1973 Dodge Monaco - Headlight Doors - Hanging eyelid :D

[boom.operator]

Hello,

i have an Issue with the headlight doors.
After driving for a short while, the doors will lower themself for approximately 1 inch. I guess due to concussions.
Even if i adjust them with the hand wheel located at the lower end of the motor.
Do anyone know what causes the problem? A worn out motor gear?
When i gently move the doors by hand, the torsion bars will not move but the doors will wobble a bit. Is there maybe a bearing in the doors itself which could be damaged?

Best regards from Germany,
Daniel

 

[ayilar]

@BLIMP @saforwardlook @Big_John @70 Sport Suburban @Trace 300 Hurst have, AFAIk, all run into related issues with their headlight doors. Perhaps they have a quick suggestion?

 

[saforwardlook]

Hello Daniel. Usually I have had a problem where only one of the doors tends to droop and the other is fine. I had tried everything I could come up with to fix the drooping door and the only thing that got the problem fixed in my case was to take the bar completely out and hold it suitably with a vice in the center and then twist the each side of the long rod, being held in the center, in a direction to close each of the doors completely. Somehow those bars seem to lose their tension and one or both of them needs to be twisted in the direction that would close the doors firmly in the up position when the motor stops. I never had any problems with the motors themselves wearing or whatever else that could happen to cause this problem.

The only other way to get this problem solved more easily is to just sell me your car to get the problem off your hands and into mine. Just send me a copy of your body code plate so I could see how it is optioned. I was helping someone on this site a few years ago to buy one of these Monacos that was gold in color from Texas and now I am wondering if it was you?

I sold one of my 73 Monacos to Finland several years back now that had a similar problem with one side and it too was addressed in this previous post:

Hidden (Concealed) Headlight Doors Misaligned

I want to try to adjust the hidden highlight doors on my 1978 Salon. I am assuming they can be adjusted since until a day ago they were fine for the four years I have been caretaker.. This first photo was taken one hour before the one below it. Spring startup, however the headlight doors did...

www.forcbodiesonly.com

Best wishes,
Steve

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

@Davea Lux @david hill

I didn't have this "droop" issue, but I did spend a lot of time adjusting the doors for perfect alignment with the grille. As @saforwardlook mentioned, I would take the bars and all associated apparatus out, maybe do his suggestion, and then put it all back together by carefully following the Service Manual. There are bushings in the door supports that can easily be broken by now. One of mine was. I made new ones out of random plastic:

 

[boom.operator]

Big thanks to everybody. I will try it with the wrenches first. If i have to take everything out, i will do it after the season is over

@saforwardlook Yes, i guess it is this car you are talking about.
I did not buy it in the US, the car was already in germany. So, i guess you helped the guy out who sold it to me afterwards. He never registered the car in germany therefore i am the first owner here.
However, you did try to help me out also. 3 years ago we exchanged some PMs. The car had a lot of paperworks which unfortunately got lost on the way abroad. You tried to contact enrique, the last owner of the car in texas, to ask if he know st about it. But he did not react. Would have been nice to got the history of the car

 

[saforwardlook]

Big thanks to everybody. I will try it with the wrenches first. If i have to take everything out, i will do it after the season is over

@saforwardlook Yes, i guess it is this car you are talking about.
I did not buy it in the US, the car was already in germany. So, i guess you helped the guy out who sold it to me afterwards. He never registered the car in germany therefore i am the first owner here.
However, you did try to help me out also. 3 years ago we exchanged some PMs. The car had a lot of paperworks which unfortunately got lost on the way abroad. You tried to contact enrique, the last owner of the car in texas, to ask if he know st about it. But he did not react. Would have been nice to got the history of the car

Thank you for the update. Yes, the owner at the time was totally uncooperative and had no interest in even calling me back. He was a painter by trade but just wanted the car gone and out of his life. I tried several more times and never got a reply. But at least after all the turmoil, it went to a good home.