Led headlight conversion kit with Lucas headlight bucket

[steveg]

Got the LBCarco 'kit' installed today:

View attachment 58310View attachment 58311View attachment 58312View attachment 58313View attachment 58314

First shot is the 'kit.' The rubber boot is installed by removing the LED 'bulb' from its socket (just like a 1157; one of them was inserted upside down and it took me a while to figure out how to 'fix' it. Almost made a call to Jeff). Second shot is original sealed beams at low beam, third shot is LEDs at low beam, fourth shot is LEDs at high beam, last shot is the LED bulbs and lenses installed. The only thing I'm not entirely comfortable with is the lenses are all but flat, whereas the sealed beams had a significant convex curve, which generally fits with the all-around 'no straight lines' of a Big Healey.

I only had them on for a few minutes at a time but the heat sink was just warm. The photos don't really show the pattern of the lights; at low beam the pattern was like a trapezoid or upside down 'W.' The most concentrated light was fairly straight across the top, with the light diffusing outward and down. Note the car is only 5-6 feet from the wall; I'll adjust later if people start flashing their brights at me :wink-new: Overall, I'm happy with them for the price (about $90 with shipping and tax).

Bob - do the lights in picture 1 fit within the Healey headlight buckets without cutting holes in them?

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Bob - do the lights in picture 1 fit within the Healey headlight buckets without cutting holes in them?

They fit in my BJ8's buckets no problem (you have to finagle the cabling a bit, but no cutting required).

Edit: To elaborate, the sealed beams attached directly to the 3-slot pigtail from the harness, the LED power adapters--I assume that's what they are, possibly DC->DC converters--have their own pigtails as shown in the photo. You have to kinda stuff all the wiring in the bucket, but I don't anticipate any issues (unless the power adapters get REALLY hot; if they do I'll smell the smoke layful.

 

[bob hughes]

Hey AJ

Try this site


www.norbsa02.freeuk.com/goffyleds.htm

you should get what you are after there




Bob

 

[Bob_Spidell]

I just got an email 'flyer' from LBCarco. They have the 7" LED headlight kits for $90.36 with a shipping 'credit' if you buy something else. I have NFI in this company, just passing this along (I paid a bit less but paid shipping). I left home in the dark yesterday to go to a car show in Knights Ferry, and the lights performed well (and nobody flashed their brights at me layful. Again, the only thing that 'downvotes' them IMO--just a little--is the flatness of the lens.

When we were checking in at the show there was a lady sitting in a nice-looking BRG BJ8 on the side of the road. Someone said her car had 'overheated,' but I spoke to her later and it sounded like a brake had been dragging (her son came and apparently remedied the issue). The lady seemed a bit forlorn and it turned out her husband of many years had died suddenly recently at age 68 (heart attack; he was otherwise healthy with no symptoms). She also told me her husband-to-be had a Healey stolen off the street in San Francisco where they lived and met and, of course, he vowed to get another, and he had 'restored' this one (nice paint and bodywork but engine bay hadn't been gone through). She said she brought the car to the show to 'honor' her husband; I checked on her later and she was sitting with a couple people and seemed in much better spirits.

EDIT: I didn't win anything--had nice conversations with some other current and former owners though--but my friend got 'Best Convertible' for her MGTC (which I had to jump start going and coming). I did tell her she didn't have a 'convertible' but a roadster, but to people who only know slammed Chevys with big blocks we all 'look the same' I guess. Oh, and just try to explain to them that positive ground is not 'reverse polarity.'

 

[John Turney]

So her husband-to-be married her for her Healey?

 

[Bob_Spidell]

So her husband-to-be married her for her Healey?

Other way around (maybe).

 

[AUSMHLY]

Hi All,

I hate to be negative but I am not sure what the motivation is for this high cost LED headlighting conversion. Is it because they use quite a bit less amperage then Halogens? Or is it the amount of light they project? Maybe its their expected longevity. At the high cost of a conversion, I would appreciate knowing what I am missing that is motivating those who are making the change?

I had installed Halogens to compliment my driving lights prior to executing my self imposed night driving ban and also installed an alternator to provide the needed extra power.

A while ago I installed halogen bulbs to find out the power draw fried the light switch. Learn as you go. Added relays (low and high) about 3 feet from the light switch in the footwell. I am using the factory wire harness and a generator. I have not had any problems.

After reading Rays comment, is:
(1) the generator providing enough current to get the same amount of brightness, lumins as an alternator?
(2) are the factory wires sufficient for both the generator and alternator with Halogen bulbs?

 

[RAC68]

Hi Roger,

As you mentioned, I am using relays to power my Halogen headlights and do have an alternator. In Fact, my original wiring and switches are still present and in use but now with the my 3 relays used to power my high, low, and driving lights, only carry sufficient power to switch the relays and not the lights operating power. Originally, the system (without relays) directed all lighting power through the light switch and only a small amount is carried through the the original circuitry. Operating power for mylights is driected from a new separate #10 gauge line connected, as a separate fused (20-amp) branch, from the main alternator/battery connection. In fact, this power line takes away all but a small amount of power from the older original thin-wired circuitry needed for switching-control the relays and no more.

