VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Headlight Reflector Gaskets

I just purchased new cork gaskets for my 1931 headlight reflectors. What is the trick to install them? They are too thick to fit in the grooves.

Thanks,
Peter

By the way the reflectors have had the application of polished aluminum on them and they areso much brighter than silver or chrome.

There is no trick to installing the headlight lens cork gaskets....you just have to get the correct size gasket. I know that one of the reproduction gaskets is way too thick.

Ya, the vacuum sealed aluminum process on the headlight reflectors is great! With that process your headlight reflectors will be as bright as sealed beams. Since chrome does not have much reflectivity it should not be used on headlight reflectors.

The cork gaskets that I got from the FS were way to thick also even though they were for a 31. I had to cut them down to make them work for me. Once they were cut down it was a lot easier to get the headlights back together. Good luck with the project.

Old Crank,

I ended up making my reflector gaskets out of gasket papar. I used the new (oversize in thickness) cork gasket as a guide when drawing them out. I ended up using two paper gaskets for each reflector. It has been a while, but I might have used a paper gasket on each side of the reflector. No matter what it still was a "PIA" getting everthing to fit just right.

I had the same problem with the headlight gaskets on my 29. I installed my head lights using the thicker gaskets from FS and thought everything was correct until I gave the chrome rim a tug and the whole thing, lens and all, came right off. Good thing they didn’t fall off while I was driving.

The local Napa store had the same kind of cork gasket material in about three different thicknesses. I cut some new gaskets out of the next thickness size down from the ones I got from FS. As near as I can tell it seems to give a proper fit. At least the rims are on tight now. The cork material might give a little better seal than the paper ones, although I think the original ones were made out of some kind of thick paper anyway.

Where do I get those vacuum sealed aluminum reflectors? Mine are pretty tarnished looking.

Tim

You don't! You have to get your existing headlight reflectors coated with this process. The company that used to do this process is located in Merlin, Oregon. Not sure if they still perform this service though. Here is their address:

UVIRA
310 Pleasant Valley Rd
Merlin, OR 97532-8871
Phone: (541) 474-5050

Prior to having your lenses aluminum vacuum coated they will need to be nickle plated.

Ok... I can get them nickle plated pretty easy.

Thanks

Hey.. back to the gasket problem...

Has anyone tried the modified silicone caulk? ... The kind that is used temporarily for winter sealing of storm windows. It seals real well, but in the spring is easily removed. Wouln't this stuff work well to seal the headlights? Its cheap, about $3.50 and removable, but waterproof.

I think that the correct gasket would be a much better application.

I went to a hobby shop and bought a couple of pieces of cork that is used as railroad bed for HO scale trains and using a razor blade cut strips to fit the perimeter of the lense and it worked great on my 31.

hoppy

Hi Tim Lynch,
Had the same question when I let resilver my reflectors last year. Didnt want to make easy things complicate and did use that rubber strips you told about, to close old windows better during a hard winter. Was an easy, good working solution.
Because it may happen it begins to rain during a driveout and I did not trust anything made from paper or cork.

There were seals made from that rubber strips before and I had no idea how it should be original.

Stefangermany

Perhaps a picture frame shop could cut the strips if you provide the correct material.I haven't had to try that approach as I was able to use the ones I got from the FS, but I believe the tools they use would be well suited for accurate cutting.