Headlamp Door Motor - '69 300, Gear replacement

[moparjoe2012]

The plastic ring gear in this motor is breaking where it contacts the torsion bar to the H/L doors. This gear has its teeth on a 180 degree radius with a shoulder at each end that bears up to a positive stop in the motor case. The Chrysler parts book lists the replacement as a number 2932919. Viewing a photograph of the two examples next to their original boxes from Central Jersey Motor Parts, the gears have teeth for a full 360 degrees. Obviously this cannot fit. The number that supersedes the 2932919 is 3420864, but a picture of that on EBAY looks the same as the earlier one. My question is, what is the correct part number for this application? Failing a correct gear replacement, what is the closest suitable H/L motor in the current parts world that is most easily adapted to this application? Cardone has several listed for around a hundred bucks, but the photos don't show enough to adapt to. Because the gear in question here is plastic and not machined out of bronze or something like it, this has to be a common problem. So, with respect to this type of problem, what's the best known fix? By the way, I intend to cut or replace the torsion bar and fit it with u-joints to reduce the side loads on that gear.

 

[Mr C]

The Charger community is a welcome source of repros that we can use on our C bodies. Contact this guy...$35.00 is cheap.

http://headlightmotorman.webs.com/productsservices.htm

 

[1978 NYB]

Thanks......bookmarked!

 

[ceebuddy]

Note, though, that the gears were not all the same in all models (see the page from the 1972 MTSC booklet below). Not all headlight doors seem to have opened the same amount depending on the grille/door design. So I am not sure if a complete Charger motor is a drop-in solution for your Chrysler. Then again, it might be. I don't kow what color the original gear for a 1969 Chrysler has.

 

[Mr C]

The gears are the same, the plastic cam seen in red below determines the travel of the motor. So if he buys a gear and puts his motor back together, he should be set.

 

[BIGBARNEYCARS]

Before you whack that torsion bar, buzz over the Wildcat Motorz in Sandy, Or. and ask them or have them show you how to remove it without using ah cut off wheel. Hey, They might even have ah spare headlite motor layin' around. Nice folkz to deal with too, Jer

 

[vdk2010]

The gears are the same, the plastic cam seen in red below determines the travel of the motor.

To make that even more visual, here is the underside of the cover with the switches the cam is actuating.


But because the gear is running "sleeved" in the middle hole of the cover, I decided not to change the gear.

Anyway, mine have the teeth all around the gear as well...


If you buy the repop gear, please let me know if it's working with your motor!

 

[ceebuddy]

The gears are the same, the plastic cam seen in red below determines the travel of the motor. So if he buys a gear and puts his motor back together, he should be set.

Now that makes sense! I confused cam with gear. Thank you for rectifying this!!

 

[moparjoe2012]

Thanks for the tip. I will him tomorrow.

 

[moparjoe2012]

Thanks for the tip. I will phone him tomorrow.

 

[moparjoe2012]

The red electrical contacts cam and the 180 degree gear in my '69 300 matches the ones in this photo.

 

[moparjoe2012]

Not to worry. The torsion bar is easily removed from the H/L motor and door assembly. I am considering cutting the torsion bar or replacing it with square stock and a pair of u-joints for each side in order to eliminate the side loads on that plastic (read fragile) gear. I can only speculate that the design for this assembly was done in a hurry. Does anybody know the story on this?
I have known Ed Yost the proprietor of Wildcat Auto Wrecking and one of his assistants, Dennis Beard for most of two decades, and they have been very helpful. What a bunch of nice people working there. I wish them every success.

 

[moparjoe2012]

The 360 degree gear in this photo appears to match the 2932919 listed in the 1969 Chrysler Parts Book. It was superseded with 3420864. Of course it cannot fit the housing that goes into my '69 300. Even in a pinch if the gear had 180 degrees of its teeth trimmed off, they might not mesh with the worm drive gear in my motor.

 

[Mr C]

The 360 degree gear in this photo appears to match the 2932919 listed in the 1969 Chrysler Parts Book. It was superseded with 3420864. Of course it cannot fit the housing that goes into my '69 300. Even in a pinch if the gear had 180 degrees of its teeth trimmed off, they might not mesh with the worm drive gear in my motor.

The only reason a 360 degree nylon gear won't fit is because of the notch cast into the later motors (see the pic I posted and you'll see it). If you ground that off a 360 degree fits, tooth count and all.

 

[1970FuryConv]

Read thread with great interest. My 70 Fury headlight motor opens perfectly, but will not close, despite full voltage at close wire and good ground. Think it's time for rebuild. Sent email to Topher. Thanks Mr. C. Anybody else use him? Where is he located?

 

[Big_John]

Read thread with great interest. My 70 Fury headlight motor opens perfectly, but will not close, despite full voltage at close wire and good ground. Think it's time for rebuild. Sent email to Topher. Thanks Mr. C. Anybody else use him? Where is he located?

I just took apart a headlight door motor that this guy "Topher" did and I'm seriously not impressed. The gear was fine, but you could see where he tried to scrape between the segments on the commutator and he burred up the copper and then never smoothed it out. The rest of the motor didn't look like it had been cleaned and it's my opinion that he replaced the gears and maybe the contacts, sandblasted the motor and threw some paint on it.

I called the previous owner and asked about who did it and wow!! I got a run down about how long it took and a serious attitude issue from Topher.

IMHO, try to fix it yourself. Follow the FSM and be sure it's the motor. If it is, take it apart yourself and clean up the contacts and oil the bottom motor bushing.

 

[1970FuryConv]

What a bummer of a piece of news!

My 1970 FSM has no instructions for rebuilding the motor or even adjusting the switches inside. Is there some place I could go for instructions on how to do it? Ben

 

[Big_John]

No instructions that I ever found.

It's a pretty simple motor. 3 or 4 screws get to the gear train and contacts. 2 screws on the bottom and the armature is out. Just line the marks up before you take the gear train apart.

I wouldn't take the motor apart if I didn't need to. The brushes are a little tricky to get back in place, but it can be done.

First though... and I can't stress this enough... be sure it's the motor. The FSM has a real simple procedure for checking it and you really want to do that before anything else.

 

[vdk2010]

You can check out my build thread if you want. I took it apart and after a little trouble I managed to align all switches correctly and got everything back together correctly.

 

[1970FuryConv]

I followed the shop manual. I'm sure it's the not the wiring. I suspect the switch above the motor rather than the motor itself, because the grill covers open without issue when the headlights are turned on. They just don't close when I turn the headlights off. I'd be glad to look at a build thread, especially if it had pictures of how to repair the switch. Please copy a link here and I'll follow it.

BTW, thank you for the replies. Ben