Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:39:15 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Mounting SA Grille Inner Lights
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=response
regarding mounting the headlight buckets to the vanagon body solidly..
one could also use a 'bedding compound' ..
something pliable to fill in uneven areas..
to help 'stick' the thing in place..
to seal out moisture , etc.
nothing too permanent of course.
The Right Stuff would be about right ...a very thin bead..
helps seat everything, hold it in place, yet comes apart easily when needed.
on a boat ..any cleat or deck fitting is mounted with screws or
through-bolts and *always* a bedding compound of some sort. It only makes
sense.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Rodgers" <inua@CHARTER.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, August 22, 2011 8:26 AM
Subject: Re: Mounting SA Grille Inner Lights
> Some concern has been expressed about vibration loosening up the
> screws and the lights getting out of alignment. This won't happen
> because there are four screws put in for each light. Only two screw
> holes are enlarged, leaving the other two exactly the size of the screw.
> Once those two screws are put in place, the light mount will not move.
> If there is any insecurity about this, then it is easy enough to put in
> another screw or two.
>
> Since I did this, I have realized that I could have simply drilled a
> single hole - aligned with the factory holes but bigger in diameter -
> centered in both the upper and lower mount bracket, and used this to set
> the light in the right position, using the same concept of the screws
> being tight - but not so tight I could not move the light with some
> pressure from my fingers. Once in place, the grille is removed, the two
> screws tightened, and the existing factory holes in the frame used as a
> guide to drill new holes in the vehicle body. Once mounted, those two
> center screws could be removed. Doing it this way, the factory screw
> holes are not modified, but left intact.
>
> But that whole business of trying to tape the lights in place to get the
> new screw holes right is anathema.
>
> John
>
> John Rodgers
> Clayartist and Moldmaker
> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
> Chelsea, AL
> Http://www.moldhaus.com
>
>
> On 8/22/2011 1:49 AM, Aristotle Sagan wrote:
>> You are not worried vibrations gonna knock them out of wack eventually?
>>
>> tim in san jose
>>
>> On Sun, Aug 21, 2011 at 9:24 PM, John Rodgers <inua@charter.net
>> <mailto:inua@charter.net>> wrote:
>>
>> I have finally gotten around to installing the VW South African
>> grille
>> on my van. When attempting to install the lights, I found the the
>> alignment issue to be a royal PITA!.
>>
>> On my van, I needed to drill new holes for the inner light mounts,
>> since
>> the old ones didn't match. To position the lights, they have to be
>> put
>> in place, then the grille installed, the lights positioned, then the
>> lights held in position and the grille removed. Then the new holes
>> drilled. I've got news! Holding the lights so they don't move while
>> screwing around with that grille is almost if not outright
>> impossible.
>> The light would move slightly every time, and then would be wonky
>> inside
>> the grille when the grille was again mounted. I had to find a way
>> around
>> this.
>>
>> The solution:
>> I set the lights in as near the correct position as possible, then
>> drilled one upper hole and one lower hole diagonally opposite. Next,
>> I
>> dismounted the light, and drilled the holes in the mount that were
>> diagonally opposite to match those just drilled in the body. I then
>> remounted the lights. I installed a screw in each enlarged hole, and
>> snugged it down just ever so slightly. This put pressure on the
>> mount so
>> it would not move, yet not so tight that I could NOT move it. The
>> enlarged holes allowed me to move the light mount left and right,
>> up and
>> down just a little bit. I then mounted the grille, and with modest
>> finger pressure, positioned the light exactly in the center of the
>> grille light opening. The enlarged holes allowed me to do this. I
>> removed the grille, and the lights stayed put. I just tightened the
>> screws, then added the other two, and was done.
>>
>> This method was far easier than anything I saw described
>> elsewhere, and
>> the fact that two screws are through slightly larger holes in the
>> light
>> mount matters not a whit. One can always throw in an extra screw
>> here or
>> there if needed.
>>
>> Hope this helps someone else trying to mount the SA Grille Inner
>> Lights.
>>
>> John
>>
>> --
>> John Rodgers
>> Clayartist and Moldmaker
>> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
>> Chelsea, AL
>> Http://www.moldhaus.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Where ever you are, there you be. Unless you're driving my van, in
>> which case, you ain't got there yet.
|