<VV> RE:< VV> 61 Rampside tail lights

[Dan & Synde]

Hi Rex,

I used a Calterm socket, #8536.  What you do is remove the entire taillight
and uncrimp the old socket from the aluminum housing.  Fairly easy to do,
from the lamp side just take a stubby pair of needle nose pliers around the
socket to bend the crimped lip up, working your way around till the socket
comes loose.  The new socket will fit nicely in the hole and you can bend
the little tabs over that stick out to hold it in.  I also soldered a ground
wire to the outside of the socket but you can also just get a socket that
comes with a ground wire attached like an #8543.  I preferred the #8536
because the tabs were smaller and less likely to interfere with the bulb
(The bulb is in pretty tight quarters already in an FC tailight housing).
After installing the socket, I roughed up the aluminum housing and the back
of the taillight socket and used Devcon Plastic Steel to hold it in
permanently and seal it.  This had the added benefit of sealing the ground
wire connection as I removed some of the plating when I soldered it.
Replace the bulb with a good dose of dielectric grease and reinstall the
housing to the body.

Here's a site that has a good list of the sockets and what they look like.  
http://www.oemsurplus911.com/automotive/ligtsockets.htm

I was able to get my socket locally but you may find it easier to order.
Watchout for Connect-tite sockets, they are really cheap.  Calterm are good
ones.

Good Luck,

Dan Kling

1961 Greenbrier Deluxe, 4spd, 3.89  On the Road Again,  yeehaw :)
1963 Spyder, restored   4spd Saginaw
1967 Ultravan #299  Newest of the herd!! Almost killed me already!!


http://photos.yahoo.com/duchesskyra
A few pictures of the Greenbrier, UltraVan, engine and tranny tear down with
more to come! 


Rex said:

>Has anyone 
>replaced the sockets with one from a flaps, if so how did it work, 
>anything in paticular I should worry about.  Looks like removing the 
>old one without destroying the housing will be the biggest effort, any 
>tips would be appreciated.