Oil Change

[72289] Oil change with Royal Purple 10w-40 synthetic (CH-4/SL - CI-4/SL rating) and Purolator filter.

Pulled the dash pad to fix the instrument panel illumination bulbs and to install new speakers. Two of the bulbs seem to be getting 12 volts on both terminals of the printed circuit they connect to, instead of 12v on one pad and ground on the other. I am planning to add a ground so I can use the existing bulb socket. The new speakers are too tall, with the large magnets and the spacer to get them to clear the center tweeter, so I had to make new brackets for them from sheet metal. Time will tell if they will work out once the dash is put back together.

Alternator

Alternator seems to have gone out on Friday. Alt light coming on then going off irregularly, putting a load on like pressing a window switch would extinguish it. Regulator? Anyway, put in an Autolite rebuilt unit from Kragen/Parts America today and now she's good.

Installed the new Hella E code high beam headlights too. A pair of adapter harnesses a few inches long made the electrical connection. Now I just need instrument panel lights!

LED

Replaced the rear fillers, finishing up today. Along the way, I replaced the tail lights with my experimental LED fabrications. I now know I would make a few changes if I were to engineer them again, like putting the LED modules futher into the housings so they were closer to the lens. But these are fine. Replaced the flasher unit with one that will handle the far lighter LED load, and that project is done.

Updated the low-beam headlamps with a set of 165mm Hella E code lamps with supposedly DOT approved bulbs. Thing is, it came with both DOT and Euro spec bulbs. The E bulb says it's a 60/55w + 50% whereas the DOT bulb just says 60/55w. I added relays so the bulbs draw the heavy juice from the terminal on the back of the alternator and the headlight switch only powers the relays. The lamps came with an adapter wiring harness about 4" long to go between the factory lamp socket and the new lamp, effectively remapping the wires to different terminals. Naturally, in replacing the lamps, I managed to break two out of four of the plastic aim adjuster bases (the right side). HELP provided new ones, though they say they are for Mopar products. They fit just fine though. Look lightly different but as long as they work, I don't care.

I like the beam pattern on these lamps. I just need to get them aimed properly.

Repainted air cleaner, touched up some under hood paint, placed new decal on air cleaner.

RODZ

Dropped of the bumper fillers and left fender skirt at RODZ for paint.