Thanks a lot!!!! It is great to get feedback (good and bad) and when the feedback is this kind it makes creating these videos all worth it!!!!!! I am actually just a backyard mechanic learning as things break. I figure that it's helpful for others to learn how to fix stuff so they can try it for themselves. And what better way to learn then watching someone do it and following along!
almost SIX years ago, and you'd already gotten the spread of tools needed, your channel developed pretty fast! kinda binge watching all your old videos, I'm looking foreward to that first mention of soapy wooder
Glad it helped! Yea, I am on the Corvette Forum and a few of the other smaller Vette forums... Good Luck changing the gears! It is an easy job, just take your time!
Thanks man. It's weird because most of my videos, even ones that are so simple that there is no fathomable reason for a dislike, I get them... The key is having significantly more people like the video (that is where I think I do pretty good)
The opti isnt a problem on the 96 Vettes. It is vented! I got mine soaked in antifreeze when the waterpump went, and it is still running great (original too)... Glad the video helped!!!
I watched other videos but found yours to be the most complete. I have a ‘90 which would work sometimes but not always. I had lots of practice from a ‘98 Firebird. So fairly the same. The c4 gear and bushings were fine. The gear itself was cracked all the way through the teeth. Someone had taken it a part and just rotated the gear to put the crack on the other side where it wouldn’t be used. It’s a temporary fix and works but one can never tell for how long. I figured it I’m taking it out and apart, it’s getting a new gear and bearings! Thanks again! BTW…anyone can do this fix! I’m an older woman who jumps in and gets things done!
Dude, you are awesome! I bought a 1995 last Friday, the 4th. Lights shuddered when opening or closing. I watched your video this past week, bought the gear and bearings and installed them today. I couldn't have done it without your video! The drivers' side took me about 2 hours but the second only about 45 minutes! That's simply because I knew what I was doing by the time I got to the second one, lol. One suggestion as a tip, remove the headlight cowling before you do anything. Number one, it helps prevent scratches to it and, number two, it makes easier access to one of the bolts on the motor assembly. Plus, you might as well replace the headlights once you pull the whole assembly out. Mine were probably original headlights since the car has just 30,300 miles on it. Thank you so much again, Chris!!!
Chris, you have done a good job on explaining the basic ideas, but ....... 1. Remove the outer painted light cover before you start ... rotate the housing manually so it is open about 1/4 of the way, 2 Phillips screws on the outside, and 2 T1 torx on the inside, and you avoid any damage to the paint work! 2. Never hammer a drill bit into a roll pin ... drills are hard (HSS or high carbon steel ... quite brittle), use a 1/8" drift or a blunt nail (hammer the end to flatten it down). If the drill breaks in the hole, it is VERY difficult to remove, and you are going to junk the housing ($$). 3. It is a lot easier to remove the roll pin while the housing is in the car ... you avoid the blocks of wood and things falling over problems. Prior to removing the light housing, rotate the light so you can see the roll pin and use a small drift or a long penny nail and tap the roll pin through the arm.
I love how you started out just wanting to help people learn to fix things on their own and now even though your channel has grown like a wildfire you’re still just wanting to show people how with just a little effort they can fix their car too. Good for you!
The "pellets" are the "bushings" what get crumbled to tiny pieces... So the previous owners dont take them out, they break down over time due to use. Glad I could help!!!!
Great video. Just wanted to clarify that my 1986 was different in many ways. But you showing that the gear was changeable was all I needed. You saved me some bucks by posting that video. Thanks!
Awesome video Chris. I'm going to tackle it today because of the confidence your video gives me. Anyone else who this video helped should consider thanking Chris with a little donation.
I know this is several years old now, but I smiled the whole way though watching a young guy fix this with the tools he had. Loved the carpenters hammer, towel on the ground and just doing it. Well done Sir. Loved the vid
Excellent job Chris. You show every step and explain everything so well. Just about anyone can do this following your video. Thanks so much for this video.
Hey, first I wanted to say thanks for the video. With these directions, it was pretty easy to follow through with performing this maintenance job ony '95 C4, which was displaying these symptoms of gear failure. However, I would have liked to have been warned that the process is different side to side; with the passenger side being markedly more difficult to complete the repairs on. Indeed, there's significant difference in the design of the parts from left to right, a consequence of manufacturing processes that did not implement mirroring.
