Re: 5000s 9004 ->9007 lights

[brettd@tiac.net (Brett Dikeman)]

>Hi all,
>
>I've just gotten 2 nights of driving around with a 9007 bulb replacing the
>old 9004 bulb in the right lens of my 87 5000s. This is the plain jane
>version with the wider headlights with angled inside edge, as compared to
>the narrower TQ headlights with the aux. 'low' beams on the inside edge.
They isn't no aux. low beams!  You can sort of see a little with just them
on, but they're mostly parking lights or for use in morning/twilight for
safety+don't suck as much juice as headlights.  Otherwise, pretty useless.
I did ask once if you could do something to make them more useful, but
someone(Eric F?) said I'd make lots of friends in the oncoming trasffic :),
but I thought that you might be able to do something nifty with a different
bulb.  Maybe some time I'll tinker around with it.

>So the reflector design on the TQ might be different than the 5Ks and might
>not get a positive response.
I see what you're saying-looking at the turbo arrangement, the reflector is
slightly curved along the vertical axis, with the normal style curve along
the horz. axis(ie looks like a ")" if you're looking from the side and a
longer, greater curve if from the top.

Is there any kind of program that can help out with optical design?  I have
Raydream D.(piece of crap ver 3), and I was going to try and re-create the
reflector shape.  (Should work, shouldn't it?  Just have to get the bulb
right)

>
>The MAIN difference between the 9004 and 9007 bulbs are
>
> 9004: E-W filaments (filaments aligned perpendicular to vehicle travel)
> 9007: N-S filaments (like the H3 setup. Points in direction of travel)
This should reduce the glare for oncoming cars, because light is emitted
mostly to sides off reflector, right?

>
>The 3 leads for the bulbs differ in that the High beam hot feed and ground
>need to be swapped. AND 2 new grooves have to be machined into the plastic
>of the 9007 bulb base. Great for a Dremel. I used a drill.(only power-tool
>I had)
>
>Parking in front of a sloped lawn, I could see the 9007 setup gave a much
>bigger 'hot spot' than the old 9004 setup. The 9007 bulb I had also had
>lower filaments which meant I had to angle down the beam setting on the
>headlight. I also jury-rigged a 9004 t0 9007 adapter using a busted 9004
>bulb and a 9004 socket.
>It's now just plug and play except for adjusting the beam.
>
>I'm happier with the light output of the 9007 headlight combo. Especially
>considering the low cost. About $15 and all the soldering done indoors(read
>warm and dry)
>
>E-mail me if anyone wants the pinouts for the 9007 and the grooves. It's
>pretty easy to figgur out just by looking at the 004 and 007 bulbs closely.
>The upper filament is the low beam on both bulbs.
>
>Added benefit. The 9007 GE's were 55/65W as opposed to the general 45/64W
>output of the 9004's. 10W is a visible difference.
>Anyone want to try this non-invasive procedure on their 5KTq and report?

Sure, I'll give it a shot; no quattro, but 5kCST.  I'm wondering if this is
the way to go-I'm also going to try and open up the pass. side light to
clean the lens+reflectors which looks rather dirty.  Send me as best a
description as you possibly can on the mod's I need to do, and I do have a
moto-tool with almost all the attachments, so I might be able to whip
something up and post the results.
A long time ago I asked people about what to do with the fogging headlight
problem, and several of you said to cut it open with an exacto, clena/dry
it, and re-seal with the clear silicone gunk.  Any thing I should know
before I tackle this?

Hey-I was in U-do-it electronics, and I saw 9004 bulbs, 55w/65w bulbs.  Do
you still need the relays?  Also, will running both filaments for a biggie
high beam setting frazzle the bulb?  I would assume you'd have to use the
relays.  Interested because the pull towards you gives the high beam flash
that flashes _both_ filaments...

Thanks
Brett