Re: IML: 1968 Crown Convert - dashboard lighting and headlights

["Bill Watson" <wwatson5@xxxxxxxxx>]

Not sure about the 1968 Imperial, but on some cars it is necessary to remove
the headlamp door (that part of the grille around the headlamp).  Usually if
the grille is one or two pieces with no separate 'doors', there is enough
room around the headlamp to work.  If the car does have a headlamp door and
you find the working area a little tight in accessing the screws around the
headlamp ring, take the time to remove the headlamp door.   A little extra
work at the beginning and end, but it does reduce the work time, cussing,
missing  screws, and lost blood in the long run. It is held in place by a
number of Philips-head screws.

Around the rim of the headlamp itself you should find a total of 5
Philips-head screws.   Also note there is a shiny, metal rim around the
headlamp with a plain metal unit behind it.  The plain metal unit is the
headlamp seat and cradles the headlamp while the shiny metal rim is the
headlamp ring that actually holds the headlamp in place.

Note that three of the screws go through small tabs attached to the headlamp
ring and two do not.  The two that do not go through the headlamp ring tabs
are screwed through the headlamp seat and into a nylon block with a spring
attached to it.  There will be one at the 12 o'clock position and one at the
3 o'clock.  These are used to adjust the headlamps.  Try not to disturb
these screws as it will affect the headlamp aim and what you will, and will
not, see at night..

Looking closely at the headlamp rim around the headlamp note that the other
three screws are in slots with a large round hole to one side of the screw.
These three screws are the ones you need to loosen.  Once the three screws
are loose, you can turn the ring and it should come off by lining up the
round holes with the screw heads.  (And now you know why the holes are
there.)   If you have any problems, the screws can be removed completely,
although you increase the possibility of them getting lost in the dust.
Also, the three screws are not equidistant from each other so the ring goes
on only one way.

If you are removing headlamps from a car with square or rectangular
headlamps,.by the way, there will be four screws, one at each corner,
holding the headlamp ring in place.  All four must be removed completely to
remove the ring and headlamp.

The removal of the headlamp ring may take a little bit of effort as the
screws have been in place for a number of years, no doubt.  Place pressure
onto the screwdriver  forcing it into the screwhead as you try to remove the
screw.  You will probably hear a crack sound as the screw breaks loose from
umpteen years of accumulated dust, grime and rust .  A little bit of Liquid
Wrench or a similar product before removing the screws will help clean some
of the grime and make removal a little easier.

Once the ring has been removed, the headlamp will come out, if it hasn't
fallen out already.  Remove the headlamp from the electrical connector at
the back and place the connector on the new unit.  The outer units are
low-high beam units and have three pins on the back of the headlamps.  The
inner unit are high beam only and have a two pin connection.  Thus the two
cannot be mixed up.  Place the headlamp back into the headlamp seat, noting
that the front lens is marked "top" at some point, and place the headlamp
ring back in place.

You could put a little white grease on each screw as you tighen them up
again.  That will help next time you need to replace a unit.

Replace the headlamp door if removed.

Turn on headlamps, low beam and high beam, to check installation was
successful.

Bill
Vancouver, BC


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Crestonave@xxxxxxx
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Saturday, August 26, 2006 2:09 PM
Subject: IML: 1968 Crown Convert - dashboard lighting and headlights


Greetings and Salutations:

Thanks to those who responded to my request for help re the non-illumination
of my instrument panel on my 1968 Crown Convert. After further review it
appears that the panel knob does work because it does turn the rear interior
lights (slightly above seat level) on and off. So I guess I'm gonna proceed
to pull the instrument cluster to see what else is going on in there. I'm
sure I'll be back for more advice, hopefully not in a panic.

Here's a really dumb new question. Couple of years ago I bought the
Chrysler/Imperial service  manual figuring that it would answer many routine
questions about things I'd like to deal with on the car. Yeah, right! I'm
confused as to how to get the headlights out so I can replace the sealed
beams. I can see what I believe are the adjustment/aiming screws. a
retaining ring and other sheet-metal type screws. The heads of the sheet
metal screws point toward the grille. Do I have to remove these and what the
heck to I use to remove them with. Can someone talk me through this?

Thanks so much!
Tom (Lawn Guyland, New York)
1968 Crown convert & 1960 New Yorker Coupe



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