Re: Deuce original lighting problem

[FloridaAKM]

Re: Deuce original lighting problem

This morning on the way to work in the Deuce, the right headlamp blew out on low beam. Shortly after, the high beam went with it. The voltage was in the normal zone & the ground is fine as I checked it with a Fluke
VOM. Checking the bulb, showed both filaments are open. Checking with NAPA lead me to a make do bulb for $32.00 ea as all the old numbers would not cross reference. Next Friday is a long road trip that I can't be without lighting, so what are your informed ideas? Replace with LED or somer other brighter lights instead of $70.00 worth of make do bulbs? That is my thought, but being @ work, my search google fu is weak!

This is a 1987 AM General Deuce by the way!

 

[doghead]

Many of the trucks have hardened rubberer isolators for the headlight panel. You may need to replace them.

What is your engine idle speed? Many of us have turned it up to around 800 rmp to avoid the harmonic at idle.

Does your steering wheel vibrate violently at idle? If so, you may want to up your idle slightly.

Your bulb could have simple lost vacuum(cracked).

 

[FloridaAKM]

After coming back from lunch, I checked the area of the lamp with the engine running & yup, it bounces around like a 5 year old who sneeked a mountain dew. Idle speed is around 700 rpm or so, so that is something I didn't think of! Rubber isolaters & a new bulb are in the thought pattern

Now, I also noticed the engine is starting to miss when you rev it up & are dring down the highway in any gear! Guess its time to replace those fuel filters I bought a few months ago & didn't have time to replace! Lots of varnish in the tank whe I bought it, some must be breaking loose after soaking in a full tank of diesel & cleaner for a couple of months!

 

[FloridaAKM]

Went to NAPA & picked up a Wagner 4800 headlamp & a water separator (the one @ the front of the truck) filter element. The new bulb had no leads, so I cut off the leads from the dead bulb & soldered them onto the new bulb; reinstalled the bulb & now I have both functional headlamps!

The initial water separator filter was a huge mess when it was opened. Checking the fuel flow before removing it, there was a small stream of clear diesel coming out only with the pump on & no water or trash, so I thought it was okay...Not! The original filter was not the correct one as fuel flowed around the element, straight thru to the next large primary filter. After soaking the inside of canister in acetone for an hour, most of the varnish came off with a wire brush & the half a cup of trash washed out with a water hose. Next was cleaning out the top part of the filter assembly which all parts were equally varnished & reassembling the filter with a new element. The new element fell thru the assembly when I went to install it? I put a large washer on top of the steel washer that the spring rests on to seal off that end of the new filter to force the fuel thru the filter, not around it. Refilling & bleeding the canister was amazing as the amount of fuel the pump puts out thru a clean canister is 10x more than came out thru the clogged one. Now when checking the fuel @ the drain on the bottom of the cannister, it is more like a fast stream of fuel than a dribble. This leads me think that the primary & secondary filter on the engine are not going to look pretty when they get opened up for replacement! I am @ work, so no fuel system dealings today!

 

[Recovry4x4]

The headlight deal was a given. Upping the idle does wonders for headlight life. If you don/t plan on swamping it, you can cut off the back of the headlight cans and do a Hella conversion. 24v burners are more affordable and you can pack spares in the glove box. once you get the secondaries swapped out you should be set for a while.

 

[bonedoc]

The H4 headlights from those military guys are a nice option. They are relatively inexpensive when compared to HID or LED and work great. Very happy with them so far. I was unaware of the harmonics at the lower idle. Mine is already set at about 800 and is very smooth.

 

[FloridaAKM]

Engine idle speed is now 800 rpm @ idle. Now for some rubber bumpers & a complete new lighting setup! Thanks guys!

 

[Jeepsinker]

My third set of trucklite headlights started failing on me last night. Third set in about 8 months. I don't think you were considering them, just thought it was worth mentioning.

 

[doghead]

Here's one of 25 search result for "mcmaster rubber headlight", http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?34779-Headlight-Bucket-Mounts

It has a solution/replacement for the isolators in it.

 

[welldigger]

My third set of trucklite headlights started failing on me last night. Third set in about 8 months. I don't think you were considering them, just thought it was worth mentioning.

I have come to the conclusion trucklite leds are total junk and not worth the money. My led headlights are thankfully still functioning but when (not if) they fail I'm going hid.

 

[FloridaAKM]

Back to the fuel filter changes, I replaced the two filters on left side of the engine, near the firewall & they were a nice orange color varnish mess like the water separator was but some what cleaner by the final filter. Lots of orange varnish muck in the bottoms of each canister, but an acetone soak & a wire brush scrubbing cleaned them up back to an operational level, not to mention that slicing a 1" cut in my hand, on the filter cartridge can, has me bleeding everywhere..blood thinners are not always good. Bleeding the system as it was cleaned was a first order deal to make sure no old goobers came thru. After making sure all the air was gone out of the filters cartridges, I tried to crank the engine, which ran for 10 seconds & died; the next cranking gave out only white smoke & then nothing. Then, after removing the IP fuel inlet, bled more fuel to make sure no air; solid fuel flow proved that. Usually, with a diesel engine, bleeding the injector closest to the IP will remove the air. Not so this time, no fuel from the injector feed line makes me wonder what is up. Experts...what is next? I have to go to Robins AFB Thursday for an auction pickup & this is not looking good.

 

[FloridaAKM]

Auction pickups were done with the Toyota Tacoma & a trailer. 300 cans worth! All home safe with an exhausted driver/loader.

After checking everything listed by member mechanics & nothing worked; a mechanic @ work said to try silicone spray after removing the air filter. I balked & he said too much ether would blow the headgaskets, but a little silicone spray would start the engine with no damage. Removed the air filter & sprayed a little bit of silicone into the inlet. First few spins, she tried to crank & died. A little more silicone in the inlet, a second on the starter & she roared to life as usual. After running for a minute, shut her down, replaced the air filter & took her for a spin. Newbie Deuce mechanics have a lot to learn! Me!

 

[ShearerLegal]

Believe it or not, Wasp and Hornet killer works also. Used it in an emergency on my GM 6.5.