T-3 Headlights.......

buickjef · #1 08-20-2007, 11:58 PM

Over the weekend I picked up a pair of very reasonably priced used original Guide T-3 headlamps with the ribbed triangle logo for our '70 Acadian (Canadian Nova variant).
When we plugged them in and pulled on the power, there was quite a bit of smoke cloud formation inside of the bulbs, would this be the sealed beam gas inside that might have broken down over the years or just what may have caused this effect? Kinda had that Criss Angel smoke and mirrors special effects look to it! LOL! Any potential danger of electrical hazard that might come of this?

Thanks for your assistance!

camarojoe · #2 08-21-2007, 12:46 AM

not sure what that smoke is, but I do know the light is junk. Once you see that puff of smoke, they're toast in no time.

**rubbinisracing** · #3 08-21-2007, 12:53 AM

That's the problem with old t-3 lights, the seal breaks down and lets oxygen in. I only buy new t-3's from lectric limited....the only drawback is that you have to buy a set of 4. All the other vendors get them from lectric limited so no way around it.

www.lectriclimited.com

**KevinW** · #4 08-21-2007, 03:49 AM

Hey, Lectric is coming out with the correct logo for 69s in sept 07! Yea!

Verne_Frantz · #5 08-21-2007, 04:42 AM

Here's a little trick. Carry a 9V battery in your pocket at swap meets or junk yards. Whether you are considering a used orig T3 or an NOS one, touch the battery contacts to the 2 prongs on the bulb before you buy it. IT's enough juice to light the filament if it's still under vacuum or toast it if it's leaked and full of air.
The metal contacts that go through the glass are not sealed with what's called a glass-to-metal seal. That would take a metal known as Kovar (which has the same thermal expansion rate as 7052 Corning glass). They were sealed with a ceramic potting compound which has a tendancy to become porous with age, and let's in air. The bulb may look perfect, but the compound may have dried up and allowed air to seep by.

It's not much extra load to carry in your pouch if your roaming the fleas and hope to find good T3s!
And whatever you do, don't test them again when you get home with a battery charger (way too much current). Even a good one will toast!

Given enough time and determination, good original ones can still be found. Better that than repro ones. Originals were dated with a stamp on the rear. Repros don't have that, like OSRV mirror glass. You get nothing on the backs; a dead give-away!

Verne

camarojoe · #6 08-21-2007, 05:34 AM

[ QUOTE ]

And whatever you do, don't test them again when you get home with a battery charger (way too much current). Even a good one will toast!

Verne

[/ QUOTE ]

lol... no wonder I bring home so many "bad" T-3's! Thanks for the tip on "not" using a battery charger to test...wish I knew that about a half dozen T-3's ago.

Another good tip about the 9 volt battery... one more thing to carry to the swap meets. I like to keep several working originals stockpiled... they're out there, and often for pretty cheap, and I agree there ain't no substitute for real ones.

3macs1 · #7 08-21-2007, 06:41 PM

For what it is worth it seems the original larger diameter T3's regardless of the year are more prone to going up in smoke than the smaller 4 light systems. I am not sure why but know just based on the ones I have sold over the past year and I had hundreds of them put away.I would say 90% of the smaller t3 would be fine when tested but it would take me 7-10 to get two good 7" diameter. I never stored them any different but now that I know it is a seal issue perhaps the larger ones were harder to seal or more of a seal to fail.The white smoke was the common mode of failure with many just giving a blue line across the back. Those would still light but the appearance was not good for a show car.

JHS · #8 08-21-2007, 11:16 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Hey, Lectric is coming out with the correct logo for 69s in sept 07! Yea!

[/ QUOTE ]

I went to the Lectric Limited site and they advertise a 7" bulb that is correct for the 1969 GM models. Can someone give me a primer on the difference, if any, between a 7" that goes on a 1967 camaro and a 1969 camaro and tell me if the ones by Lectric are correct? I have always wrestled with the T-3 application issue and which logo is correct for what year.

ss427copo · #9 08-22-2007, 12:33 AM

Verne,
Great tip! I bought a set from Lectric for the 67 Impala and they were worth it. Can you imagine spending BIG MONEY for NOS T-3's on Ebay and them goingggggg...Poof on you when 12v were applied.

...not me!

Jeff x2

**John Brown** · #10 08-22-2007, 02:49 AM

Over at Team Camaro.....

7" T-3 discussion