Hello, QUESTION??? \
Back up lights work, if I touch ground to bulb insert housing on bench? seems like if I ground the fixture it doesn't make it the Bulb housing ground? and it doesn't work. the fixture and Bulb housing are not bonded together. They are separated.

So How do I make the Bulb work? I included picture.

 

Solder a wire to the bulb socket and attach it to the mounting screw of the housing. Sounds like over the years you have corrosion in the joint between the 2.

 

Eric , I tried and NO GO.. I even tried hitting the edge with Chisel to mate them and No go there either.. Do I have weld them?

 

Eric you can see where I hit chisel to Mate them but still not making contact..

 

I'd remove that entire socket (rip it out), clean the area where the socket inserts into the housing, buy a new socket (as I've previously suggested) and insert the new socket into the housing.

As previously suggested, using the correct socket (I think the one you're using is an 1156).......#5

 

You need this....tear, rip, bust out that old socket and insert a new socket and be done w/ it.

https://www.jegs.com/i/American-Auto...00125/10002/-1

 

In case you're wondering on how to remove that old 1156 lamp socket do this. Take a big pair of channel lock pliers, grab the socket, squeeze the living $HIT out of that old socket until it doesn't even look like a socket any longer - you can then take a hammer and pound it out the other end; or, you can take a pair of dikes (sometimes incorrectly referred to as wire cutters/pliers) grab the very narrow edge of the other end of the socket and cut it out or grab it and mangle it good until it pops out. Wire brush and/or sandpaper the metal of the housing where the new socket will insert. Once the new socket is inserted, you simply bend the tabs to secure the socket in place. If you're really into it...you can solder the new socket into place.

 

Unfortunately, corrosion between the socket and the housing are preventing the bulb from grounding. On my 62 the problem is even worse because the socket is steel and the housing is aluminum. I had to solder a wire to the ground contact on the bulb and run it to a proper chassis ground. I think I went through three bulbs until I was able to solder one without cracking the glass. If you do replace the socket, get a two wire version that has a separate ground wire built in. If you want to try soldering to your current socket, you'll need to thoroughly clean the metal, then use flux to tin it before trying to solder the wire to it. Also, since there is a lot of metal there, you will need to use a small propane or butane torch to get enough heat into the socket to melt the solder. This is just like trying to put body solder on sheet metal.

 

Joe

what about putting a metal clamp on the housing and attach wire to ground? And cover it with liquid tape.
I will try it tomorrow. Will post picture

 

So long as you can keep the connection clean, that should work.

 

Thank you Joe.

 

Joe, I used a small torch and welded the light fixture to the bulb housing. have 2 pictures or left and right. just need to sand Blast and should be ready to go. Did NOT want to destroy an American MADE product and replace it with China CRAP..
this will last another 50 years..

 

I forgot pictures on last post..

 

That'll work. Just be sure to clean the surfaces that contact the bumper for grounding and use dielectric grease on them to mitigate corrosion in the future.

 

Nice fix