Tail light removal

Macster · Post by **Macster** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 8:49 am

Was having problems with the turn signals and stop lights not working all the time on my 64'W200 crew cab. I removed the front turn signal housings,cleaned the mounting surfaces, and cleaned the inside of the rear tail light housings the best I could. All the lights work ok now, but I can move the rear housings in the fenders some what and the lights will flicker like there is still some contact issue.I tried to remove the rear housings so I could clean the backs, but I cannot figure how to remove them from the fender. I Don't want the lights to flicker while on some rough roads and such :study .
They look like they push in and are held in by some ears on the back side, but I can not get my paws far enough up inside the fender to work with them.
Is there a trick to getting these out, or am I just missing something???? I looked in the service manual I have and couldn't find any info either.

Thanx,
Steve in AZ

Jeffc · Post by **Jeffc** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 4:55 pm

The screws that hold each rear housing and lenses (3 screws) should be the only thing holding them to the fender.
These screws are held to the fender by clips that fit to the tabs (tabs are part of the fender with holes, but
do not have anything to hold the screws).
The clips (sometimes called speed nuts, or spring clips)
are what really holds the screw tip to the fender.
These clips will often get rusted, sometimes falling
appart or welding themselfs to the fender, and can
also weld the light bucket to the fender as well.

Check to make sure that there is some slack in the
wires (or unhook the wires under the truck) undo the
screws and pull the housing out, lightly pry it if
needed. Take a trip to the hardware store to pick up
some new clips, install everything and you should be good to go;
however, since you got the housing out you may as
well run new ground wires from the clips to the frame
just in case.........

My guess is the light buckets are rust welded to
the fender......

mowingman · Post by **mowingman** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 5:42 pm

Your truck should have the tail light assys. that are almost impossible to get out without breaking.
The assy. has 3 springy metal ears that snap in place behind a lip that is part of the rear corner sheetmetal. They are hard to reach, and will break off almost 100% of the time when you try to depress them enough to remove the assy. Recently, to get one out of a parts truck, I used a plasma cutter to cut around the assy. Then, I was able to get them onto my work bench, and use tin snips to cut the metal where the tabs were alatched. Of course, this destroyed the back corners of the pickup bed, but the bed was scrap anyway.
Jeff

Website · Post by **wideblock** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 7:14 pm

the big question here would be do you listen to jeff, if yours is a sweptside bed, or do you listen to mowing man if you have a step side??? i know on the swept side, all that holds it in is the screws. but like on mine, the housing had rusted/welded itself to the clips. took 2 pairs of needle nose vice grips, got a good grip on the outer lip and worked it back and forth till it broke loose. then as jeff said, i bought new spring clips from the napa, and like you did on the front, clean everything real good for ground and reassemble. far as the step sides go, im clueless.

Macster · Post by **Macster** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 7:23 pm

Thanx for the replies and info.When you try to pull/pry the housing out, it acts like there are springs holding it in. This is what was stumping me. I can see the clips holding the housing when I look up it there, but I can't really access them. Looks like I'll spray some PB blaster around and just try to pry them out so I don't trash the fender.
I will disconnect the wiring harness because it is pretty brittle, and doesn't seem to have a whole lot of extra length to work with too. Will also add the extra ground wire when it goes back in.
I'm in the process of re-doing the brakes, bearings and master cylinder,and the truck is on jackstands. I SHOULD be to the point where I can get it back on the lift next weekend to better access the problem. Will let you guys know how it went.

Thanx again,
Steve in AZ

duracell · Post by **duracell** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 4:28 pm

funny another steve in az, with a swepty

Macster · Post by **Macster** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 9:33 pm

Well I got the tail light housings out of the sweptline today. Took some pulling and prying but they finally came out after breaking all the clips. My clips are riveted to the housing, so I don't think I want to use the same method to put them back in. I'll look at doing something different so they will be easier to remove again in the future.
I'll also add a ground wire to the housings when I put them back in.
Thanx for all the help. Steve2 in AZ

mowingman · Post by **mowingman** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 11:34 am

It looks to me like you could hold those tail light assys. in with some small self-tapping sheetmetal screws. The lense would cover up the screws. Just an idea I had.
Jeff

Jeffc · Post by **Jeffc** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 2:35 pm

I have both a 62 and a 64, have worked on a few others
in that time frame, never seen clips rivited to the housings.... got a photo you could send me??
I know for a fact that the ones I have worked on
are stock black painted buckets, could it be there were 2 types? My 66 parts book list only 1 number for
the early bed (early 65 back to 61) and the A100 van
which share that same bucket/lens.

Website · Post by **wideblock** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 3:17 pm

i was just thinking the very same thing. i have worked on everything from 63 to 71 and i have never seen a rivet in the rear lights. the screws that hold the lense in also hold the housing in. its like a big sandwich. id love to see some pics of how your truck was modified. sounds like it must have been a real PITA to get them out.

mowingman · Post by **mowingman** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 3:50 pm

THe ones he has on his widebed truck have spring clips riveted to the housing. Just sent a set to another guy on the forums. That is how I know they are a bear to get out

Macster · Post by **Macster** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 9:18 pm

Hey Guys,
Yes they where a PITA to get out. Now to figure a way to mount them back in so they can be removed later. I also thought about the sheet metal screw idea. First considered installing the housing to the fender, but the screw heads might keep the lens and gasket from sealing to the lip of the housing. I then thought I might be able to use longer lens retaining screws, and mount everything at once.This sounds like an an easier way to go, but I don't want to crack the lens either. Any opinions?
I'll see about getting some pics, but it might be a few days. Have to go back to work tomorrow, and will have to test shoot some pics and figure out the camera settings to get some decent photos. I'll also have to send the pics to someone else to post for me. Haven't gone thru the process to post on my own yet.
Thanx in advance..........Steve2 in AZ

Cageman · Post by **Cageman** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 8:40 am

If I remember correctly, I drilled out the little rivets they had, and the housing came out and the clips fell to the floor, I just re riveted them to the housing and snapped them back in the hole, if I do need to pull it out, I will just drill the rivets again and do it all over.