pack 280 Terminal Removal Tool
A headlight door just crapped out on me 7 months after installing these motors. When I took everything apart, I found the gear was pristine and the motor looked great!
But... I found that the electrical connectors are total ****. The terminals that Cardone's manufacturer used are made of thin metal and they didn't install the proper seals on the wires. (The seals were several sizes too small and don't even engage the connector body.) As a result, water got in to the connector easily and the terminals rusted right through, breaking the connection.
So, that leaves me with a dilemma:
- I can take them back and exchange under warranty to get a new set that will last me less than 12 months from now.
- I can go back to GM motors and have the gear issue further on in to the future.
- I can replace the connector terminals and seals with the proper parts.
I believe I'll go for the latter. The motors look great and its just the terminals that suck - and I have the needed terminal tools. About $20 will get me (shipped from Mouser) all new Delphi-branded terminals, connector bodies, and seals for both sides of the main connector. Hopefully we'll be back in business by the end of the week.
Here are the details on the connectors:
12084891 - Female Metri-Pack 280 Connector Body (Attached to Car)
15324857 - Metri-Pack 280 Terminal Assurance Lock (Used on the Female Connector)
12077411 - Female Metri-Pack 280 Terminal (0.35 to 1.0 mm wire)
12186400 - Male Metri-Pack 280 Connector Body (Attached to Motor and Headlamp Leads)
12084673 - Metri-Pack 280 Terminal Assurance Lock (Used on the Male Connector)
12020833 - Metri-Pack 280 Connector Lock (Used to lock Female and Male Connector)
12048159 - Male Metri-Pack 280 Terminal (0.5 to 1.0 mm wire)
15324982 - Green Cable Seal (2.85 to 2.0 mm wire - used in both Connectors)
* Note: I used the green seals, but I recall that if I were to do it over again I would have used the tan seals: 15324984 - Tan (2.4 to 2.0 mm wire) I remember (but am not completely sure) that I wasn't completely happy with the tightness of the green seals, although they matched what was stock on the car. (The tan seals are a little tighter.) If anyone does this behind me, I'd recommend springing the extra 75 cents to have both green and tan seals on hand to try them both out.
Special tools are also needed. The crimper is critical but other tools or a large paper clip can probably be brought in to substitute for the terminal removal tool. Mouser is a great source for the terminals and parts, which are really inexpensive. The tools are much more expensive but there are occasional good deals to be found on eBay on used tools.
12085270 - (J-38125-6) Metri-Pack 280 Crimper
12094430 - Metri-Pack 280 Terminal Removal Tool
Last edited by wssix99; 11-28-2016 at 08:22 PM. Reason: added terminal part numbers
The following users liked this post:
staff23 (10-01-2020)
06-24-2013, 12:42 PM
#18
Update - I ended up replacing the terminals with the proper ones from Delphi and everything is perfect 1.5 years later.
When I was working on one of the motors, the wires fell "out" of the motor. When I slid the sheath back, I found that the factory spliced the power wires from one motor by just twisting them together. No clips, nuts, or anything to hold it together - so I also had to properly splice those with mechanical clips.
Verdict:
- Motors = great
- Gears = great
- Wiring = total **** (but fixable)
When I was working on one of the motors, the wires fell "out" of the motor. When I slid the sheath back, I found that the factory spliced the power wires from one motor by just twisting them together. No clips, nuts, or anything to hold it together - so I also had to properly splice those with mechanical clips.
Verdict:
- Motors = great
- Gears = great
- Wiring = total **** (but fixable)
06-25-2013, 12:31 PM
#19
TECH Fanatic
Very good info in this thread- should somehow be included into the Firebird Headlights--ALL COMMENTS/QUESTIONS REGARDING HEADLIGHTS GO IN HERE sticky.
Now i have ordered me 82-9124H (passenger) and 82-9125H (driver) from RA.
$ 76.79 each.
Now i have ordered me 82-9124H (passenger) and 82-9125H (driver) from RA.
$ 76.79 each.
03-15-2014, 07:11 PM
#20
My Drive side is making a crazy *** noise when closing, but is nice and quiet when opening. I don't notice any binding or pausing when opening or closing, just the noise on closing, and in both instances, the movement is fast and fluid.
Is this noise a gear or motor?
Is this noise a gear or motor?