Yes, Halogen lights will draw more power then LEDs, however, it is not passed through the older circuitry or switches when wired as I have described and will provide substantial amount of additional luminescence.

One last point. Although LEDs do draw less power and produce less heat, its lumens are directed to a narrow line of sight and its heat is expelled from the tail (connection) end of the unit. This factor requires the installation of multiple LEDs to provide the broad visual exposure of a standard light that expels its heat through the bulb (glass). This was important to know when installing lights behind closely placed plastic lenses as with the rear reflectors of my Phase 1 BJ8 (or earlier model big Healeys) where the bulb is installed close to the red plastic light defusing lens. Using a standard bulb will heat the lens to the point of deformation where the cool lamp of an LED not.

So, LED headlights have an amperage advantage but will the Healey's headlight bucket allow its head to be dispersed sufficiently to allow proper and long term operation?

Just my thoughts,
Ray(64BJ8P1)

 

[AUSMHLY]

Halogens draw more amps vs the old sealed beam headlights and LEDs.
I've read LED don't provide the same light pattern as Halogens, however they hardly draw any amps (good for plug and play with stock wires and no relay needed).
So I'm still researching upgrading my headlight lens to Lucas or Hella and good quality Halogen bulbs.
So I have questions.

I believe the Healey generator has an output of about 36 amps (or less).
I believe halogen headlight bulbs will draw about 20 amps.

I have spliced relays for the high and low beam into the factory wire loom, to protect the light switch from burning up.

(1) What is the stock gauge headlight wire?
(2) Is that wire sufficient for the 20 amps the halogen bulbs draw, with the relays in place?
(3) Will the stock generator be adequate for halogen headlight bulbs, filament directional and dash bulbs all running at the same time?
(4) Will the halogens be as bright with the relays/generator/factory wire vs relays/alternator/factory gauge wire?

I read this online:
The old headlights were 55/65 watts. The low beams pulled 55 watts. The high beams pulled 65. Two low beams on pull 110 watts combined. 110 watts divided by 12 volts gives you 9 amps. Toss in the high beam at 130 watts combined and you're sucking down about 11 amps. All four headlights on tip the scales at 20 amps.

Running the headlights on relays will cut down on the voltage loss through the system as well as the amperage draw on the bulkhead and switch. The headlights will be much brighter too.

 

[RAC68]

Hi Roger,

I agree with you with the exception that I believe the high and low light filaments are not additive and only the high "or" the low beam headlight filaments are active. With this in mind your wattage draw will be closer to 12.5-amps for the 75/60 watt Halogen bulb I have seen advertised.

According to the book, your generator should be able to produce 30-amps at 13.5-volts @ 1250-rpms. At this rate, your headlight power draw, along with all other commonly installed actively operating equipment, should be well within the power production ability of your original generator and my commonly selected Delco 10SI 65-amp alternator.

However, original circuitry routs power to the headlights through the light and dimmer switches. The additional power demand of a Halogen upgrade would put additional demand and stress on these switches and could diminish their longevity. Also, the gauge of the Healey's original light circuit wiring is not as robust as I would have selected today but quite adequate for the time of build. Although I think the wiring gauge is adequate to carry the amps of 2 original headlights, I was not comfortable in using this power path for my Halogen installation and diminished the amperage on this path to the very low amperage level required to switch headlight relays only. Operating power for my Headlights is provided by an added very oversized 10-gauge power path capable of carrying quite a bit more power then required and fused to 20-amps (as described in my last post).

Although I am not against an LED headlight conversion, I am quite happy with my Halogen installation and see no need to convert. Yes, I would not install Halogens without relays or creating a separate fused power circuit. However, even though LEDs have a substantially diminished power requirement, I would still have considered the same circuit changes due to the originality of the involved wiring circuits and the fact that wires do age.

Ray(64BJ8P1)​

 

[BoyRacer]

Classic Car Performance sells a pair of Lucas headlight lenses and the LED upgrades for $189.95. I'm tempted. Has anyone purchased this kit and driven their car at night?

 

[AUSMHLY]

Classic Car Performance sells a pair of Lucas headlight lenses and the LED upgrades for $189.95. I'm tempted. Has anyone purchased this kit and driven their car at night?

I started this post and referenced them. I did send them an email asking what Lucas headlamp they are using, and what brand of LED bulb they are using. No reply from them. I contacted them again, no reply.

Research says, you can't put any led bulb in any headlamp. The dispersion of both must work together. It seems, Moss, Classic Car Performance and LBCarco sell kits we'll assume address these issues.

