Tripod Lights

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Here are some observations, having been a long time PL700 Tripod /Tri-Bar user....

First... there is no circut breaker on the ERA so please disregard Frank Messina's post, unless you have added a circut breaker to the ERA electrics. Frank makes a good point about the ground. Having both filaments lit at the same time is interesting... however be careful of the amperage draw.... measure it.

Second... the Tripod does have a correct way to install the bulbs and an incorrect way. The tiny reflector, inside the bulb, should be placed ABOVE the filament when you insert the bulb into the lens.

Third... I did have an occasional problem with my headlights and my front direction lights. Recently, with Bob Putnam's help, I found that my frame (which was powder coated) had a sometimes faulty ground connection up in the "X" member of the front suspension. It appears, that over time, the once good ground became only occasionally good. I scraped a penny sized area of the powder coating off of the X member and dabbed it with dielectric grease. That fix has clearly made both of my front head lamps much brighter and consistant. What I did notice before the fix was that one of my low beams was just not as bright as the other, likewise the high beam.... Now they are both quite bright.

Fourth... There are three wires that feed each of the front head lamps (two three wire circuts). These are ususally jointed with rubber coated barrel connectors, with two male ends, up near each side of the top of the radiator. Make sure that these barrel connectors are firm and that the male ends have a good contact. I had my passenger side front headlight occasionally "winking" on and off and this was fixed by checking all three of the barrel connectors. What I did was clean them, and add a bit more crimping to them.

Fifth.... in a bad ground situation or a ground feedback, the headlights will still work and this can put stress on the headlight switch. These Lucas switches (off, on, on) are pretty sturdy, however, part of my fix after working out the poor ground issue was to replace the headlight switch as well. Check the knife connectors on the back of the switch to make sure that they are firmly attached.

Sixth... tripod lenses can become filmed up (dirty) over time (as they are not sealed(even though they do have or should have a rubber boot that fits over the bulb attachment area)), so what I did was to wash them with dish washing detergent (for the electric dish washer the kind that sheets and leaves no spots) and dry them out well. They sparkle now.

[CobERA]

Art,

Thanks for the info. I had purchased PL700's from XKS that were left hand drive lights, but did not like the illumination. I bought halogen replacement bulbs from Bill Tracy and the lighting was better, but still not right.

After reading your post, I pulled the headlamps off again, and sure enough, even though I had properly lined up the "key" on the bulb with the lens, it caused the bulb to be mounted upside down, although not a full 180 degrees.

I got out my Dremel and cut a new slot in the lens, inserted the bulbs with the reflector on the top, then took it out for an evening test drive.

MUCH BETTER! Thanks again for the good info.

[JWheaton]

Art,

Thanks for all that information. Since I am not to far from you I will bring my car up for you to look at. You can consider me your first customer.

Just kidding,..... I will take a look at your notes and see if any of that helps my situation prior to buying anything new.

Jamie

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Originally Posted by CobERA

Art,

I bought halogen replacement bulbs from Bill Tracy and the lighting was better, but still not right.

After reading your post, I pulled the headlamps off again, and sure enough, even though I had properly lined up the "key" on the bulb with the lens, it caused the bulb to be mounted upside down, although not a full 180 degrees.

I got out my Dremel and cut a new slot in the lens, inserted the bulbs with the reflector on the top, then took it out for an evening test drive.

MUCH BETTER! Thanks again for the good info.

I too purchased my latest set of bulbs from Bill Tracy... small world eh? I am glad that little tip worked. A long time friend of mine who has a Morgan told me about it a few years ago at a cruise night. Sometimes (if not always) it is the little details that make the difference.

Once the weather breaks here in Connecticut, I will be out on the roads using those lights! Can't wait. But for now, I am cleaning my tires and wheels. The inside of the rims were filthy (up front) so I cleaned them up with a toothbrush and a slew of rags. About half way thru the job I realized that I should have worn gloves... what a mess...

I guess I should do the dishes...