1940 60 Fleetwood Headlight bucket gaskets?

[pauldridge]

I'm repainting the headlight buckets on my '40.  The whole headlight pod is attached to its backing plate/panel with three studs.  On my car, there is no gasket between the headlight bucket and the panel it attaches to.  Just seems strange to have metal-to-metal contact of these two painted surfaces.  I don't see any reference to a gasket in the Steele catalog.


Anyone have a thought?

Phil

[harry s]

Phil,  According to the Master Chassis & Body Parts Book there is a gasket between the light assembly and fender. There is also a rubber seal inside the headlight ring between it and the seal beam. I couldn't get the book open far enough to get it on the scanner.     Harry

[pauldridge]

Thanks Harry,

that would make sense.  Wonder if anyone has a source for those gaskets?

Phil

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Guys,
I don't ever remember a gasket, but maybe the old memory is getting foggy... Harry, what's the group & part #?
Bob

[Steve Passmore]

All the GMs Iv owned with head light pods have never had gaskets, probably to make sure of electrical ground for the lights . I like to fit one to save my paint then take a separate earth wire to the body.

[Terry Wenger]

Phil;


None of the '39's and 40's I have worked on or have seen had a gasket between the headlamp and the panel they mounted on. Neither the Master Parts book( March, 1942) illustration or the parts list shows one, in contrast to the taillight illustrations that do show gaskets.

Terry Wenger

[pauldridge]

Phil;
Actually on mine there IS a separate ground wire on the terminal buss.  Inside the bucket, the wire goes right to the headlight socket, and then externally to a solid ground

None of the '39's and 40's I have worked on or have seen had a gasket between the headlamp and the panel they mounted on. Neither the Master Parts book( March, 1942) illustration or the parts list shows one, in contrast to the taillight illustrations that do show gaskets.

Terry Wenger

[harry s]

My MCBP book shows 1935 thru 1949. The  group number is 14.0751. The illustration is of 1946 thru 1949, but says typical of 1940 thru 1942. In the group number description it lists 1940 series 50 & 52 (LaSalles) and '41 thru '49 Cadillac. The Steele Catalog shows headlight gaskets (part #70-0201-14) 1940 thru 1957 breaking out as 1940 LaSalle and 1941 thru 1957 Cadillacs. The actual headlight "bucket" doesn't have a group number in my book so you can't tell if the 1940 is the same as the later ones.  Harry

[Steve Passmore]

Theres definitely a gasket on the later cars where the headlight in in the fender to stop water ingress, and if you study that gasket in Steele's catalog Harry you will see it is only for the bucket to fender or bucket to headlight shell, Paul's question was for a gasket between the shell and fender, Steele's do not show one.
I can only repeat I have never seen one on a GM car with a completely separate headlight pod and Iv restored a few.

[harry s]

DUH! Steve, It just dawned on me when I looked at the picture, just prior to reading your post that the car we are talking about has the headlights mounted on the support as opposed to being in the fender. Let me re group by saying I wondered the same thing regarding my '37 which when it came apart there was no rubber or gasket between the headlight bucket and radiator support. The car had been repainted once so I figured they just left it off. You're right there is no reference to the part in the MCBP or Steele catalog.  Although, the '37 data book states "The headlamps are mounted solidly on the radiator casing with rubber to prevent squeaks. They are of the bullet type which blends in gracefully with the smart contours of the new bodies..." There are no pictures to further add to the confusion. Maybe there was no cordination between the marketing folks and the assembly folks.   Harry