8 inch Headlights

[searunner]

I don't understand how they are supposed to be attached to the L140 buckets.
Am I still missing some kind of clips or something?

My EARLY (0433)MG TC have the 8" L140 from the origin- I recently have modified it with LED (double step lamps)
Here with some photos
https://photos.app.goo.gl/334nGkgCULi1oia18
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Cn9SvsYeyLi4FtaM8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/2ba33614nJ3bPdz5A
https://photos.app.goo.gl/KwHLsGoZFM1syzLY6
Mod reduced the consumption from 10A each to 1A each -a big advantage for MG TC night drive
https://photos.app.goo.gl/RvZ2j14iDJS4Jesd8

On the lower part of the inside lamp body- there are a braket for a little spring, that have one specific hook at the other side that connect the headlight body to the frame - to assure the stability of the circular frame, during the road drive.
probably the original hook is impossible to retrieve - BUT a handmake hook is easy to make and do the same work

I remember that in CECOSLOVAKIA there was one artisan that produced the 8" lens -I hope to retrive the web site address
and revert soon to help the MG TA community

[Franz Tenbrock]

Hi Andrea
what is the socket of the lamp called so i can search for

all ok in Intaly ?
Regards
Franz

[bloodysalmon]

Hi searunner, do you realise you have your L140 lenses on upside down! They should show them as a 'U'

[Rob Reilly]

Success, I very carefully bent down the tabs, and now they grip the edge of the buckets as they were supposed to.

IMG_20211226_154000941.jpg (65.7 KiB) Viewed 3453 times

I found that, though brass is flexible, chromium is brittle, it flaked and broke off at the bends of the tabs, but this won't show under the rims.
I think whoever removed these reflectors from their original buckets must have done it by bending the tabs back. He didn't read the instructions stamped in the buckets.
TO REMOVE REFLECTOR LIFT CORK REMOVE SCREW TURN REFLECTOR UNTIL "Os" MEET
There is a letter O stamped at 12 o'clock in the reflector and the bucket.

Now I can confidently take the buckets and rims to the plater.
Here is the correct orientation of the lens, like a letter U, not a croquet hoop.

headlight.jpg (7.65 KiB) Viewed 3453 times

There is a notch in the bottom of the lens to align with the chrome tab at the bottom of the rim.

[bloodysalmon]

... don't forget to replace with new cork strips! I make mine from a flat piece of cork and cut them in cycles ...

[Rob Reilly]

Yep, Frame Up included cork seals. I got to wondering if there should be a thin rubber seal between the reflector and bucket?

Next question, how to take these support discs and posts apart? The clip is spot welded in.

They were painted black inside and out, and were riveted in, so I'm sure have never been removed. But there seems to be some plating on them. Doesn't look like chrome, may be cadmium or something that sort of held up protected under the black paint. What have others done? Paint them black or chrome plate?

[bloodysalmon]

to get the bolt out you have to bend the tab backwards, not easy as its quite thick and does need a bit of force/leverage

again, the coverage of these bases depends on its application to which vehicle a L140 is fitted too. Generally the pre-war had the bowl/bases painted body colour with the TC's fully chromed base and all. However what happened between the TA in 1937 to the 1st TC in 1945 who knows ...

[Rob Reilly]

Ok thanks, that makes sense, they were painted after spot welding, and the piece inside would not show so it was just painted. No need to take the post out then, I'll paint them black.

[Ray White]

When it came to reassembly I felt there was a risk that fitting rivets could damage newly chrome plated headlamp bowls. I therefore chose to use roundhead slotted screws and nuts which I painted black.

I am please with the result... but for anyone concerned about the finest of details, the slots in the heads of the screws could be filled before painting and they would then look like rivets!

[Steve Simmons]

I'd be nervous too, but the factory did it so there must be a way to get them in safely. As an alternative, what about using carriage bolts instead? Stainless steel, turned on a lathe (or other method) to remove any raised markings. They also sell threaded rivets but I don't know if they sell them that large.

[Ray White]

Good point Steve. I once bought 6mm stainless steel coach bolts for attaching a newly chromed radiator shell to it's support brackets. (1926 Dodge Brothers). I polished the rivet heads and by carefully filing the round holes in the shell to accept a square shank I was able to fit the coach bolts and avoid damage to the plating. You couldn't tell they were not plated rivets.
In opting for round head slot screws for the headlamps the bowls remain undamaged and could be riveted by some future owner should they so wish.