I was surprised that when I took mine apart, the plastic gear was completely intact (around 165k miles then) but the bushings were completely powdered! Literally. I changed them out and in the process I hyper extended my thumb when using a C-clamp lol. Cool of you to upload this video to possible help others, It's already hard enough for us 92-96 C4 owners lol, If you know what I mean (opti)
Awesome! I am glad I can help! Next Vette Video will be how to install a manual switch for your rear radio antenna (so you can listen to CDs or your MP3 player and the antenna wont be up). My friend wanted it installed so I made a how to...
Thank you so much for the terrific video lesson! Using your guidance, I changed the gears / bushings on both headlights of my '88 Corvette this weekend and they now work perfectly. The old bushings had, amazingly, disintegrated completely into a fine powder. The only minor “problem” I encountered during the repair was that the new bushings were a little too large and had to be sanded down slightly to fit.
Just fixed both of my C4 headlights today, thanks to your video. I had it playing on my work table as I completed the repairs. Passenger motor is just a little different, but not hard to figure out. Thanks for the excellent tutorial.
Hi Chris, thanks for the video! Just repaired my '89. On mine the gear was fine, only the bushings needed replacing... Works like a charm now and I have a spare gear for when I have to do the passenger side.
Recently purchased an ‘89 and need to this for 1 headlight. Perfect video! We will follow step by step. Thank you taking the guess work out of it for us.
Just replaced the driver and passenger headlight gears with brass. My 18 yr old daughter did the drivers side and it was done in about 20 minutes; her second repair job on the Corvette. Video was outstanding! Now, that passenger side gear replacement was a WHOLE other type of pain. We could not get the gear to pop out, as there is not anything to tap to push it out and it was basically welded in there with all the old plastic shavings. Ended up having to pull the gear screw and then had to let the grandfather step in and do the rest to get it back in working order. It follows the basic principles of the drivers side one, but getting that plastic gear out can be a PITA and so can getting the gear screw back properly.
Bigg Redone Glad the video was helpful! Stinks your passenger side was tough, but at least you got it done! What is awesome is that your 18yr old daughter is working on the Vette! That is great! Teach her so she wont get ripped off by mechanics an learn how a car works!
Im glad I could help!!! The design is actually pretty good considering our Vettes are at least 17yrs old... My Vette is a 96 and has yet to need any headlight fixes (knock on wood)
Great! Glad you got it done. Even though it sucks sometimes, when you get those little challenges, it makes it even more rewarding once you fix it! Glad the video helped! Dont jinx it, my amps are in great shape lol... I wish I had a broken one haha
It's good to see young people venturing into complex mechanical work to the point of teaching others how to do,most adults don't know how to strike a nail,proof that there's still hope,kudos to you !
Woah, watching this 10 years later and man you have came a long way, as I’m trying to fix my 85 corvette headlight it won’t flip so I need to figure out how to flip it in manually without breaking it.
Got my first Corvette (a 1994) last June (2019) and I figured the headlight knocking noise wasn't normal. Found your channel and this video a while ago, got the same parts you used and turned out to be a great project for a guaranteed Saturday : ) This video was fantastic, my headlight motors are fixed and swapped out the sealed beam halogens while I was at it with the help of your video on changing a Corvette headlight bulb. Thank you for the great channel with easy language a guy like me with little mechanical knowledge can follow!
Well, I think that Chevrolet needs to get ahold of you and let you do a regular television series. You attention to detail is amazing, and really help us car dummies.
Steve Michelson You are a GREAT teacher. Even I, who is totally non-mechanical, can fix my headlight and save tons of money. Thank you so much! Your video is so clear as well!
Chris I know you did this about 5 years ago but I just did it on my 95 C4 last night and your video rocked! The only thing that confused me for a second was I did the right front passenger side and getting gear out was opposite, as far as the 3 bolts to get to it and how to get it out. Great video!!
Thanks for the video, Chris. I changed a gear out on my 94 ZR-1 today, your instructions were still spot on for the ZR-1. I would add a warning to someone attempting to do this: Get a good set of torx bits for a 1/4in drive ratchet and a long extension. It's a T30 for all of these screws, and the wrenching elements in the screws are easy to strip out. Spent a lot of time today trying to remove a stripped screw.
