Tail light wiring and socket repair

[thebeebe5]

Driver's tail light doesn't work.  It worked intermittently when I brought the car home last weekend.  Took bulb out to find the floor plate of the socket with the contacts has crumbled.  How is this best repaired?  Not quite sure what to call it.... I looked on Bernbaum and didn't find anything like it.  The wiring is out on my bench now and I could solder a new disk/contact to it and reinstall, but what am I looking for?

 

 

Also, found my wiring cleverly wire nutted at the fuel tank corner.  Two wires of indeterminate color in the upper nut and a black wire solo in the lower.  The yellowish wire has pulled free from what I assume is the lower nut with the black wire....  Assume I should keep yellow/black together, but I haven't gotten that far with the wires.  I'll pull back the tape on the wire attached to the socket contact plate and see what color wires are there, but for now have to head to work.

 

 

Once this is done Tod I'll order up some of the LEDs we discussed. 

[Don Coatney]

That broken piece should be available at most any auto parts store. No need to go to an antique auto parts dealer.

[_shel_ny]

As Don said. Should be hanging right on the "help" rack at the parts store

[thebeebe5]

That broken piece should be available at most any auto parts store. No need to go to an antique auto parts dealer.

Walked into a shop that had the "time is standing still" look in Old Town Scottsdale. Older gentleman had just one on the shelf. I'da bought more, but I'll keep my eyes peeled.

Thanks for the help fellows!! I had no idea how "common" it was! LOL

I'll get the multi-tester out and figure the circuits this weekend.

Edited June 5, 2015 by thebeebe5

[Andydodge]

You Yanks get it easy.........lol.......I have never seen a store bought pigtail.......lol....true.......when I rewired my car yrs ago I ended up making new bulb things out of wire, striped and curled then soldered and filed down to the original style and shape then feeding the newly made ends thru from the bulb side into the little spring then into the small fibreboard piece then into the bulb holder........has been working fine for about 35 yrs so I shouldn't really complain...........lol...............oh......and before you guys stick a rocket up me..........lol.........I just went and checked on Oz ebay for the "double socket pigtail" and guess where they were listed......lol.......yep.....USA not one listed on Oz ebay at all..........however I will check the local parts stores...........thanks.........have learnt something today...........andyd.andyd  

Edited June 7, 2015 by Andydodge

[Plymouthy Adams]

Andy..you got to remember where you live is a dark and upside world compared to when we yanks are out and stirring about, also as you have direct ties to jolly ole, Price of Darkness still reigns king of auto electrical

 

these pigtails are at the swap meets here by the boxes...usually about 1.00 a pop...you could get a case of these and be the go-to guy in OZ..the mighty lamp wizard

[thebeebe5]

You Yanks get it easy.........lol.......I have never seen a store bought pigtail.......lol....true.......when I rewired my car yrs ago I ended up making new bulb things out of wire, striped and curled then soldered and filed down to the original style and shape then feeding the newly made ends thru from the bulb side into the little spring then into the small fibreboard piece then into the bulb holder........has been working fine for about 35 yrs so I shouldn't really complain...........lol...............oh......and before you guys stick a rocket up me..........lol.........I just went and checked on Oz ebay for the "double socket pigtail" and guess where they were listed......lol.......yep.....USA not one listed on Oz ebay at all..........however I will check the local parts stores...........thanks.........have learnt something today...........andyd.andyd

Andy, the crumbled fiber board was the major issue here.... That, and a poor ground. All remedied and tail and brake lights working perfectly now.

;-)

Understood about the scarcity of parts there. Had a roomate in FL from Yagoona that brought an early 70's Barracuda back to Oz when he left USA. Was ALWAYS mailing and calling me to help find parts.

[Young Ed]

You Yanks get it easy.........lol.......

 

There's a reason 90% of the population is in the northern hemisphere