Spitfire Spitfire Taillights - Bulb Housing Corrosion!

[pjsmetana]

The past few days I have been pulling every light out of the rear and finding corrosion on those little push-in type bulb holders. I hate em! I've had to take a wire wheel, wire bush, and sand paper to every part and then after cleaning everything it still fits terrible and sometimes the bulb makes good enough connection... and sometimes it don't. Right now, the only way to get the right turn signal bulb to work is with a bead of soldier around the bulb to make it sit in there tighter. I hate these little push in type bulb holders! I'm changing all my lights to LEDs so I really don't want to run solder beads around these just to watch them corrode again.

So, what are my options? Can I buy new bulb holders? Where? Are there a different style of bulb holders I can use?

 

[Andrew Mace]

Spitbits has 'em: $4.50 each.

 

[72spit6]

victoria british has original style bulb holders if you want a stock replacement. also a little dielectric grease will help cut down on corrosion. i know i have seen a guy who used a newer type bulb holder in the taillights for led's and with some modification got them to work. I do not know where to find other types of holders though

 

[TR3driver]

Looks like the late Spits take the same holders as the TR6 and Stag? If so, the ones that TRF sells have a ground connection directly to the holder, rather than relying on the ground through the clip. Bit annoying, especially in that they did not mention the difference; and you'll have to fabricate a ground wire for em. The ground spade is 3/16" instead of the standard 1/4", so I also had to source some matching connectors (Radio Shack or MMC). But a far superior solution for grounding, IMO.

 

[Mark Jones]

There's a good article on the Buckeye Triumph site on how to modify the bulb holder to improve the ground.

 

[pjsmetana]

...the ones that TRF sells have a ground connection directly to the holder...

YES! That would definitely help! So much better than soldering my ground to the bulb or any other type of so-so rig! Thanks guys!

 

[pjsmetana]

There's a good article on the Buckeye Triumph site on how to modify the bulb holder to improve the ground.

I've been looking at their site for a while and I don't see this article. Do you have a link?

 

[Rhodyspit75]

Here it is https://web.archive.org/web/2002102704323.../TR6Sockets.htm

 

[TR3driver]

Or here:
https://www.buckeyetriumphs.org/technical/Electrical/TR6Sockets/TR6Sockets.htm

The original sockets (aka holders) in my 71 Stag were so bad that I actually had to solder in a length of wire rather than just a dab of solder. There was something like a 1/16" gap between the steel clip & the copper bulb contact.