Sealed Beam Headlights or Halogen

[CadDad]

 Hi Guys,
  Well I thought I was about done with all the issues on my 55 when the other night I was driving and switched on the brights on the 55. Not quite done.... the passenger side high beam was out. I remember years ago I could get a sealed beam ( non halogen) about anywhere. I looked today and could only find halogen sealed beams. What do you guys think?? Is there a place where you can get the old styled sealed beams?? Are halogens what everyone is going to now? I would figure that they would be a lot for a generating system from 55. Let me know. Thanks!  Paul

[Mike Josephic CLC #3877]

I know of a number of people who have installed halogen bulbs without a problem.
Unless it's a show car, install the halogens.  A friend of mine has them on his '55.

Old sealed beams (unless you are after "collector pieces" which are quite expensive)
are about gone.  If you're really set on that, try searching the internet -- somebody
likely has them available.

Mike

[Otto Skorzeny]

I've been using Halogen sealed beam bulbs in my '56 daily driver since I bought it in '01. No stress on the electrical system and they are exceptional at night. They were developed as replacements for regular sealed beam systems so I don't think the power draw is terribly greater if at all.

[CadDad]

Thanks!!

[Misfit]

Hey guys,

Are we talking about plain Jane sealed headlights? Part #6014 bubs??   Dime a dozen for these,

http://search.ebay.com/220419401843

My local parts house has a shelf full of them.

I went to Halogens on both the '59 and the '76. When you kick on the high beams in the '59, you can see for miles. Those round light assemblies put the rectangular ones to shame. I would never go back to regular headlights again.

MisFit

[Fred Zwicker #23106]

I put a set of Halogens in my 1966 Cadillac DeVille convertible and unless you look closely you cannot tell the difference. I bought them at NAPA and they do a great job.  I would not go back to regular sealed beams unless I was entering the car in stiiff judging.

Fred

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Once you have driven with Halogens, you will never ever go back to the originals.

And I also install Aircraft Landing Lights in the High Beam only inner buckets.   The big problem with these is that one must turn off the Guidematic as you are blinding the vehicles coming from the opposite direction way before the sensor automatically dips the lights.

Bruce.

[STDog]

I use halogen for the High beam on the four bulb vehicles.

The halogen bulbs actually draw less current, as the reduced the electric power demand to keep the light level close to the same.


But after some research, I'm using non halogen bulbs for the low beams. They have a better light dispersal pattern.
And, the older the bulb the better (unless used) as they didn't keep the tooling in good shape. So the reflector part of the bulb is not made to the same accuracy as the older bulbs. That is true of nearly all the halogen bulbs too, as they reused the old tooling but demand was low enough that they didn't maintain it well.

One thing that is worth while is to add relays for the headlights. The old design routs power through the fuse box and the light switch. It's a long way from the battery to the switch and back to the lights. Reduced voltage to the bulbs severely hinders their performance. Even a small drop in voltage to the bulb has a big effect on the light output. (I don't have my notes handy to get the numbers)

Test it some time. Car running, on fast idle (so the alt/gen is well into the operating range), lights on low. Measure the voltage at the batter terminals then with the + at the bulb (leaving the ground at the battery). Repeat with high beams.

Relays, with the old wires to control the relay, and power straight from the battery/alt/gen ill get full voltage to the bulbs.
I can really tell the difference in my '70 and I had replaced the engine wiring harness. Compared to my brother-in-laws '72, with original harness is was even more dramatic.

I could also tell the difference in the newer halogen low beams and the old non-halogen units when I installed them.

I had previously made sure the lights were aimed properly too (I have a Hoppy aiming set), which can make a big difference.

[Guidematic]

Halogens are superior. They offer a much better and stronger beam.

It's a safety measure, so it could mean the difference of you spotting something or not, and having to tow your car home after a wreck that you may have avoided using halogens.

End of story.

Mike

[STDog]

I'll disagree. I've seen the light dispersal measurement of the bulbs.
I cannot find them now, but the 5.75" halogen low beams have a horrible pattern.
(I've lost some old emails, and this was in late 2005/early 2006)


On the subject of relays and voltage at the bulbs:

In many cases, the thin factory wires are inadequate even for the
stock headlamp equipment. Headlamp bulb light output is severely
compromised with decreased voltage. For example, normal
engine-running voltage in a "12-volt" automotive electrical system is
around 13.5 volts. At approximately this voltage, halogen headlamp
bulbs achieve 100 percent of their design luminous output. When
operating voltage drops to 95 percent (12.825v), headlamp bulbs
produce only 83 percent of their rated light output. When voltage
drops to 90 percent (12.15v), bulb output is only 67 percent of what it
should be. And when voltage drops to 85 percent (11.475v), bulb
output is a paltry 53 percent of normal!

http://dsl.torque.net/images/Relays.pdf


I have a Hoppy B4A stup. Basically this one, without the case and video.

