Right front indicator and hazard not working

[John1500Spit]

Noticed these had stopped working at the weekend. All other lights are fine. So are the bulbs. So I decided, with the help of the Haynes manual to remove the whole lamp to check the wires behind were OK. The manual shows its fixed to the bodywork with screws but it isn't, it looks like two round bolts (hopefully pic attached). ????

Any suggestions on how to deal with this? I haven't tried pliers yet.

Thanks in hopeful anticipation.

 

[Colin Lindsay]

Those are just threaded bolt-like rods, should be bolted in behind, two nuts which a socket should reach. The other holes are for the covering glass and chrome rim. 

[Gully]

Probably an earthing fault - those two bolts provide the earth connection to the body. Mine have had an additional earth wire added back to the loom as I have fibreglass valance panels.

Gully

[John1500Spit]

Thanks for those. One side is a little loose so I'll try tightening it up first to see if that does anything. If not, I'll see about taking it off. A job for after dinner I think. Let you know the results.

Thanks again.

[John1500Spit]

Thanks very much. It's now working again, but accessing the bolts was a nightmare. There must be an simpler way to get at them. Is there anything that makes it easier (for when I replace the whole unit)?

Appreciated the help.

[Pete Lewis]

you could knock the studs out of the lamp base   and   fit rivnuts in the body 

and grease the screws you use 

Pete

[chrishawley]

The precisely correct nut for the sidelights on Spit/GT6 is the cage nut taking a No.10 unf pan phillips setscrew. Clips  over the lip of the light aperture in the Q.valance. (Part FZ3404).  Means that the light unit is just screwed in from the front. So no fishing round the back for a nut.

Hard to obtain now but Bresco do an M5 version which  will be very close. I suppose, at worst, it would be possible to use a a J-nut (or U-nut or spire nut) with a self tapping screw - cheap, cheerful but would horrify purists!!!

[Colin Lindsay]

That won't work on that version of sidelight, as you can't turn the actual threaded 'bolt' that goes into it. Heralds are the same except their fittings to the bonnet are in line with the outer glass and trim screws, not offset up and down as the Spitfire versions are, so you have to put the nut on from behind. I've seen both versions for GT6 / Spitfire, with spire nuts and without, so there must be some variation in the method of fixing used.

[chrishawley]

16 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

That won't work on that version of sidelight

Indeed so. It's does appear that repro L677 units are now mostly sold with captive studs (unlike 'naked' versions as per photo); but would so soooo difficult to fit to spit4/5/GT6-3 given the double skin construction of the valances. Maybe it would come down to pressing or drilling out the studs if no alternative.

How about earth return? A Spit 1500 would have a retrun earth wire as per photo but presumably not on, say, Heralds (???). 

 

 

[Colin Lindsay]

Heralds have a 'dual' system whereby there are four screw holes through the bonnet' so two holes for the backplate, fitted first, then two for the glass and chrome trim, fitted last but all screw through the bonnet, although the holes are in line and not up/down as in the other models. (Can't remember if it's spire clips or nuts, could be both!!) They must be good enough for an earth connection without extra cabling. I'd agree with pressing out the captive bolts and replacing with setscrews for the GT6, it makes sense and would be an awful lot easier.