Chasing electrical issues.
I have a bad socket on the lower tail light. Tried cleaning and lubing but no go. One of the 2 contact springs is just too sticky If I remove the whole tail light unit, is it possible to take the light socket off of (detach from) the casing and do some repair/maintenance?
Suggestions?

 

probably best to replace the entire thing with good factory part or a Chinee repair unit.

 

jamac, we 67 fans are orphans when it comes to lighting. You can get repops for 66 or 68 tail light assy, but not 67. Fisic has the upper parts, but not the lower.

You can try one of these
:
Pull the assembly out of the bumper. Lube the wires with silicone or something similar. You should then be able to push the wires up through the socket and try to refurb the pigtails. I've done it and it worked.

The other would be to pull the assembly and dremel off the base for the light socket and put a generic 1157 socket into it. You may have to hog out the hole on the base to make it fit.

Put replacement bulb contact in it. The sockets and pigtails are available at any part store, but they will require cutting the original harness. Something you may or may not want to do.

 

This is difficult if you try and repair the factory socket and wire assembly. There are stake tabs that hold the insulator in that the wires go thru. Easy thing is to remove original socket by cutting or grinding and getting the universal socket with the tabs that will push in and stay. You can adapt your original wires and plug to the leads on the new socket.

 

Damnit Jim!
Well, it is winter and the car is in the garage.
I will pull the tail light assembly off the bumper and work with the wires/springs to see if........
If no success, then ream it out and go universal.
Thanks guys.

 

To workk properly, the wire at the back of the socket has to be able to move in and out a little to allow the spring to do its thing. I have found the problem to be that the wires coming out of the back of the socket are covered in crud. Clean them REAL GOOD with acetone or such to loosen them up. Work the wire in to and out of the back of the socket until it moves pretty freely. That usually clears up the problem.

 

I've also found that a standard ball point pen spring can be used on the contacts if the current springs are corroded and crumbling.

 

While you guys are here, perhaps you can answer a different question.
Of course by now you know I am chasing down electrical bugs.
I am looking at the electrical diagram and chasing down the courtesy lamp wiring, etc.
One of the GRAY wires traces from the fuse box to: HEATER LAMP, and right under that there is this H.M.T LAMP. What is this?
And do you know what this symbol means...it is a circle with a crooked line thru it. I think it means that this wire is fused?

 

I had an ah ha moment. I think it means Hydra Matic Transmission?