Before I replace my vacuum actuated headlight doors with electrical I need a way to keep the doors open while driving at night. What parts do I disconnect to keep them open?
thx Steve
Waiting for someone who knows the system better than I, but just in case it helps. If you can open them manually without resistance, it’s probably the spring that has failed, you should be able to find a way to clamp them open? Hose clamp on the actuating rod? If there’s resistance, it is likely a vacuum issue and there’s a bypass valve in the vacuum line just behind the driver’s headlight on the fenderwall.
Just went out to look at the “mechanical” side of the system. For mine (1970) the main rod passes through a cutout in the support on either side of the vacuum canister. If you were to use a hose clamp to clamp a small piece of rod, block of plastic/wood to the rod where it passes through, and allow the “chock” to sit in that notch it would prevent the closing. I would still shut the vacuum bypass off so you’re not fighting it.
For 69 and 70, the doors should be held open with no vacuum applied by the two coil springs located just inboard of the doors. The vacuum valve under your washer reservoir can be rotated to remove vacuum to the actuator.
No spring in 67 or 68
I simply took all that stuff out, rather didn’t install when I rebuilt the grill. You can manually open and close the doors and they will stay in the position you put them in. I too plan to convert them to electric actuators instead of vacuum.
thx for info will try it
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thx for the info will try it
I have a 1970 Cougar, and I moved the spring back on each light up to the bolt sticking out above where it usually sits. My problem was slight vacuum leaksthat would cause it not to open completely and this helped and the doors would close completely when I wasn’t using the headlights. Hope this helps.
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I run my 70 with the 2 headlight door springs working against brackets attached to those same grill bolts! Now the headlights stay closed indefinitely with no vacuum, but still have some spring assist to help the vacuum actuator open them. If the actuator were ever to fail and the headlight covers wouldn’t open, I can just move the springs back to the factory brackets closer to the radiator, and the headlight doors will again open with no vacuum. It was designed that way originally as a fail-safe so you still had headlights in the event of a vacuum system or actuator failure.
This is the way.
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