Lighting

[ArdWrknTrk]

I think that's a good approach, Jim. Unfortunately that won't work very well for me. My fixtures are hard wired with conduit between them and then each one is screwed to the ceiling joist. So there'd be a lot more work changing the whole fixture out than this approach.

I'm anxious to get the first one done. I'll be able to lay the camera on the work table, probably directly below the joint between the new LED fixture and the old fluorescent one, and see if it shows us the difference.

I'm looking forward to your comparison shots.

Be careful up on the ladder.

[Machspeed]

Ok, I got my LED bulbs in today and started to install them, only to realize I should have ordered the non-shunted tombstones. It took me a while to figure out what I had, but once I did it was obvious I needed those. They'll be here on Saturday.

If it would help anyone else I can scan in the instructions and explain what I found and why I needed those.

Gary, I bought tombstones for mine, but if you bought the same lights I did, and memory serves me, you can modify your existing tombstones that run power to the light. The back tombstones are merely holders to keep the bulb in place.

[Gary Lewis]

Gary, I bought tombstones for mine, but if you bought the same lights I did, and memory serves me, you can modify your existing tombstones that run power to the light. The back tombstones are merely holders to keep the bulb in place.

Jim - Please trust me, I am being careful on the ladder! Having fallen off of one ~10 years ago when building the shop and breaking my heel, I realize that if I were to break something not it would be far worse.

John - I thought I could mod these tombstones but can't, at least not easily. They are internally set up so that the pins are jumpered to each other, and I can't see a way to get them apart.

But since these bulbs are set up that power goes in on one end and the pins on the other are just to hold the bulb, the tombstones on that end don't matter.

[Machspeed]

Jim - Please trust me, I am being careful on the ladder! Having fallen off of one ~10 years ago when building the shop and breaking my heel, I realize that if I were to break something not it would be far worse.

John - I thought I could mod these tombstones but can't, at least not easily. They are internally set up so that the pins are jumpered to each other, and I can't see a way to get them apart.

But since these bulbs are set up that power goes in on one end and the pins on the other are just to hold the bulb, the tombstones on that end don't matter.

I spent a lot of time looking for matching tombstones for my existing lights. It was only after I started working on my units did I realize that I could have modified my existing tombstones. Yours may be different than mine though. Don't forget that those lights have a particular orientation in the fixture. They come with a sticker to aid in that and I wired all mine so that they kept the same orientation. After you get all that wired up, you won't believe the difference it will make in your shop. I promise, you'll be wishing you had done that a long time ago. You are cutting out those balances, correct?

Now, back to studying that headlight relay mod..............which reminds me! You state the following: "There are several vendors selling harness kits that do just that, but you can do it yourself if you are good with wiring, relays, etc. I did it for Dad's truck and it turned out well, but I have more money invested in it than the harnesses cost, so I don't think I would do it again."

In the above quote from you, are you saying that if you were to do it again, you would have gone with a vendor harness kit?

If you were to have gone with a vendor harness kit, what would you have chosen? I'm not finding a kit for our trucks, lots of GM stuff though.

 

 

[1986F150Six]

I spent a lot of time looking for matching tombstones for my existing lights. It was only after I started working on my units did I realize that I could have modified my existing tombstones. Yours may be different than mine though. Don't forget that those lights have a particular orientation in the fixture. They come with a sticker to aid in that and I wired all mine so that they kept the same orientation. After you get all that wired up, you won't believe the difference it will make in your shop. I promise, you'll be wishing you had done that a long time ago. You are cutting out those balances, correct?

Now, back to studying that headlight relay mod..............which reminds me! You state the following: "There are several vendors selling harness kits that do just that, but you can do it yourself if you are good with wiring, relays, etc. I did it for Dad's truck and it turned out well, but I have more money invested in it than the harnesses cost, so I don't think I would do it again."

In the above quote from you, are you saying that if you were to do it again, you would have gone with a vendor harness kit?

If you were to have gone with a vendor harness kit, what would you have chosen? I'm not finding a kit for our trucks, lots of GM stuff though.

