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LED Headlights


cerick305

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If you go to LED I would suggest that you change out the generator to a 6volt Alternator. Also assuming that you still have 6volt positive ground so you would need to have a 6volt positive ground aftermarket alternator and you will also need to have to purchase the moutning bracket. Look on ebay to get a price.

 

Rich Hartung

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I can’t speak for 6 volt leds but I have a Jeep with 7” round headlights and my experience with those is you get what you pay for. I’ve got cheap led bulbs in the oem reflector. They flicker a little and the beam pattern is terrible, they are very bright but still don’t illuminate the road any better then good halogens. 

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4 hours ago, cerick305 said:

Why switch generator to an alternator?

Yes was wondering the same. AC from alternators will produce even more flicker.

 

 

12 hours ago, cerick305 said:

Has anyone experimented with LED 6 Volt headlights? 

 

Yes I have and gone through many products from ebay and others. There is company in UK who makes these flicker free 6 volt plus or minus ground H4 halogen bulbs. High quality but personally, I dislike the modern blue-ish modern light colour.

They offer yellow wrap film inserts.

 

On a side note, their rear, front and indicators bulbs are non-Chinese high quality products. They offer warm-white for front indicators, has same colour as incandescent.

 

https://www.classiccarleds.co.uk/collections/headlight-led-bulbs/products/6-volt-led-headlights-p45t-with-colour-options-hi-lo-beam-conversion-5-9v

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The LED will draw more current and to help with this go to the alternator to insure you have enough current to run them when also running the radio heater and what else or other electrical drawing accessories.

 

Rich Hartung

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7 hours ago, desoto1939 said:

The LED will draw more current and to help with this go to the alternator to insure you have enough current to run them when also running the radio heater and what else or other electrical drawing accessories.

 

Rich Hartung

 

As a general rule LEDs will draw about 1/10th the current of incandescent with similar lumen output.

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4 hours ago, kencombs said:

Since the AC is rectified to DC before it leaves the alternator, I don't understand.  Explain please.

True AC is rectified to DC but not as a "clean" DC. Spikes and ripples are then pulled down by battery for a better DC. 

 

Depending on your wiring, grounding, connections etc, the ripple are picked up by LED, especially bright LEDs. Headlights connections on older cars are wired with chassis grounding, threaded terminal blocks, long connections back and forth through headlight switch, foot switch and so on are basically pickup loops that may amplify spikes.

Some are visible, some are not, deepening on ripple size, length due to alternating engine speed. Therefore some high end LED have built in filters. 

The original DC generators produce a cleaner DC, but the mechanical regulators produce even worse spikes not taken by battery so same problem ?

There is a way easy way to filter these with regulator circuits. I've done in my other 6v cars.I will post if any interested.

 

Edited by chrysler1941
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55 minutes ago, philjafo said:

Interested 

Alright. Easiest, cheapest an fastest way is to connect a DC to DC converter just before LED. Preferable circuits with large coil and condenser components. These are traditional low and high pass filters incorporated in converters for automotive use. Here is an example. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-DC-15A-Buck-Adjustable-4-32V-12V-to-1-2-32V-5V-Converter-Step-Down-Module-DT/252586434129

Input will be between 6-7 volts and you adjust it to same output voltage. This way it only acts as filter. These can also be used for USB output (5V) and will protect phones, navigator and other electronics etc.  

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Have been using LED's headlights in my 39 Ply. for over a year which has a stock electrical system (6 volt / positive ground).  They produce a light that is much whiter and brighter than the standard bulb.  The ones that I am using fit the standard socket with the three post that holds the bulb, just a matter of changing the bulbs.  With the lights on & the motor not running the needle on the amp gauge doesn't move, seem to be using very little electric. Disadvantage is they do not seem to project outward as much as a standard bulb and they are expensive, believe around $20.00.  Purchased from Classic Dynamo and Regulator Conversions (www.dynamoregulatorconversions.com).  Part # is FE2A (6-23v Pos Earth P30d (APF) 40/36 w "Double Dipper".  If ordering, be careful for they also sell as a negative ground.  They also sell another a bulb that fits in the parking light socket of the 39 Ply.  (located above the headlight), highly recommend - very bright.  Part # is AE1C (6v 10w BA9s).  Check out their web site may find it interesting.

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30 minutes ago, Richard Cope said:

Have been using LED's headlights in my 39 Ply. for over a year which has a stock electrical system (6 volt / positive ground).  They produce a light that is much whiter and brighter than the standard bulb.  The ones that I am using fit the standard socket with the three post that holds the bulb, just a matter of changing the bulbs.  With the lights on & the motor not running the needle on the amp gauge doesn't move, seem to be using very little electric. Disadvantage is they do not seem to project outward as much as a standard bulb and they are expensive, believe around $20.00.  Purchased from Classic Dynamo and Regulator Conversions (www.dynamoregulatorconversions.com).  Part # is FE2A (6-23v Pos Earth P30d (APF) 40/36 w "Double Dipper".  If ordering, be careful for they also sell as a negative ground.  They also sell another a bulb that fits in the parking light socket of the 39 Ply.  (located above the headlight), highly recommend - very bright.  Part # is AE1C (6v 10w BA9s).  Check out their web site may find it interesting.