Looking at the headlight design, Moss' Lucas headlamp is convex stamped with a rectangle Lucas near the middle. Classic's Lucas headlamp is convex stamped with an down pointing arrow near the middle. LBCarco's Lucas headlamp (according to the prior post of steveg, "the lenses are all but flat") stamped with a circle Lucas in the middle. Three different Lucas headlamps.

1st Moss, 2nd Classic, 3rd LBCarco


The LED bulbs each vendor uses are all different too. 1st Moss, 2nd Classic, 3rd LBCarco


Moss $249.00 :https://mossmotors.com/led-conversion-kits-for-7-h4-headlamps

Classic Car Performance $190.00 :https://www.classiccarperformance.com/collections/led-headlights

LBCarco $91.00: https://www.lbcarco.com

I purchased from Moss for the following reasons.
1. Moss' kit is made by Stella Lux and sold by other vendors too; where as the other two vendors seem to be in-house kits.
2. Moss' Lucas headlamp seems like the one used in more British cars as original.
3. Moss' LED any Stella Lux seems to be more sophisticated using a external box (what is that?)
4. The saying you get what you pay for.. assuming Moss' should be better.

I will be installing these soon and will provide a write up with LED vs Halogen comparison photos.

PS. this seems to be topic other are interested in. As of today over 2,000 views.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

FWIW, LBCarco has their kit on sale for $81 (just got an email from them). I've posted about them elsewhere on the forum. The 'external box,' or bulbous attachment to the LED pack is, I believe, a voltage-to-voltage converter; the LEDs need 5V, I think, and our electrical systems, of course, are 12V. They do get a bit warm.

Where did you mount the external box? I think you'd want it against metal as a heat sink.

 

[AUSMHLY]

FWIW, LBCarco has their kit on sale for $81 (just got an email from them). I've posted about them elsewhere on the forum. The 'external box,' or bulbous attachment to the LED pack is, I believe, a voltage-to-voltage converter; the LEDs need 5V, I think, and our electrical systems, of course, are 12V. They do get a bit warm.

Where did you mount the external box? I think you'd want it against metal as a heat sink.

I did see they are on sale $10 off, now $81. Being this post will be viewed in the future, I thought I'd reference the list price.
$91/$81 for 2headlamp/2LED bulb kit, seems cheap compared to the others, so I'd be wary of you get what you pay for.
Example, the Stella Lux LED bulb kit alone is $170.

My post mentions I will be installing these soon. I'll include how warm the box gets and where I placed it. Good point Bob.

 

[bob hughes]

Don't want to hijack your post but I have Led's on the brake, side and indicator lights on my Neg. Ground BJ8. I've looked on the AHSpares and Ahead4Healeys Sites and they only seem to supply conversion kits and not spare bulbs.
They're all working fine but the law requires us to travel with a spare set of bulbs in Europe. Does anyone have a spec for bulb size etc?
AJ

You seem to be sorted now but for the future have a look at Better Car Lighting - enquiries@bettercarlighting.co.uk or Classic Car LEDs Ltd - classiccarleds.co.uk



Bob

 

[jman15]

Gentlemen, I finally got around to installing the Moss LED conversion kit in my BJ8. I had the Hella kit for some time but was hesitant to install it with the halogen bulbs due to the supposed stress it would cause on my old generator. So when the kit was offered by Moss my wife bought it for me as a gift. Seems to work fine and lights are definitely brighter than my original sealed beam headlights. Couple quick observations. I don't like the fact the headlights are almost completely flat, a point mentioned by Bob who used the LBcarco bulbs. The Stella Lux kit has LED bulbs rated at 25 watts which is a significant savings over the normal 55 watts or so of halogens. What surprised me is the LEDs also require something called a "driver" which connects and directs power to the bulbs. These drivers require an additional 21.6 watts. So compared to what I thought was a 30 watt savings its really only 8.4 watts or a total of 16.8 for both bulbs (1.4 amps). A savings but not nearly what I expected.

 

[AUSMHLY]

Jman15, which Moss kit did you get?
I purchased the Stella Lux LED kit from Moss that includes the Lucas H4 Headlamps. The Headlamps have 20602 indicated on the glass. The back has printed Lucas LUB 314. The lens is not flat.
I have not installed them yet. I will post my findings.

 

[jman15]

Hello AUSMHLY. The LED kit I have came from Moss and it contained only the LED's as I had earlier purchased the kit with the Halogen bulbs (H4) and the Hella lenses. So thinking I wanted to minimize the current draw and not use Halogen I matched up the Hella lenses with the LED's. This works since they both accept the H4 bulb fitting. Your kit apparently has the Lucas lenses and LED's. When I mention the lens are flat they are the Hella lenses but the LED bulbs are likely the same that you have and the current draw I mentioned is probably the same unless Moss found a new supplier. The Hella lenses are not completely flat and have a small curve to them. But they are no where near as round as the sealed beam lights they replaced. Incidentally they are quite a lighting improvement.