Headlight switch, and lots more

[cordeiro@adi.com (Alan Cordeiro)]

>Is the switch "fried" completely (unfixable)?

>Price of a new one?

>Maybe Alan (Cordiero) could enlighten us as to what brand of dual headlight
>relay he used in his conversion ("RE: fog lights/driving lights", 21 Sep
>94).

>Any info is appreciated, thanks.

>Brad Shurter - 

Hi Brad,

I sent, ( or thought I sent a reply ) yesterday evening, but since it has
not appeared on the net yet, i suspect I "clicked" on one of the wrong
icons when I tried to deliver. so here goes again...

I lost my headlight switch over a year ago, when my wife broke the
stalk (while trying to reset the odometer through the steering wheel
and simultaneously turning out from the gas station ). I tried epoxy
and it held out a few months, got me a chance to order a replacement.
Shokan sold me a switch for about $120, ( 99% exact replacement ).

The switch assembly is a combination head/parking/cruise/turn/emergency,
and is held together with lots of brass rivets. I was reluctant to
open it up, and try and fix it, since the weak point was the broken
stalk anyway. It does seem to be the type that will explode into a
hundred small pieces ( at least 50% springs ).

The reason I have not posted the make/source of the dual headlight relay
upto now is that I was not satisfied with the ( perceived ) overall
quality of the relay I ordered ( $17.95 from J.C.Whitney ). I installed
it anyway, with a backup plan of reverting to the original wiring if
the relay failed. So I "tapped" into the old wiring to the socket, and
"added" the new wiring in over and above so as to speak.

And now that I'm on the air:

1. R & R'd the front CV boots over the weekend. I was unable to dismantle
  the outboard joint on the car as I had planned, so I ended up removing
  the entire joint from the car. ( The big #32 nut was TIGHT, so was the
  splines/hub fit ). Took some searching to find the 12 point 10mm tool.
  While cleaning, the inboard joint fell apart, and its quite a trick
  getting all the balls back at once. ( As you put the next one in, two 
  previous ones fall out ...).

2. Replaced the thermostat, easy in theory, but the two bolts holding
  the cover on required one to be a contortionist with very small hands.

3. The 9007 lamp is NOT mechanically interchangable with the 9004. 
  they "look" identical, but there is  a small difference in the grooves
  that align it into the reflector housing.

4. The account exec from Locktite looked at "Bentley" and told me to
   "go for it". He thought that care should be taken that nothing
   moves while the halves  go together, (so that the O-rings are not 
   disturbed while the pump goes together). Try and carefully tighten
   both bolts at the same time, balancing out the stress. ( O.K. Bill
   I know what you are thinking right now ...). He suggsted soaking
   all the O-rings in a silicon based lube overnight ( he will provide
   the lube ).

Enough said already..

Alan Cordeiro
'6 5000TQ