 

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I had the same LED bulbs as Richard Cope from Classic Dynamo & Regulator Conversions in my 1939 Plymouth. Incredibly bright and barely moved the ammeter. I recently temporarily changed back to halogen. They draw a lot more power and really swing the ammeter needle. I'm running the original genny & regulator -- 28 amps hot.

 

I changed back to halogen because the LEDs are so bright and have a more a diverse light spread that I found them hard to properly aim using the marks on my garage door method. Reminder - '39 are pre-sealed beam and have separate reflectors, lenses, and bulbs. I took the car to my local mechanic. He could not aim the LEDs because they do not generate enough heat for their fancy headlight aiming system. I changed from LEDs to the halogens and that system worked fine aiming the halogens. I'll change back to the LEDs now that I know they are correctly aimed.

 

Pete

 

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Is anyone aware of a source for sealed beam 6v LED headlights?

 

The loss of focus with headlights that have been retrofitted with LED bulbs is due to the reflector being designed for the point-source of light from an incandescent bulb vs the large-area source of the LED cluster. Having the reflector and element working very closely in concert is key to having a properly focused headlight. A sealed beam unit where the "bulb" and reflector are designed as a system would most likely result in light dispersal more like what we are accustomed to seeing with traditional headlights. A bright light source isn't of much value (except for blinding other motorists...) if the reflector can't project a useful beam down the road.   :)

Edited by Sam Buchanan
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The LEDs bulbs I'm using have only 2 LEDs - one for bright and one for low beam. The LEDs are located the same distance from the bulb base as the tungsten filaments in the original 2331 bulbs.

 

Pete

 

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16 minutes ago, Pete said:

The LEDs bulbs I'm using have only 2 LEDs - one for bright and one for low beam. The LEDs are located the same distance from the bulb base as the tungsten filaments in the original 2331 bulbs.

 

Pete

 

 

Pete, the fact your LED bulbs have a more diverse beam pattern means something changed in the combination of light source and reflector. Light source and reflector alignment is VERY critical, a tiny change can have a major impact on reflector performance. If the LEDs are located precisely where the old bulb filaments used to be the beam pattern should be similar. Another factor can be light scatter which occurs if the light source is tossing a lot of light forward instead of back into the reflector. This might be a contributor due to the LEDs being so much brighter than the old bulbs. This is why many headlights have shields in front of the elements.

 

There is a lot of engineering in headlight design.....change one component and that engineering can be altered radically. Fortunately, we have choices.  :)

Edited by Sam Buchanan
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I did not have a good starting point for the headlight aiming when I started. I had complete rebuilt the whole setup - removed everything down to the buckets, NOS lenses, new seals, re-silvered the reflectors, etc. I put the LEDs at the time I rebuilt everything. So I'll see where things are when I put the LEDs back in with the aiming dialed in. They seem to work well for Richard Cope who is running the same bulbs. If there is still an issue with the LEDs, I'll likely go with the halogens which work well, but I would like brighter headlights. But if I go with the halogens I will need to go with an alternator for more amps.

 

Pete

 

 

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1 minute ago, Pete said:

I did not have a good starting point for the headlight aiming when I started. I had complete rebuilt the whole setup - removed everything down to the buckets, NOS lenses, new seals, re-silvered the reflectors, etc. I put the LEDs at the time I rebuilt everything. So I'll see where things are when I put the LEDs back in with the aiming dialed in. They seem to work well for Richard Cope who is running the same bulbs. If there is still an issue with the LEDs, I'll likely go with the halogens which work well, but I would like brighter headlights. But if I go with the halogens I will need to go with an alternator for more amps.

 

Pete

 

 

 

Hope you can get the LEDs to work well, they are great technology due to high output with negligible current draw.

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The LED's work good around town and because the current draw is low will continue using.  It would be great if they projected a greater distance.  I took the fog lights off however may put them back on and test the combination when driving on secondary roads.  Just completed putting a banjo steering wheel on and converting to a floor shift.   Next project is to convert to 12 volts using a 50's generator - under the hood look won't change.  Still want to conserve on voltage -Classic Dynamo sells the same bulb as a 12 volt, will try out and keep posted. 

 

Pete, the floor shift was out of a P7, it is a much easier shift now when going from high to low. Kept all of the original parts if some day it can be converted back to a column shift. 

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Here in EU. sealed beam are not legal on non vintage cars.

But to avoid problems, H4 Halogen reflector glued to a bull's eyes seal beam glass for vintage look on my 41.

Halogen bulbs 6 volt 55/60W run fine with original generator. These reflectors has the mentioned shield and focus are asymmetrical, meaning the shine more to the left. UK is opposite. Swapping with LED H4, bulbs, the light beam still focused correctly.

 

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Edited by chrysler1941
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