[Old Goat 67]

I don't think you'll have a problem. Mine have been that way for 47 years and I can't say I have had to replace them any more than any other car I've had in all those years.

Much safer visually, I even have them on any time the key is in Run by using a relay. DRL's, like the newer cars.

Charles

[Old Goat 67]

Besides, once you do change them once, I don't think you'll find them very difficult to change.

[AdamIsAdam]

I remember reading your thread on adding DRL's with relays. Pretty cool.

[AdamIsAdam]

Bringing back this old thread because I finally had a reason to change the front parking light bulbs. I got the assembly out very easily but the bulb will not come out. It turns slightly but I can't push it down and turn and I can't turn it enough to get it past the tabs that hold in on the bulb.

Any suggestions Before I break the bulb itself?

[AdamIsAdam]

Okay I managed to get one bulb out, and can now put the old bulb in and out smoothly, but I cannot get the new LED bulb to go in and turn. Yes I do see that there are two different positions of tabs on the bulbs so you are sure to get the ball them correctly.

Also measured the bulb tabs and they seem to be an exact match in distance to the tab from the base of the bulb

WTF?!

[GT182]

Adam, find some Gibbs Penetrant and spray the socket with the bulb in it. It will free up help loosen up the crud and bulb. Plus it'll keep the socket and bulb from rusting. You might have to go on eBay or try these links: https://www.bing.com/search?q=gibbs+...558dfd9a26130e. Gibbs home page..... http://www.gibbsbrandlubricant.com/

[AdamIsAdam]

I used Kroil and also an electronic lubricant. I stopped working on it because the new LED bulbs didn't fit properly on the other side. Argh

[highrisk]

Adam,
I had to rebuild my sockets and really clean them up. When I took them apart to repaint them and do a restoration I almost couldn't get the bulbs out. Once I did I tried to put them back in and I could not get them in far enough to get them to turn, it was like there was something preventing the bulb from going deep enough into the socket. After I cleaned them up and got everything loosened up and repainted the bulbs went in with no problems, except the one side that is damaged. When I put in the LED bulbs the good side went in with no problem. I do have to work to get the bulb in the side that is damaged. The bulbs might go in better after you get a chance to clean them up and work the sockets a few times.
Dale

[AdamIsAdam]

Hmm. How do you get the bottom wire boot off? I guess maybe there is rust or something preventing the springs from fully compressing, is that what you're thinking? Because the socket itself looks perfectly fine and the old bulb goes in/out easily.

So how do I get the wiring off?

Wait, but I measured the diameter of the new and old bulbs and the LED is much wider and it looks like that will prevent the bulb from sliding into the socket.

[highrisk]

On mine the boot seems to be sealed to the metal socket so it cannot be removed. But what I did notice is that when the bulb is inserted into the socket the wires will actually move in and out of the boot. It was this that was stuck and not moving like it was supposed to. So I grabbed the wires and pulled hard to get them to slide out and retract the inside plunger. Then I held them there and lubricated the wires with electrical silicone like you use on electrical connection and then worked them in and out until they loosened up. It took a little while but they eventually started working like they were supposed to.
I still don't understand why your LEDs won't go in because mine go in without any problems. They fit actually better than the stock bulbs because there is less play. Maybe you have some rust or corrosion built up on the inside of the socket. I had to take some fine sandpaper to mine to clean them up.
I am only having problems with the one socket but I figured that one out this evening. It seems that the original socket must have broke at one time and instead of them replacing it with an 1157 socket they installed an 1142 socket. A 1142 is a dual contact like the 1157 but where the prongs on the 1157 are staggered so the bulb can only go in one way the 1142 bulb's prongs are both low and are not staggered because it doesn't matter how these bulbs are installed. So when I try to put an 1157 in this socket it jambs and you can't turn it. So I am ordering a new 1157 socket from Summit Racing and will rebuild the defective socket.
If your sockets are still all original they probably just need to be cleaned up really good and get as much corrosion as you can out of them and get the wires so they move freely.
Good luck and I am sorry you are having so many problems with this conversion.
Dale

[AdamIsAdam]

Yea, I got the wires moving in/out. I was afraid I was ripping it out but then it started to move as you described on one side. But with it all the way out, the LED still doesn't fit into the socket. I'll try and sand it some, but it looks clean.

I'll post measurements tomorrow, but the LED is definitely wider at that band than the old bulb. But maybe as you said, something else is preventing proper seating.

No need to apologize. I'll either get it or go back to non-LED. No worries.

[highrisk]

Originally Posted by AdamIsAdam

Yea, I got the wires moving in/out. I was afraid I was ripping it out but then it started to move as you described on one side. But with it all the way out, the LED still doesn't fit into the socket. I'll try and sand it some, but it looks clean.

I'll post measurements tomorrow, but the LED is definitely wider at that band than the old bulb. But maybe as you said, something else is preventing proper seating.

No need to apologize. I'll either get it or go back to non-LED. No worries.

Adam,
If you have a caliper measure your LED bulb base and I will measure mine to see if they are the same.
Dale

[AdamIsAdam]

Factory bulb flange measures 16.85mm and LED is 18.02mm. This is from that lip at the top of the base, not the base itself which is no problem.

I'll post the pics as soon as they decide to publish in my Photobucket album.

[highrisk]

There is definitely something wrong with your led bulbs. My yellow ones measure right at 15mm. Looks like you might have got the wrong bulb or bad ones. Contact JDM they are pretty good at making things right.
Dale

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[AdamIsAdam]

Great! I should measure some of the red ones in the rear too. The good news is that we're expecting a blizzard next week, so this is a garage only project. The bad news is that I hate how small my garage is!

Thanks for your help, Dale.

[highrisk]

Now I measured the shafts itself down by the contacts and up by the bulb and both places measured right at 15mm.
I hope you finally can get this straightened out.
Dale

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[AdamIsAdam]

The measurements of old to new are otherwise the same

[highrisk]

What does the bulb socket itself measure in length and diameter? My LED bulb was 14.85mm down by the contacts and 14.9mm up by the bulb. The length of the base (silver part not including the contacts) was 16.35mm. When I place it beside a standard 1157 the base looks the same. The bulb in your pictures looks exactly like mine. It just doesn't make any sense that the standard bulb fits but the LED won't. These bulbs use the standard 1157 base so they should be an exact match. Very confusing.
Dale

[AdamIsAdam]

I think I see why is won't fit, the base is correct, but look how the old glass bulb starts narrow out of the base where as the LED jumps to 17.9mm (see pic). This is where it's hitting the socket and preventing the LED from sinking fully into it.



EDIT: Note that the 17.9mm reading is from the metal band of the LED bulb just below the actual LED's (which are also 17.9mm actually)

[highrisk]

Adam,
The 64 and 65 uses the same turn signal housing so I am completely confused why they would fit in my turn signals and not yours. I don't even have to work at it, they just slip right in with an easy turn. So I went out and took mine apart and looked real close at them again and you are right, the large ring at the bottom of the LED (top of the base unit where it joins the actual LEDs) does come in contact with the housing socket ring. But mine doesn't prevent the bulb from going in. I think I would take a Dremel with a sandpaper tube or small grinder and angle or bevel the socket opening so the LED would slide in. It probably would take very little to get it to slip in. When I compared the LED side by side to the standard 1157 bulb the bases are identical in length and width. It is just that top ring, like you said, that is thicker on the LED. So I think a little sanding or grinding would get it to slip in. That could be why mine works without any issues because my sockets were very rusted and corroded and I had to do a lot of sanding on them to get them cleaned up. That might have been just enough to allow the LED bulbs to go into the socket.
Hope this helps.
Dale