Discussion Forum - Northstar Chevelle Club

ghaasl · Active Member

Added to the list of spring projects…..

Lost in the 60s · President

You may find that once you wrestle the radio out, the speaker may be right there, accessible...

Head light blinking...can you cause this by tapping it firmly with a fist? or does it need a stronger jolt, like from a pot hole ? If a fist will cause it, it's probably the filament broken, but laying against the other side. Anything else will need the plug wiring inspected for a loose/broken connection, OR the ground wire is corroded and not making good contact with the core support.

Coolant leak... Without a pressure tester, this can be frustrating to find, but there are telltale signs of certain places and components to check first. All depends on where the drip is coming from.

No heat ? It appears your garage is finished and probably insulated. I have one of these and it will be warm enough to work in 10-12 minutes and you can wear your summer attire of t-shirt, shorts and sandals in 30 minutes. No need to wait for spring to work on your car... It runs on the same propane tank as your grill.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200932278_200932278

Lost in the 60s · President

Actually, these are nice too, just more localized to an area. The plus is, no jet engine noise or fan blowing.

https://www.northerntool.com/images/product/200x200/174/174335_200x200.jpg

ghaasl · Active Member

Mitch-

I think the coolant is leaking from the thermostat housing. It pools up in the air gap portion of my intake. Intake gaskets are dry. I noticed it at SMN and tightened the hose clamp. That stopped it from getting on the valve covers and alternator bracket. Still pooling under the intake runners. As far as the light, tapping on the light, pushing the bezel, etc makes it go out. I’d bet you’re right with the bulb being shot. Any idea where to find sealed beam lights? Or, should I go with modern LEDs front and back? Decisions decisions.

Lost in the 60s · President

Very common for the housing to leak. It gets warped from the 2 bolts getting over tightened. I've saved a number of OEM housings with a file followed by a flat block and 220 sand paper. You can buy new ones too, but they all come from overseas and don't seal all that well either.
Headlights. Auto stores don't stock much but show them on their web pages and can bring them in from warehouses. I use Halogen for better light and by adding relays and wiring the headlights direct to battery power, the lights get much brighter too. Right now ALL the voltage goes thru the switch and they get dimmer with age, kind of like us old farts.
LED lights are better and they may require the relay upgrade to run on full 12 volts. You can get all kinds of fancy stuff with them, like outer rings that change color and can be used as running lights and turn signals.
All depends on what you want your car to look like.

ghaasl · Active Member

I’ll most likely go the relay route and sealed beam. I’m going to try to save my housing with the file and honing stone trick. Then some well placed blue RTV for good measure. Thanks for the advice!

Lost in the 60s · President

Don't use the stone for the final finish on the aluminum. I like the slight "tooth" the 220 leaves to grip the gasket and I don't use rtv. Get the Blue Fel-Pro gasket and it will have sealant on it. The cheap gaskets, ESPECIALLY the one with adhesive on one side is a guaranteed disaster.