Dude! You should DEFINITELY charge for this video! PERFECT detail! I just did this on my driver's headlight motor on my 1989. My gear was actually perfect (car only has 33,000 miles), but when I opened the gear housing, the pellets were literally disintegrated into baby powder! Installed new pellets, and no more motor running after the light returns to closed! Thank You!
Saw your vid a couple of times last night to get the repair down pat. Did my gear repair this weekend. Took about 30min tops per headlight assy no more then 1hr for both. The bushing were powdered/dust it was pretty sad. The gear was still good but I went ahead and replaced gear/bushing since it was all torn apart. Now my 94 lights dont clunk for an extra 3 sec and now sound solid. Thanks for a excellent vid.
Thanks for the video Chris. I have 1988 corvette and the motor is different and more of a pain than the on in this video but the principal is the same. I wouldn't have been able to accomplish it without this video. Cheers.
Just finished installing new gears and bushings in my 93 Corvette. Watching this video made this job very easy to do. I really appreciate Paintball007's effort in making this a great how-to video.
Thank you VERY much for posting this video. I ordered the replacement kit from Ecklers, Part #37701. For my '94 Corvette, I was replacing the passenger side. It's a little different from your video in that I wasn't able to knock the gear out of the casing. It took me a bit to figure out that I needed to loosen the two 1/4" screws on the motor assembly casing. Once they were loosened, I was able to wiggle the gear out. For me, the plastic motor gear was perfectly fine but the 3 bushings were completely pulverized! I decided not to use the bronze gear and instead keep using the plastic gear. Once I got everything put back together, it worked perfectly!! Of course my drivers side just started acting up now but I know what to do. Not only did I enjoy performing the job myself but I saved a bunch of $$$ doing so. I can now go get my vehicle inspection. Thanks again!! Great video!!
Mike Becker Great! I am glad the video helped you Mike and I am glad you were able to fix it! I used the bronze gear only because the owner of the Vette wanted me to. In my Vette I will just replace the bushings and if needed get a new plastic gear!
Mike Becker Hot tip on the passenger side there Mike!!! I did the driver side first, no problem. The passenger side is a little bit different due to everything being backwards from the driver side. The lip is on the inside of the gear, not the outside as on the driver side. Your hint of loosening the motor casing screws was the ticket!!! :) Thanks a bunch
I really don't understand the 2 dislikes. The video showed every step in detail, and was integral in helping me disassemble/reassemble my headlight motor!
Holy moly- have you come a long journey since these days. Where has 6 years gone? Look at you now, big Hollywood production. I am very proud of you, and your channel. Love you, Man!
Thanks for feedback. Finally forced it out. Gear had a flange on bottom edge that would not pass worm gear. It wobbled but needed lots of help to let go. Thanks again video and comments.
Thanks for creating this channel. My 91 C4 needed both sides done. And had a broken wire to the brights. Side note: I believe three pieces of 7/16" diameter nylon rod cut to 3/8" length could replace the bearings if the gear was functional.
Unhurried and thorough. Great video as I have this job ahead of me. I stuck with the original Delrin Bushings, as the oldies lasted 30 years, and In another 30 years I'll probably be pushing up daisies : ) Onya Chris, you provide an invaluable service to the DIY crew.
I have a 1990 that I bought cheap. A few repairs needed. Headlight is one. This video will be very useful. Your "how to remove the battery" was also very useful. You are my Corvette genius.
Hi Chris, just changed both headlight gear on my 1993.... following your directions.....all good....works perfectly....and no need for soopy wooder.....thank you.....great job!
I’ve watch a lot of your videos and ran across this from a referral from another channel. This is the first time seeing you without a helmet or hiding your face. Always wondered what you looked like lol. Your an awesome mechanic and have learned a lot from you. You have come a lot way in 10 yrs. Keep up the awesome videos. 👍🤘🤙
I did this job today. I used a brass replacement gear. I did the passenger side where things were reversed a bit from the video. The pin replacement was the toughest part for me. Also getting the old gear out was tricky once into the inside of the motor. There was a spacer between my gear axle and the pin holder. Getting the pin into the holes was really hard. Eventually I simply didn’t use the spacer. I noticed my driver side set up doesn’t have the spacer. It all worked out. Thanks for this great tutorial.