[jddevel]

I`ve bought some of these off a auction site. Not fitted them yet but optimistic that it will look the part against the newly chromed shells. They are used it leather work and with a bit of loctite should hold. Am also looking into vinyl wrap to see if it will work in the reflectors. The place they were rechromed don`t do resilvering so I though an experiment is called for to start with. Anyone tried it? converting to LEDs so not sure about consequences of heat.

[Ray White]

I`ve bought some of these off a auction site. Not fitted them yet but optimistic that it will look the part against the newly chromed shells. They are used it leather work and with a bit of loctite should hold. Am also looking into vinyl wrap to see if it will work in the reflectors. The place they were rechromed don`t do resilvering so I though an experiment is called for to start with. Anyone tried it? converting to LEDs so not sure about consequences of heat.

Contrary to popular opinion, the reflectors can be chrome plated with excellent long lasting results.

[jddevel]

So I understand. However being a cheap skate I thought because there are other items I wish to deal with e.g hand brake and some other small items I`d give it a try. If the reflectors are a failure then I`ll have to pay the £110 to get the reflectors re-chromed.

[i.thomson]

If you don't use the car at night much reinstate the original, but with a proper twin filament dip arrangement on both sides. If you do use it at night a lot your only real choice is to find a pair of reducers so that you have more choice of 7in. setups. The reducers used to be a common upgrade so they are still to be found if you persevere. Sealed beam units are still available for a 7in. setup but are hardly better than the 8in. originals. US readers will recommend sealed beams but this is because their car industry was hidebound by regulations which required them long after we had moved on to better things. 7in units will however be able to take halogens which will give you a much better output. Don't listen to the doomsayers who will tell you that they put a strain on the system. A propely maintained original system is perfectly capable of coping. You could use the modern LED bulbs in these units, and that would lessen the current draw, but they are expensive, not legal for use in units which were not designed for them and are likely to give a less than ideal beam pattern which is likely to increase glare for oncoming cars. Get your reflectors silver plated. Keith Ardley is the man if you can find where he has moved to and if he has not retired. The "W" clips are fairly well available (Kieth will certainly have them) but a trip to a garden centre for the clips which hold in greenhouse glass will do with a bit of easing. They are cheaper too.

Ian

[Ray White]

When I last spoke to Keith Ardley he had only moved next door!

He was still doing silvering but had reduced his other workload.

[Duncan M]

If I am not mistaken, silvering is not brittle and prone to flaking as Rob described above with chrome. I have had good results brightening up silvering with CLR product. Soak for a few minutes and then rinse well with water. No rubbing. Never as bright as new silvering, though.

[Ray White]

If I am not mistaken, silvering is not brittle and prone to flaking as Rob described above with chrome. I have had good results brightening up silvering with CLR product. Soak for a few minutes and then rinse well with water. No rubbing. Never as bright as new silvering, though.

I have just received my newly re silvered reflectors - and to be honest - while they are probably O.K. I am not sure they are quite as bright as others I have had done in the past. They are not too bad though so I will not make a fuss.

[Rob Reilly]

The package from Frame Up included nuts and round head bolts for attaching the bases. I don't care about concours. Their customers generally feel the same, no need for rivets.
I imagine Lucas used copper rivets because it was cheaper and faster on the production line, where time is money, not likely to loosen up and fall out with vibration, and they figured nobody would ever want to remove them to restore these lamps anyway.
So I will have a twin filament bulb on each side now.
The chrome flaking I mentioned occurred only at the tabs where I bent them, nowhere else.
Frame Up said nobody re-silvers anymore here, all their business is chrome.

[Steve Simmons]

If you want the best light reflection, have them aluminum coated. It will look similar to original, last much longer than silver, and although it reflects slightly less light than silver, it will reflect a LOT more light than chroming. About 30% more, in fact. Result, brighter headlamps.

They used to use silver on telescope mirrors but today aluminum is mostly used, along with special top coats to make them even more reflective and longer lasting. You can still get silver coating done, if you really want it.