 

This has worked well for 10+ years:

https://www.lmctruck.com/1980-96-ford/fd-1980-96-hd-headlight-harness

[Gary Lewis]

I spent a lot of time looking for matching tombstones for my existing lights. It was only after I started working on my units did I realize that I could have modified my existing tombstones. Yours may be different than mine though. Don't forget that those lights have a particular orientation in the fixture. They come with a sticker to aid in that and I wired all mine so that they kept the same orientation. After you get all that wired up, you won't believe the difference it will make in your shop. I promise, you'll be wishing you had done that a long time ago. You are cutting out those balances, correct?

Now, back to studying that headlight relay mod..............which reminds me! You state the following: "There are several vendors selling harness kits that do just that, but you can do it yourself if you are good with wiring, relays, etc. I did it for Dad's truck and it turned out well, but I have more money invested in it than the harnesses cost, so I don't think I would do it again."

In the above quote from you, are you saying that if you were to do it again, you would have gone with a vendor harness kit?

If you were to have gone with a vendor harness kit, what would you have chosen? I'm not finding a kit for our trucks, lots of GM stuff though.

 

My tombstones don't seem to come apart and the brass contact goes all the way around, from one pin to the other. Looks like they put it together and glued it, but even if I could get it apart I think the contact wouldn't work if I cut it in two. Plus, there's no way to connect to the 2nd contact as there's only one hole for a wire.

And yes, I did see the bulbs are directional. I'm cutting out the ballast and will wire all of them in so the bulbs all point the same way.

On the headlight relay harness, yes I'd buy one in if I were doing it today. (That's not 100% true as I just recently built my own for Big Blue, but it was in conjunction with all the other wiring and I wanted the relays in the power distribution box, which an aftermarket harness wouldn't do.) This one from LMC should work fine, although some have said it uses non-standard relays so if one goes bad you'll have to get a replacement from LMC. This one from JBG would also work.

[1986F150Six]

On the headlight relay harness, yes I'd buy one in if I were doing it today. (That's not 100% true as I just recently built my own for Big Blue, but it was in conjunction with all the other wiring and I wanted the relays in the power distribution box, which an aftermarket harness wouldn't do.) This one from LMC should work fine, although some have said it uses non-standard relays so if one goes bad you'll have to get a replacement from LMC. This one from JBG would also work.

That is correct. I purchased 2 replacement relays [one for my truck and the 2nd for my son's truck] @ ~$4.98 each, just in case. I have not needed either.

 

[Gary Lewis]

On the headlight relay harness, yes I'd buy one in if I were doing it today. (That's not 100% true as I just recently built my own for Big Blue, but it was in conjunction with all the other wiring and I wanted the relays in the power distribution box, which an aftermarket harness wouldn't do.) This one from LMC should work fine, although some have said it uses non-standard relays so if one goes bad you'll have to get a replacement from LMC. This one from JBG would also work.

That is correct. I purchased 2 replacement relays [one for my truck and the 2nd for my son's truck] @ ~$4.98 each, just in case. I have not needed either.

The replacement relay from JBG appears to be non-standard as well. It is a shame that the vendors and making them that way since it suggests you might want to carry a spare. Otherwise you could drop into any parts store and buy a Bosch-style relay if you needed one.

But, I guess that's a small price to pay. You could buy this Painful harness for $150 and it appears to use standard relays.

[1986F150Six]

You could buy this Painful harness for $150 and it appears to use standard relays.

From India?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hella-Universal-H4-Headlamp-Wiring-Harness-With-Relay-System-130-100W/383409066753?epid=16023754054&hash=item5944f61301:g:7PEAAOSwn~Jd~4FN

 

[Gary Lewis]

You could buy this Painful harness for $150 and it appears to use standard relays.

From India?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hella-Universal-H4-Headlamp-Wiring-Harness-With-Relay-System-130-100W/383409066753?epid=16023754054&hash=item5944f61301:g:7PEAAOSwn~Jd~4FN

I like that one, David. And while it is more expensive than either the LMC or JBG unit, it is 1/3 the price of the Painful one. And the use of what appears to be a standard relay would be appreciated.