Headlight assembly

2 Fingers · Aug 8, 2021

Hey folks, thank you in advance for all input. I'm currently working on a 1958 John Deere 420W and I'm having trouble with the headlights. I'm using the original fixtures and clamp rings but I've opted to upgrade to LED lights. I believe the bulb dimensions to be correct but I can't get bulbs to fit snuggly, partly because I'm not sure I have all the right parts and partly because I'm not certain of the proper assembly of parts. Can anybody steer me in the right direction.

Mark-Ia · Aug 8, 2021

www.jdparts.com is a free online parts book. You should be able to find the breakdown of your headlight parts there.

used red MN · Aug 8, 2021

Here is a link to the page in the online parts Mark-IA
directed you to. Use the arrow over box in the upper right
to get to the descriptions in section -350. Maybe you just
need to cut some shims with a compass and Xacto knife
out of a cereal box or the like. With LED bulbs you will not
have the heat that a regular bulb would.
JD 420 lights

2 Fingers · Aug 8, 2021

(quoted from post at 17:17:17 08/08/21) www.jdparts.com is a free online parts book. You should be able to find the breakdown of your headlight parts there.

Thanks Mark, I've got the full parts manual for the tractor (which covers all variations of 420s and 430s) and it shows the sealed beam unit for my tractor, part# AT11121T. I'm having a bit of a time crossing that part number or finding any dimensional values to tell me the depth of the bulb and how it should fit into the fixture. I understand that I'm trying to combine parts that John Deere never intended to paired, I'm just trying to find the cleanest way to do it.

55 50 Ron · Aug 8, 2021

Do you have the old original bulbs? If you do they would allow you to measure them for all the dimensions you need.

2 Fingers · Aug 10, 2021

I don't have the original bulbs, or at least I don't believe that the bulbs that were in it were original. I'm starting to think that the bulbs I have are too small in diameter.

Jim.ME · Aug 11, 2021

Are your lights the ones that used small bulbs, a reflector and lenses, or seal beam bulbs? The parts book shows both were used.
You may not find seal beam type bulbs to properly fit the housings that used reflectors and lenses.

2 Fingers · Aug 11, 2021

(quoted from post at 11:37:27 08/11/21)
Are your lights the ones that used small bulbs, a reflector and lenses, or seal beam bulbs? The parts book shows both were used.
You may not find seal beam type bulbs to properly fit the housings that used reflectors and lenses.

ccording to my parts book and the serial number breakdown, mine was designed for the sealed beam units. I ordered the gaskets from the bulb & lens
setup (although the sealed beam setup doesn't show any used) hoping that they were the missing link but they're no help.

Jim.ME · Aug 11, 2021

You may be looking for a seal beam of an outside diameter that is NLA.

https://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/viewtopic.php?t=1109431

2 Fingers · Aug 11, 2021

(quoted from post at 13:33:04 08/11/21)
You may be looking for a seal beam of an outside diameter that is NLA.

https://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/viewtopic.php?t=1109431

hanks Jim, I'm starting to think you're right. I was hoping for a bolt in application but I can make it work. I'm a welder/fabricator by trade and a farmer by birth so I'll come up with something. I may just machine a couple adapter rings out of some aluminum or something, that would help me adapt to a larger OD and the thickness required to make the clamp ring fit snug. I appreciate everybody's help and will post the results when I get it figured out.

Headlight assembly

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used red MN

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