Tail light buckets

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Karl
Posts: 993
Joined: Sat Oct 05, 2013 6:03 pm
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Tail light buckets

Post by Karl »

G'day.
Recently I replaced my rear bumper with a re-chromed one. When I removed the old one there was a lot of parts that needed attending, one of these were the tail light buckets. The bolts that were holding them in were badly corroded and the earths on the buckets were a lot to be desired.
I purchased a couple of new aftermarket buckets and surprise surprise they did not come with the securing bolts. Now I could just use any 1/4 unc bolt but I wanted to keep the car as original as possible.

My local hardware store had 1/4" unc cup head bolts, which are the type of bolt that is used (has the square shank just under the head of the bolt) but the original ones had a flat head, not the dome shaped one. I machined the dome off but I didn't take a measurement of the length of the original bolts when I had the bumper off, so I made the bolt 1-1/4" long. I have later found out that the bolts are 1" long. After machining I had the bolts zinc plated.

On the original bucket in the car there was some black plastic that was around the head of the bolt, like gluing the bolt into the tail light bucket. I have two thoughts on this, one is the plastic or glue was used to hold the bolt in position whilst the buckets were being installed in the bumper, once the bucket and bracket are installed the need for any glue is not revellent. And the other is that the plastic or glue is used to seal the bucket from dust or water. this could impair the reflective ability of the inside of the bucket.
Anyway to keep things original I applied a small bead of black hot melt glue to the underside of the bolt.

I then placed the bolt in the bucket, placed a small 1/4" drive socket over the bolt on the outside of the bucket ( with the 1/4" drive end of the socket furthest away from the square head of the bolt) and then placed a 1/4" nut on the end of the bolt. This is to pull the bolt into the square hole in the bucket. I didn't apply any pressure to the bolt but used my wife's hair dryer to heat up the glue and slowly do the bolt up. This pulled the bolt into position as the glue melted. When the bolt was in position I let the whole thing cool down.

The two wires that came with the bucket were too short as well. I removed the wires from the bucket and replaced them with longer wires. I could of joined new wire to them but that would make a extra connection. I made up a small bullet type fitting that fit into the plastic plug in the light socket, I then soldered the new wire into the small brass bullet and then slid the wire back into the socket. If anybody does do this make sure that the green wire is for the stop light. On mine the green wire went to the hole that is closest to the small tab on the plastic part of the light socket. The plastic part of the light socket is easily removed by pushing the tab part into the socket, once on a angle you can pull it out with some beaky nose pliers.

Couple of questions?
1 Does anybody know where I can purchase some of the rubber grommets that are used on the wires for the tail light buckets? -two types.
2 Does anybody know the part number for the bolt that is used in the tail light bucket. All the literature that I have dosn't mention the number or part. I think that this is because the bolt was at the tail light manufactures place, not at Ford's. When you purchased the bucket it came with the bolt, unlike today you don't get the bolt with the bucket.

Here is some photo's, they are not in sequence, and I still can't insert images one at a time. I have to place them in one block.
Attachments
Wire end new.jpg
Removing plug.jpg
Harness plug 2.jpg
Harness plug 1.jpg
Fastener.jpg
Fastener with seal.jpg
Aftermarket wires & bucket 3.jpg
Aftermarket wires & bucket 2.jpg
Aftermarket wires & bucket 1.jpg
1963 Thunderbird Hardtop
tbird
Posts: 2586
Joined: Sat May 10, 2008 11:07 pm
Location: Tyndall MB. Canada

Re: Tail light buckets

Post by tbird »

Karl
I would think that the plastic used on the bolt was to prevent corrosion between the dissimilar metals of the steel bolt and the aluminium bucket, your hot glue should do the job. The flathead bolt with the square shank would have likely been a special for the purpose, your domed head bolt with the square shank is what is called a carriage bolt here.

The grommets are made for the purpose and and the wire is fused right into the grommets. I should have some used ones have a few old buckets around with the grommets, I could cut the wires off and send the grommets. Have taken some off by cutting the wires out of the grommets and then sealing the new wires into the hole.
Jim Mills
VTCI # 8071
VTCI 1964-66 Technical Editor
2002 Thunderbird
1965 Convertible
1962 Convertible (in progress)
1959 Ford Retractable HT
Many parts cars
User avatar
Karl
Posts: 993
Joined: Sat Oct 05, 2013 6:03 pm
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Re: Tail light buckets

Post by Karl »

G'day Jim.
You are probably right with the dissimilar metal idea, you probably would get electrolysis.
Thanks for the offer with the grommets. I thought there might be somebody making these parts new.
What I will do is make something that will do the job with the new aftermarket buckets and when I swap them over. With the original tail light assy I will recondition. That way I will have a spare set and with the original rubbers. I should be able to get the old buckets re-coated to make them shiny again.
Thanks again for the offer.
If you are looking for some of the bolts I will gladly send you some.
Karl.
1963 Thunderbird Hardtop
tbird
Posts: 2586
Joined: Sat May 10, 2008 11:07 pm
Location: Tyndall MB. Canada

Re: Tail light buckets

Post by tbird »

Karl

Thanks for the offer but should not require any as I have N.O.S. buckets for the 662 convertible that I am working on.
Jim Mills
VTCI # 8071
VTCI 1964-66 Technical Editor
2002 Thunderbird
1965 Convertible
1962 Convertible (in progress)
1959 Ford Retractable HT
Many parts cars
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