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Towards Repair Of A Pot Metal Headlight Trim Ring with Broken Studs
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56D500boy
Posted 2020-10-05 4:05 PM (#604034)
Subject: Towards Repair Of A Pot Metal Headlight Trim Ring with Broken Studs



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Location: Lower Mainland BC
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I recently had the chromed pot metal headlight "door" trim rings for my 56 Dodge Custom Royal re-chromed. I installed one the other day with two pressed metal, self-threading, nuts. No issues. Well, it was a bit tough getting the nuts started on the pot metal studs but I did get the nuts on and reinstalled the headlight door with the newly chromed trim ring.

Yesterday, I tried to install the second re-chromed trim ring on the second "door". However, somehow I managed to snap two of the studs off (??!!). The ones at 3 and 9 o'clock. There is only one left (at 12 o'clock) an that isn't enough.

Fortunately, I had spare (broken) headlight trim ring, a couple of 6-32 machine screws and some drill bits and a Tap and Die set.

I first tested a 6-32 machine screw on the headlight door - it fits through the holes in the cast pot metal "door"s just fine. Perfect for attachment with 6-32 Nyloc nuts. Trick is to get the 6-32 Machine screw attached to the trim ring.

I checked the recommended size of drill bit for a 6-32 tap and it is a "No. 35" (or a 7/64") drill bit. My drill bits are NOT numbered like that and all I had was 3/32" (6/64) or 1/8" (8/64). I opted to try the 3/32" bit.

I trialed the tap on a piece of scrap metal (about 1/16" thick). The tap was a bit tough to get started but it did start and I could tap the piece just fine.

So I tried drilling and tapping the broken spare trim ring where a stud had broken off (there is a substantial (enough) base for the stud so I was pretty confident that it would all work). I used the 3/32" bit to drill the hole. I kept testing the depth to make sure that I wasn't coming through the front of the trim ring. Eventually I figured that I had gone about as deep as was safe. I knew that I really only needed 2 or 3 threads to do this job so I was not worried.

I then tapped the 3/32" hole with the 6-32 tap. A bit tricky getting the tap started nice and square but I think I did it okay. The I tried the 6-32 machine screw in the newly tapped hole and it went in at least 3 threads (I counted it was at least 3.5 turns). This is going to work.

I will repeat this repair on the real trim ring tomorrow. At that time, I will cut the machine screw so there is only about 1/2" out of the threaded hole and then use 6-32 Nylocs to hole the trim ring to the "door"

Today I have to replace some of the main sewer drain pipe in the basement while my wife is out (and nobody but me is home to not flush).

Some photos so far:



Edited by 56D500boy 2020-10-06 2:38 AM




(56DodgeCustomRoyalHeadlightDoorTrimRing_BrokenStuds.jpg)



(56DodgeCustomRoyalHeadlightDoorTrimRing_GoodStudShowingThreadsCutByPressedMetalNut.jpg)



(56DodgeCustomRoyalHeadlightDoorTrimRing_BrokenStud.jpg)



(56DodgeCustomRoyalHeadlightDoorTrimRing_BrokenStud_DrilledAndTappedFor632MachineScrew.jpg)



(56DodgeCustomRoyalHeadlightDoorTrimRing_BrokenStud_DrilledAndTappedFor632MachineScrew_WithTrialScrew.jpg)



Attachments
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Attachments 56DodgeCustomRoyalHeadlightDoorTrimRing_BrokenStuds.jpg (54KB - 163 downloads)
Attachments 56DodgeCustomRoyalHeadlightDoorTrimRing_GoodStudShowingThreadsCutByPressedMetalNut.jpg (75KB - 165 downloads)
Attachments 56DodgeCustomRoyalHeadlightDoorTrimRing_BrokenStud.jpg (89KB - 163 downloads)
Attachments 56DodgeCustomRoyalHeadlightDoorTrimRing_BrokenStud_DrilledAndTappedFor632MachineScrew.jpg (97KB - 166 downloads)
Attachments 56DodgeCustomRoyalHeadlightDoorTrimRing_BrokenStud_DrilledAndTappedFor632MachineScrew_WithTrialScrew.jpg (89KB - 160 downloads)
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56D500boy
Posted 2020-10-07 2:16 AM (#604123 - in reply to #604034)
Subject: RE: Towards Repair Of A Pot Metal Headlight Trim Ring with Broken Studs



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Posts: 9855
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Location: Lower Mainland BC
56D500boy - 2020-10-05 1:05 PM
I will repeat this repair on the real trim ring tomorrow. At that time, I will cut the machine screw so there is only about 1/2" out of the threaded hole and then use 6-32 Nylocs to hole the trim ring to the "door".
Today I have to replace some of the main sewer drain pipe in the basement while my wife is out (and nobody but me is home to not flush).


