Tail Lights and blackout lights

Cobra5 · Unread post by **Cobra5** » November 29th, 2009, 2:07 pm

Is there any difference between the M151A-1 tailights and the M416 trailer taillights?

Floyd · Unread post by **Floyd** » November 29th, 2009, 4:39 pm

Tim, mine is a 67 and it has the larger A2 style lights. I'm not really sure if they are correct or not.

Floyd

Unread post by **rickf** » November 29th, 2009, 6:09 pm

Floyd's would not be correct and it would be correct. In 1967 it would have had the smaller lights like the A1, as the older trailers stayed in service they were fitted with the newer composite lights to match the A2's. The only difference was the mounting bracket and the light. They actually had a retrofit kit for the A1 to put the composite tail light on the A1. I have seen pictures but never saw one in person.

Rick

Rainman · Unread post by **Rainman** » November 29th, 2009, 8:17 pm

Hey Cobra,
A more direct answer to your question is "NO". All your trailers are pre 1970 and would have the standard round lights the Earlies and A1's had. Your trailers would not have been retrofitted with A2 lights in the forestry service, so same lights, same number tabs on the wires, same bulbs, same covers. May have some differences in a third blackout brake light on the right side, if it were there, would be on a riser bracket off the right rear tail light. That's just a B/O marker like in the grilles of the Earlies and A1's.

Hey Floyd,
Looks like some li'l ole red neck midget's done stole your gas, and left da top off yer iddy biddy li'l can. Thevin little midgets.

Unread post by **rickf** » November 29th, 2009, 9:04 pm

Rainman wrote:Hey Cobra,
A more direct answer to your question is "NO". All your trailers are pre 1970 and would have the standard round lights the Earlies and A1's had. Your trailers would not have been retrofitted with A2 lights in the forestry service, so same lights, same number tabs on the wires, same bulbs, same covers. May have some differences in a third blackout brake light on the right side, if it were there, would be on a riser bracket off the right rear tail light. That's just a B/O marker like in the grilles of the Earlies and A1's.

Hey Floyd,
Looks like some li'l ole red neck midget's done stole your gas, and left da top off yer iddy biddy li'l can. Thevin little midgets.

Rainman, you are a pain in the *****! Tell me what would be on those same trailers in 1972 when they were still in service being pulled be A2's. Same wiring harness works for both lights.

Rick

Cobra5 · Unread post by **Cobra5** » November 29th, 2009, 9:19 pm

Okay, so to setup a trailer for my m151-A1 I can and should use the same taillight setup. To setup a trailer for my m151A-2 I can install composite lights but will need to retrofit a different brackets, correct?

Rainman · Unread post by **Rainman** » November 29th, 2009, 11:12 pm

Rick
In the year of 1972, the 1967 trailers would almost surly have still had original round lights on them, different than the composits on a brand new 1972 M151A2. Last motorpool I saw in 1976 the upgrades to trailer lights was only if replacement was necessary, and may have stayed that way until now, when the last of these trailers are reaching the GL lots. The ones I've watched on GL the past couple years, some of the old trailers still had the round originals on them. We'd have to ask Ken if there was ever an actual work order that went out to replace functioning originals with upgrade composits. I assume it's much like today where the old composits are being phased out by the new aluminum style with replaceable lenses. Leave the old style lights on as long as they're still servicable, and upgrade only if replacement is needed, was the old rule as I knew it. My one restored M416 has the round originals with M561 GAMAGOAT lenses on them for safety reasons. Easy to change back to original, but while their on, your black out bulbs make your tail lights show red.

Okay, getting back to the other part of your post, a word with 5 letters that means the same as " Rick's A$$". It's not "butt" or "behind", nope not "dipstick", so I give up... what am I?

Okay, I know I'm leavin myself wide open for this one.

Cobra, YES...

you are correct. Here's another gold star, you may go to the head of the class.

I think I use these one word answers to be unquestionably clear and understood by everyone, but Ricks just not pickin up what I'm puttin down.

Both style lights will work on the harness that came on a 1960's M416. You may have a forth wire on the right side. Not to worry, it's a black/out brake marker. If for some reason your driving with your black out lights on, you'll probably have more to worry about than not having a functional brake marker light. I'll have to check the number of the 4th wire but it's longer than the other 3, but if you go with the wire harness number tabs, it's a no brainer.
The actual later style brackets for the composit lights do stand off the side a little farther to allow more room for the wider body of the composit light. Original brackets for round light can be used with composits lights by adding 24 washers (6 per bolt) as spacers and slightly longer bolts, and your mounted up the good ole motorpool way.

Didn't think I should say "afro-engeneered"

Floyd · Unread post by **Floyd** » November 29th, 2009, 11:26 pm

Rainman: Li'l ole red neck midget's can't reach that high.

Floyd

Rainman · Unread post by **Rainman** » November 30th, 2009, 12:21 am

Floyd, I think you'd be surprised, was it premium?

Me thinks of the Becker episode when Bob was pretending to be blind, standing outside the diner with a tin cup. The blind guy tells him "being a blind panhandler is a tough way to make much money", and Bob says "tell me about it, there's a guy around the corner with no legs, that's kickin my a$$".

ida34 · Unread post by **ida34** » November 30th, 2009, 12:33 am

My M105 trailer still has the old lights. I am going to liberate them for the M151a1 and put composite on the trailer. I think most trucks got changed out but trailers were a mixed bag. I had two M146 shop trailers. One had old round lights and one had the area round the lights removed by a touch. Pretty rough but effective. The removal allowed the newer composite lights to be mounted. The lights on the M146 were set in like on the M151. Both these trailers were 1968 vintage. My M103a3 trailer has composite lights while my water buffalo has the older round lights. My 416 trailer has the older round lights. Point being, it is a toss up. If you want a true Vietnam era setup I would go with the older round lights. If you do not care about it being an older representation then the composite would be just fine. Not all trailers were upgraded to the composite lights so if you have the older round lights you would still be correct for all periods. I got all my trailers in the last couple of years and most all came direct from the government with me being the only civy owner.

moose53 · Unread post by **moose53** » November 30th, 2009, 3:22 am

My M-416, M101A1, and M116A1 trailers all came out of the military with the A2 style tail-lights installed by the military. I believe there was an MWO issued in the early 80's to make the changeover.

Jim

Tail Lights and blackout lights

Tail Lights and blackout lights

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