how to convert to composite lights??

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whiterabbit
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how to convert to composite lights??

Unread post by whiterabbit » March 11th, 2015, 12:52 pm

Getting a trailer and it has the old style small tail lights and I'm thinking of maybe converting to the larger composite tail lights to match the A2 I have. Do I just need to move them out further from the body and then just plug them up?? Was there a special bracket or wiring harness to make the conversion?? Or should I just toss some full red Gama Goat lenses on it and be done with it? All input welcome!
Thanks all,
Mike
"It’s the unconquerable soul of man, not the nature of the weapon he uses, that insures victory." Gen. George Patton

1986-2014 Ordnance Corps RETIRED!
XVIII Airborne Corps Combat Affiliation
Go Ordnance!
1972 M151A2
1978 exMOD 109 Land Rover S3 (sold)
1942 WLA
M274 (sold) Big mistake. Sigh....

salt6
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Re: how to convert to composite lights??

Unread post by salt6 » March 11th, 2015, 5:12 pm

The bracket for the composite lights is just a little longer. Should be able to fab one. I'm going to do the same thing and it looks like the composites will fit on the old bracket.

So your on the right track.

salt
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muttguru
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Re: how to convert to composite lights??

Unread post by muttguru » March 11th, 2015, 7:17 pm

Mike,
how "correct" do you want this conversion to be? With the old pattern light setup, you should have the following:-
Left Side - Service Stop: Service Tail: Blackout Tail.
Right Side - Service Stop: Service Tail: Blackout Tail. Separately, a Blackout Stop Light unit.

With the Class "A" rear lights, you can have Service Stop: Service Tail: Blackout Tail: Blackout Stop: on both Left and Right sides.
To do a correct conversion, you will need to obtain a Packard "Y"-connector plus around 4 to 6ft of new wire along with a standard Packard male connector. This will enable you to add a wire for the Blackout Stop connection at the Left-Side composite light unit, powered by using the "Y"-connector at the existing Blackout Stop connection at the Right side.

In short, with the old-style lights, you only have one BO Stop light. With the composite units, you have a BO Stop at either side. By using Packard connectors as above, you won't need to cut any wires nor permanently change the harness. You can always go back to the old-style lights if required.

If this sounds like too much work, or you aren't too worried about originality, just replace the lenses with GamaGoat lenses.

Ken
Kind regards....
Ken

Always wanted - Details and pictures of M416 Trailer data plates & M151 data plates & body-tags for my research. Thanks!

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rickf
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Re: how to convert to composite lights??

Unread post by rickf » March 11th, 2015, 7:21 pm

Or don't worry about the left blackout brake light.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
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whiterabbit
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Re: how to convert to composite lights??

Unread post by whiterabbit » March 11th, 2015, 7:55 pm

Thanks guys.
I really wasn't sure if it only had one service brake on the left side. I need to pick up some packard connectors at the Fl. rally so I'll just grab some Y connectors too! (I've got some crunchy plugs at the headlights)
I do like the little early lights size and the cool lil' blackout stop mounted above the right side light but I have a NOS set of composite lights and I can get a pair of NOS Goat lens for 25 bucks........
Decisions, decisions............ :roll:

Off topic a bit.
I could have sworn we had to carry a detached trailer lights cable with our M151A2's for the trailers. Used for m100's??

Thanks again!
"It’s the unconquerable soul of man, not the nature of the weapon he uses, that insures victory." Gen. George Patton

1986-2014 Ordnance Corps RETIRED!
XVIII Airborne Corps Combat Affiliation
Go Ordnance!
1972 M151A2
1978 exMOD 109 Land Rover S3 (sold)
1942 WLA
M274 (sold) Big mistake. Sigh....

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muttguru
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Re: how to convert to composite lights??

Unread post by muttguru » March 12th, 2015, 5:32 am

whiterabbit wrote: Off topic a bit.
I could have sworn we had to carry a detached trailer lights cable with our M151A2's for the trailers. Used for m100's??
Thanks again!
The M416 trailer inter-vehicular cables were hard-wired to the trailer but the M100 started life by haveing an I-V cable that could be unplugged from both the trailer and the towing vehicle. The front panel of the M100 was fitted with a metal storage box to keep the cable safe. Towards the end of M100 production, the separate cable was changed to a hard-wired setup and the storage boxes were removed and scrapped.
There are a lot of M100 owners who have restored their trailers back to original and there's now a thriving business in supplying repro storage boxes for the M100.
Ken
Kind regards....
Ken

Always wanted - Details and pictures of M416 Trailer data plates & M151 data plates & body-tags for my research. Thanks!

Contact address - - muttguru@aol.com

Note for 2023..... Ken..."Less Stress - More Exercise!"

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Re: how to convert to composite lights??

Unread post by Germann75 » March 18th, 2015, 4:44 pm

Does anyone have a photo of the correct brackets?

salt6
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Re: how to convert to composite lights??

Unread post by salt6 » March 18th, 2015, 7:52 pm

They look the same just longer IIRC.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

George Orwell
-------------------------------------
"I once was one of those men."

salt6

http://www.mg42.us

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