Well, I got lost in that plumbing project both yesterday and this AM but I had a flushing success and had time to get back to the trim ring problem solution this afternoon.

Actually, I did one of the two studs yesterday but was too tired to do the second one so I left that until today.

The "problem" in this case was, while two of the studs were broken off enough that I couldn't get any kind of nut on them, there was still some stud (about 1/8") sticking up from the stud base. This meant that I had to first cut off the stud and get the stud base flat. Once that was done, I center-punched the stud base so I could get the 3/32" drill bit started. After that the process was the same as described above. Then repeat on the other stud.

Once the stud holes were drilled and tapped, I screwed in a 6-32 machine screw about 3 turns (until I had a firm refusal). Then I trimmed off the screw, leaving about 1/2" or a bit less as the threaded stud. Repeated that process for the second stud.

Once both new studs were in place I carefully fed the newly chromed trim ring into the holes in the headlight door. Once they were in, I hand started two 6-32 Nyloc nuts (one per threaded stud) and then tightened them to a firm refusal using my tiny 1/4" socket set. When both nuts were tight, I put that headlight door on the car. Then I put the other headlight door, the one where I used stamped metal self-threading speed nuts that didn't break off the OE non-threaded studs. In both cases, those trim rings won't be coming off any time soon - at least on their own.

Some photos from today, starting with the trim ring with the self-threading stamped metal speed nuts and then moving to the newly installed threaded stud version.



Edited by 56D500boy 2020-10-07 2:36 AM




(56DodgeHeadlIightDoorWithChromeTrimAttachedWithPressedMetalSelfThreadingSpeedNuts_1.jpg)



(56DodgeHeadlIightDoorWithChromeTrimAttachedWithPressedMetalSelfThreadingSpeedNuts_2.jpg)



(56DodgeHeadlIightDoorWithChromeTrimAttachedWithNewlyTapped632MachineScrewStuds_NoNutsYet.jpg)



(56DodgeHeadlIightDoorWithChromeTrimAttachedWithNewlyTapped632MachineScrewStuds_StudDetail.jpg)



(56DodgeHeadlIightDoorWithChromeTrimAttachedWithNewlyTapped632MachineScrewStuds_NylocNutDetail.jpg)



(56DodgeHeadlIightDoorWithChromeTrimAttachedWithNewlyTapped632MachineScrewStuds_WithTwoNylocNuts.jpg)



(56DodgeHeadlIightDoorWithChromeTrimAttached_AttachedToFender_Right.jpg)



(56DodgeHeadlIightDoorWithChromeTrimAttached_AttachedToFender_Left.jpg)



(56DodgeHeadlIightDoorWithChromeTrimAttached_AttachedToFender_Both.jpg)



Attachments
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Attachments 56DodgeHeadlIightDoorWithChromeTrimAttachedWithPressedMetalSelfThreadingSpeedNuts_1.jpg (99KB - 159 downloads)
Attachments 56DodgeHeadlIightDoorWithChromeTrimAttachedWithPressedMetalSelfThreadingSpeedNuts_2.jpg (88KB - 161 downloads)
Attachments 56DodgeHeadlIightDoorWithChromeTrimAttachedWithNewlyTapped632MachineScrewStuds_NoNutsYet.jpg (108KB - 156 downloads)
Attachments 56DodgeHeadlIightDoorWithChromeTrimAttachedWithNewlyTapped632MachineScrewStuds_StudDetail.jpg (100KB - 157 downloads)
Attachments 56DodgeHeadlIightDoorWithChromeTrimAttachedWithNewlyTapped632MachineScrewStuds_NylocNutDetail.jpg (100KB - 154 downloads)
Attachments 56DodgeHeadlIightDoorWithChromeTrimAttachedWithNewlyTapped632MachineScrewStuds_WithTwoNylocNuts.jpg (114KB - 160 downloads)
Attachments 56DodgeHeadlIightDoorWithChromeTrimAttached_AttachedToFender_Right.jpg (125KB - 157 downloads)
Attachments 56DodgeHeadlIightDoorWithChromeTrimAttached_AttachedToFender_Left.jpg (151KB - 159 downloads)
Attachments 56DodgeHeadlIightDoorWithChromeTrimAttached_AttachedToFender_Both.jpg (173KB - 155 downloads)
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