Headlight gear box.

[zr1nsxgto]

After getting my new tires put on, I took the ZR-1 out for the first time in 24 months. Had quite a few people stop and look at my car and comment how they had read about ZR-1's, but never saw a real one. Nice to see that there are still some people who can look at a C4 and recognize a major difference!

Later in the evening I left to go home and when I turned on the head lights, they rotated half way around a quit. I made me some new pucks out of Delrin and rebuilt them. Head lights work as new again. I thought it was quite odd that both sides failed at the same time. When I opened the gear box, both looked they had salt in them. I wonder if the lube that was applied originally causes the original pucks to desintigrate?? I also wonder what the OEM pucks were made of?

[GOLDCYLON]

After getting my new tires put on, I took the ZR-1 out for the first time in 24 months. Had quite a few people stop and look at my car and comment how they had read about ZR-1's, but never saw a real one. Nice to see that there are still some people who can look at a C4 and recognize a major difference!

Later in the evening I left to go home and when I turned on the head lights, they rotated half way around a quit. I made me some new pucks out of Delrin and rebuilt them. Head lights work as new again. I thought it was quite odd that both sides failed at the same time. When I opened the gear box, both looked they had salt in them. I wonder if the lube that was applied originally causes the original pucks to desintigrate?? I also wonder what the OEM pucks were made of?

Actually not odd at all as both headlight motors have the same amount of time and wear on them. So when one fails the other is sure to follow.

[efnfast]

Gordan Killebrew advised me that because we all run glass headlights as opposed to the plastic ones Chevy put in them the gears are sure to fail.

[SteelBlueZR1]

Gordon told me the same thing, but it is the bushings that turn to powder inside the headlight motor housing, yet the gears remain serviceable. My Z with 3,500 miles had bushings that were disintegrated, so the original question was what caused this to happen over time?

[Mystic ZR-1]

The usual GM quality...

[Daniel_Mc]

Make sure and change the little screws that hold the motor on as well. On the 89 I had changed the bushings and then about a year later the screw head popped off and the motor tore up the brushes on the inside. This was about 4 years ago and since I don't drive it much I still haven't fixed it. It wouldn't have been an issue if I had changed them in the first place to SS or something else. Two screws per motor, you can see one in this picture next to the white and green wires:
http://image.vetteweb.com/f/17575615/vemp_0906_06_z+chevy_corvette_c4_headlamp_motors+h eadlight_motor.jpg
Don't get cheap like I did or just think they will hold. Spend a few cents and be safe. The ones on the 89 looked no worse than the ones pictured above.

Daniel