B headlight disassembly.....

Morning everyone! Due to some health issues, I haven't been on here for quite a long while now. I'm finally back "in the pink" enough to get back to my B restoration and have a question about the headlights.

Evidently the factory method of supplying a ground to the lamps is by running an itty bitty screw through the shell edge to touch the reflector. I can't think of a more "iffy" grounding system either....that little point is just asking for corrosion and and a high resistance connection. I decided that a better way would be to take the mounting post off the shell, clean the metal and place a ring terminal between the shell and the mounting post inside the shell. A short piece of wire from the terminal would then be soldered to the socket edge, providing a good path to ground throughout the entire shell.

Problem: That nut against the shell was installed back in 1941 and doesn't want to move so I can remove the post. I'm just about ready to heat the nut with an oxy acetylene torch to remove it....unless someone has a better way. Any ideas out there?


Edited by George Andreasen - 24 Jan 2017 at 3:11pm

I wouldn't apply to much heat to that shell George as Dave mentioned. You could solder a ground wire to the side of the socket, and bring the wire out the stem with the lead wire and make your ground at the grill shell. This would give you a good ground and avoid doing any harm to the Headlight shell.  HTH
Steve@B&B

Thanks for the replies everyone. After thinking about it for awhile (always a good strategy) I think I'll go with two wires through the mounting post instead. The ground wire will go under any handy bolt near the radiator. I might have to enlarge the mounting post hole just a bit to accommodate them, but I think you're right........heating that nut so close to the shell might do more damage than good!

Thanks again!  

I like the 2 wire system. I try to bring them back to something very close to the battery ground ideally I add a ground block. After spending a few hours chasing bad grounds you sort of decide a little extra copper is not so expensive after all.