[Guidematic]

I have one of those as well, but do not have the manual that outlines setting for the floor level. They are the standard of the industry, and I have used them since I was an apprentice 30 years ago.

Mike

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

I do it the old fashioned way.   I go out to a country road and adjust mine.

Plus, I keep an eye on the rear of cars I am following, and see where the low beams strike the car.   Too high and I lower it, too low, and I raise it.

Bruce.

[STDog]

I have one of those as well, but do not have the manual that outlines setting for the floor level. They are the standard of the industry, and I have used them since I was an apprentice 30 years ago.

Do you have the separate floor level meter (as shown in the '70 FSM) and/or the light meter?

The manual is available online.
http://www.hoppyaimers.com/manuals/b4a_manual_full_file.pdf

As for standard, not anymore. The latest vehicles don't have the guide bumps needed to use it.
New optical only systems have to be used.
http://www.hoppyaimers.com/va25.htm
http://www.hoppyaimers.com/v100.htm

I do it the old fashioned way.   I go out to a country road and adjust mine.

Very inaccurate. That's worse than using a wall with the proper markings to aim them.
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Very inaccurate. That's worse than using a wall with the proper markings to aim them.   

I disagree as when one is sitting in the car, the car is slightly tilted to one side, because of the weight on the driver, especially a heavy one.   And a lot depends on the night driving practices of the operator.   Are you carrying passengers, luggage, etc.

You can only use the Wall Method when one has base measurements to work from, unless one has the vehicle set up correctly, then goes to the Wall and marks it accordingly.

Bruce.

[STDog]

Bruce, agreed. You should have a normal load and distribution in the vehicle when aiming, including driver weight if it makes a difference (though I suspect the springs may need replaced it that makes much of a difference).
Not the link I posted says to have the tank half full. That's sets the light to the mid point, and a full tank will raise them and an empty tank will lower them (unless you have a leveling system)

As to measurements, see the link above. You just need the height of the bulbs from the ground and the distance between them. Both are easily measured.

[grinch]

I just installed 4 new halogens in my '68.  Had T3s in it.  HUUUUUGE  (WNY reference) difference in visibility.  But mine's not a show car.  I drive it and enjoy it.  It doesn't have paint yet.  My favorite time in a resto.  Not a care in the world.  After the paint?  I'm going to cry at the first door ding. 

On a separate note, when I was doing NC state inspections it was standard procedure to have markings on the wall at 50 ft, I believe, off of a level floor.  Most shops couldn't do it because they weren't 50 ft long, so they had to use aimers.  The vehicles' headlight  height didn't really come into play.  I never did, however, do commercial vehicles.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

I disagree as when one is sitting in the car, the car is slightly tilted to one side, because of the weight on the driver, especially a heavy one. 
Bruce.  

Stick 250 Pounds on one side and see what happens.   Yes, it does go down.

Bruce.

PS.   Note to self, "adjust Torsion Bar with self sitting on Left Side".   LHD in a RHD Country really brings the Left side lower to the road.   Camber of the road and all that.

[grinch]

Not to get too far off topic (too late?), but I do not envy you at all.  We went to Ireland two years ago.  I cleared a lot of  weeds off the roadside trying to gauge the LH shoulder.  Even tried Dublin for a week or so.   Amazed we lived through it. 

[STDog]

I just installed 4 new halogens in my '68.  Had T3s in it. 

How long had those T3s been in there? They do age with use.
That's why you can tell when someone changes only one bulb, it's noticeably brighter than the others.

HUUUUUGE  (WNY reference) difference in visibility.

That can be misleading too. You know those "daylight" bulbs are bad for visibility? They might look brighter, but often they have a lower light density.
HID bulbs are even worse.
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/blue/bad/bad.html
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/blue/good/good.html
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/superwhite/superwhite.html
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/disadvantages/disadvantages.html

Yellow is actually a better color for night vision.
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/lights/light_color/light_color.html

I don't like flashlights with "bright white" LEDs either. While they look brighter, and light up great real close, they never cast the beam very far.

[Guidematic]

I have used halogens in all my cars since they became popular 25 years ago. A drive down a country road at night will certainly illustrate how important good lighting is. All the gobbldy gook about weather this or that is better than this means not a thing if you can't see where you are going.

Aiming is also very important. Even with the halogen composites on my '88 Eldo, I couldn't see a thing after dark on a country road. I aimed the lights and it made a world of differance. BTW, loading the rear of the car with a functioning rear auto level control is unecessary.

Mike