Inexpensive headlight mod.

[big2bird]

I spent the better part of two days working on the wiring of Scotts 71.
One of his decisions was to add the headlight mod sold by Mad Electric.
It's a good mod, as it takes the load from the headlight switch, lowers the voltage drop,increases the headlight brightness, extends the life of the switch, and lowers the risk of fire. How great is that?
I did it for $15.00, wire, and my time. Follow along.

The main purchase was 2 single pole relays made by Hella for driving lamps. Purchased from Summit for $6@.
Next, I removed his old transmission spark control relays.(No longer used)

Next , 3 relays were mounted with 1/4 20 bolts and locknuts. The 3rd relay has another function. More about that later

Then I laced them up. Black #16 ground to each coil on 1 side.
Then a #14 from each relay coil, and a #12 from each relay contact on one side were run down to the harness plug.Each pair of wires,yellow and green, represents low and high beams.

The high and low beam original wires, in this case, tan and geen, were cut 4" from the harness plug, and tied in with insulated butt splices.

Now to complete the install, a #10 red was laced to the other side of each relays contact set for a feed. It runs around to the horn relay, where we pick up the hot, via a bussman 30 amp auto circuit breaker. Autozone, $3.00.

Now being a sparkey, I can lace this up in my head. For those of you who want a schematic, I will draw a sketch and ask TT to autocad it for posting.
Now, when activating the headlights, you are actually activating the corresponding relay.
It takes power directly from the horn relay battery feed, and connects it to the headlights directly. It increases the voltage about 15%.

 

[Bullshark]

Nice work Bird :thumbs: One question though......what the hell does laced mean? must be some new fangled term you lernt in tech school. Us redneck mid western guys wired our headlights. . Yes EE's always need a schematic.



Bullshark

 

[big2bird]

Laced= tied,looped,threaded,wired,connected.:blush:

 

[saudivette]

Bird, I was chuffed to bits that I converted my vacuum headlights to electric and that they worked - I didn't get zapped (not even ONCE) and I made a real professional looking harness.

I like the sound of your mod, but would defo need a wiring diagram written for children, preferably colour coded in crayon

 

[V-Twin]

I have done the same thing, relay controlled headlights instead of the juice going through the headlight switch.

I removed the original plug from the stock front wiring harness and repinned it, then ran the wires for them and also incorporated the electric fan into the harnesses. I used a relay box and mounted it on the passenger side since that's where my alternator is (it's all fed off the alternator)

 

[V-Twin]

Here's a wiring diagram

 

[Bullshark]

I like the sound of your mod, but would defo need a wiring diagram written for children, preferably colour coded in crayon

Here's a wiring diagram

Thanks Xander.....a pic (schematic) is worth a thousand words. But I wanted to do the coloring. ...............

 

[BRUTAL64]

Here's a wiring diagram

Do you mind if I put this into CI Tech's data base?

 

[Twin_Turbo]

You can use it if you know the secret hand shake What's CI???

 

[mrvette]

Schismofrantic is fine, but I think the relays need be located up front near the bulbs, so that the run from relays to lights is just one heavy wire off the alt, and the OEM wires feed the coils from the long end as drawn....

that simplifies the entire chageover, I think, by adding just one maybe two wires....the grounds need beefed up a bit also, but going to the cross support is fine, also....directly, not the rad mount....

:thumbs::stirpot:

 

[big2bird]

Schismofrantic is fine, but I think the relays need be located up front near the bulbs, so that the run from relays to lights is just one heavy wire off the alt, and the OEM wires feed the coils from the long end as drawn....

that simplifies the entire chageover, I think, by adding just one maybe two wires....the grounds need beefed up a bit also, but going to the cross support is fine, also....directly, not the rad mount....

:thumbs::stirpot:

Your right. We had space constraints. It just worked out better here. They put all the spal relays where I wanted to go.

 

[BRUTAL64]

You can use it if you know the secret hand shake What's CI???

CI --- Classic Industries.

 

[Twin_Turbo]

The guys that deal in truck & muscle car parts...these -> http://www.classicindustries.com/

What's your relation with them??? Do you work there? The drawing is not mine, it's from someone @ CF.

 

[BRUTAL64]

The guys that deal in truck & muscle car parts...these -> http://www.classicindustries.com/

What's your relation with them??? Do you work there? The drawing is not mine, it's from someone @ CF.

I'm Senior Tech for the company. I'm SUPPOST to know everything.


Just want to add the CORRECT way to add relays for the headlights. We have some China stuff that is crap!:suspicious:

 

[SIXFOOTER]

This is the drawing I used for mine. I cut into the stock harness on the fender well and used the stock wireing for the coil control. Ran new larger wire 12# from the Alternatior distribution point to the Hot side and 12# from the relay to the lights. Mount the relays way up frone to minimize wire length. Upping the wire size for the current line to the lamps to a 12# will make a bigger difference than worrying about the extra 3 feet of wire with the relays mounted on the firewall. The point is to have less resistance in the current path, a larger wire even if a bit longer wire will do that.

Would be nice to get this mod documented a couple of ways and added in as a sticky, I'll document mine as I finish it and post when its done.
I took that pic off of CF 2 yrs ago when I joined, no idea who I got it from tho, we can call it public domain now since I have posted it on at least 4 forums and no telling how many emails

 

[mrvette]

Eh, even a cave man can do it......:hi::shocking:

 

[BRUTAL64]

Eh, even a cave man can do it......:hi::shocking:

HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:cussing:















:lol:

 

[MYBAD79]

Just curious: is this the same headlight mod that vendors sell for $400 ??? I think it's called "never night" in Ecklers catalog.... you're getting four Xenon bulbs with the kit but $400 ???? wow.....

 

[mrvette]

Just curious: is this the same headlight mod that vendors sell for $400 ??? I think it's called "never night" in Ecklers catalog.... you're getting four Xenon bulbs with the kit but $400 ???? wow.....

Well I live on Neptune Rd.....can I get some Neptune bulbs for cheeeper???

maybe 20 bux?? which is fair for all of them...5 bux each....

:suspicious::ghost:

 

[MYBAD79]

So it is the same modification and I need to get my Saturn/Mercury bulbs at the Zone for $5 ????