Thread: Followed Me Home, '33 Build

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Today I got into the header problem, and I'm pretty happy with my result, having never tackled headers before. I wasted one "J-tube" having to re-fab my back pipe once, but I can handle $15 for a replacement. Here are some shots of side one - the challenge now is to make side 2 match.... No comments on the "duct tape welds" on the megaphone - I have not cut the primary holes in the megaphones yet, so I cannot tack them into place yet...

Well, tonight was one of those "DOH" moments - the kind one probably should keep to themselves, but that might also help someone else through the "..what's going on???" moment. I got my passenger side header back first, bolted it on to see how it looked, then took it loose to close the door and mark the cut line for door clearance - a critical issue on suicide doors. The cut line is at 2" from the end, which is OK but quite a bit more than I expected having not measured it before. Tonight I get the drivers side back, bolt it on, same drill, and the cut line is at 1/2"!! WTF??

Now logic says that the passenger side on a SBF is the lead bank, and that head sits about an inch farther forward, so what's going on?? I should have plenty of clearance on the passenger side if I only need 1/2" on the driver's, right?? Well, after looking at it a while one realizes that the heads are interchangable side to side, so the pattern of exhaust/plug/exhaust/plug on the driver's side becomes plug/exhaust/plug/exhaust on the passenger front to back. The back primary on the driver's side is 2.75" from the cowl, while the same pipe on the passenger side is only 1.25", a difference of 1.5" even considering the lead cylinder difference! Now it all makes sense, but it makes it even more critical to consider the total offset side to side relative to the doors on outside pipes, unless they run low beneath the door line. Thought this one was going to make me crazy, and not sure it didn't....

Headlights - Lemons to Lemonade
I mentioned in another thread that I had managed to break one of my AutoLoc SnakeEye headlights. Recall I was looking for a lamp assembly that would give me H4 headlights, parking lamp and turn signal functions, and that Vintiques does have a set of inserts that provide that by putting a 3157 bulb into the main headlight bucket. (Thanks John Palmer for that lead!!) They are still a flat lens lamp rather than the OEM domed sealed beam. Here's what I ended up with instead.
(Note: I don't find a feature to place attachments inline, one by one, so they are lumped at the bottom. Also, due to the five file limit this message will be split into two parts.)
To start, this is the SnakeEye lamp, which had a crystal clear lens that shows the reflector and domed "snake eye" in the center. I was never overjoyed with the "modern look" of these, but I loved the idea of integrated turn signals and not having to add more junk to the front of the '33.
After looking at the lamp I went hunting for another socket for a 194A bulb, but was not having any luck finding anything but the OEM insert and twist type sockets, or a socket that could be glued in place leaving no access for future bulb changes. Since the light was trash at this point, my approach was to perhaps cut out the turn signal port and graft in a second tube, but I could not find that type of rubber socket anywhere. Speedway offers a neat little LED unit that can be added to an H4 headlight to provide a turn signal indicator, but their listing stated specifically that it would not work with their SnakeEye headlights.

I decided to sacrifice an old 201 sealed beam that I had pulled from my Jeep a few years back, to see if I could indeed remove the lens and possibly graft it onto the Snake Eye light, as described in the June 2010 Rod & Custom for a quad headlight installation. Using a new metal cutoff wheel in the angle grinder, safety glasses, gloves and dust mask I started a careful grind, moving around the lamp at the joint line. As stated in the article, after only about two or three minutes and 1/16" of grinding I was holding a sealed beam lens in hand!!

I sanded the mating edge smooth, put a slight chamfer on the plastic rim of the Snake Eye, and I now had a H4 light with turn signal section at the bottom, hidden behind a standard sealed beam! Looking at the SnakeEye without the lens I suddenly realized that the reason the Mr Roadster LED insert would not work with this light is simply due to the fact that the "snake eye" dome legs occupy the space required by the LED mounting ring so I ordered a set and had them in hand the next day (great Speedway delivery service!!).

(Continued....)

(Part 2)

That snake eye dome has no function other than looks, and behind a sealed beam lens it is not even going to be visible. I took it out, test fit the LED and Eureka!! it fit great!! Note the "dust" on the reflector which all be cleaned up before final assembly.

The little amber LED is direction sensitive, so it needs to be pointed parallel to the H4 bulb to hit the lens straight, and it is going to feel the direct heat of the H4 bulb but all of the wiring is back behind so I'm hoping it works OK - this is the intended use and installation orientation. The LED is not really bright, but in a dark shop it gives the headlight a sweet amber glow, and the turn signal lights up bright in its segregated section at the bottom. Here's the back side, showing the wiring.

And here's one finished unit, awaiting high temp silicone attachment after a thorough air blow and alcohol clean on the reflector and the inside of the lens, with the second one behind.

I really like the "traditional" sealed beam look, especially the domed lens of the original type lamps, and I really, really like having a three function lamp with the ability to easily service all three elements from the back. I may shop for a higher intensity LED for the parking lamp in the future, but for now I have something I like better than what I had, and it cost me $15.