Just finished my 1996 Black C4 both sides. Your video encouraged me to do it myself. Thank you. Seems the gear was okay tho. It was the bushings that disintegrated. With I’d bought the plastic gear as original.
The passenger side is a little different from the driver side. Took me three hours to do. The driver side took about 40 minutes and was just like you showed in your video. I wouldn’t have tack the job if I hadn’t seen your video. Gave me the confidence to do it. Great video. Thanks. BTW, mine is a 96 with 48k.
Going to replace both of mine today, as they seem badly worn, watched this video twice and will watch again as I am going through the dissasembly process of the motor, thanks to you this job seems much easier than before :-)
Man.... I had to do this job back in the late 90's. Luckily I found a nice tutorial online (this was before RU-vid). Great job on this video. It'll help a lot of people.
hey i also have a 94 corvette polo green i have rebuilt lots of those motors for my own and friends just wanted to let you know that you made a great video for those people who have never done one and you saved them big bucks
Thanks for the video. Just bought my first Vette. 1996 Collectors Edition and my headlights are making the same noise. Gonna order gear and change asap.Great DIY video!
Aj Smooth Awesome! Congrats on the new Vette! The 96 is an amazing car! Nothing else on the road feels like it! I would get a plastic gear and the bushings (cheaper). You dont need the metal gear. The owner of this Vette wanted the brass gear which is why I installed it! Here is what you want: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00355SMDY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00355SMDY&linkCode=as2&tag=chri0e2-20&linkId=OMEXH627ICMYP4YU
Got the gear online (Mid-America) but you really dont need a brass gear. The owner of the Vette wanted that gear so I installed it. Make sure you get the bushings because that is usually what goes bad.
If it is physically getting stuck you definitely need to realign it and put screws/bolts where they are missing. Honestly, it is really easy to take out (as you saw in the video) so I would take it out, and put it back in to align it properly... Hopefully that will fix the problem... If you take your time, it should take an hour max
Hey, you have to check the bushings first!!! Like I say in my last post, here in México was so dificult to find parts of corvette, so, I take off the headlights and the only problem was the bushings, the gear was ok and now works so beautiful. Before you buy the gear, check first the bushings, thanks a lot Paintball007...
Great video and thank you for sharing. One note for 1989 owners is that there is two wiring harnesses per headlight and the addition of a bracket that requires a 13mm or 1/2 socket to remove. Thanks again for a great video.
Terrific video, Chris!!! I bought my first Vette, a 92, earlier this year. I was in the process of converting the stock headlights to Cibie H4 high-voltage units when I realized the motors were continuing to run after the lights had closed. I knew what the problem was, but didn't know how to fix it. Your video made it easy. I removed the assemblies and motors this afternoon and am just waiting for the replacement parts to arrive. Many thanks ... keep up the good work.
Thank you Chris for taking the time to show how to change the broken gear. I have this job ahead of me on my '84 and you just made it look very easy. So I think I am ready now!
Just got done changing out mine and watching the video along with it! My little pin was a B to get out (using the drill bit part of vid) But it all works flawlessly now! Thanks Chris!
Nice tutorial. Mine was a little bit different, but I was able to follow the basics to get it apart and back together. I'll add that the shavings are usually only the bushings. The nylon gear is normally not damaged and can be reused. I used Dorman 74410 bushings ($5) and rtv to seal it up since my gaskets were shot. I had to remove the motor from the gearbox to install the gear back in. The motor brushes popped out, so I had to use small strands of wire to hold the brushes in place while I reinstalled the motor, then pulled the strands out before tightening things back up.
Kyle Prater No problem Kyle! Glad the video was helpful! Definitely consider subscribing! New automotive "how to" videos every Thursday and most Mondays!
I really appreciate Chris. This video was really helpful. If you do not have a ton of experience you should know that he is doing the left headlight and the right headlight motor and gear are not the same as the left. in a sense they are opposite. you will see what I mean when you get there. it is a bit harder until you realize what is really going on. Metal gears? I am not sure. I also watched Mark's C4 Corvette to find this out. He does mention that as far as the gears go that metal on metal is not a good idea. They used plastic on purpose. As I write this my plastic gear is still fine. It all depends on how long you wait before you replace it.
