420C Seal Beam Light Wiring

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bookman51
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420C Seal Beam Light Wiring

Post by bookman51 » Sun Dec 10, 2017 6:07 pm

I am working on my 420C. One light is missing and when I opened up the other to clean out the rust and dirt from the inside, I saw that it was a seal beam light. Now there are two wires going into the light housing but only one is connected. It fits under a screw that tightens up. I do not see where the other light should be connected. Am I missing something (both in terms of a part and my understanding of what needs to be done to connect the 2nd wire)?? :?

dtoots1
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Re: 420C Seal Beam Light Wiring

Post by dtoots1 » Sun Dec 10, 2017 6:52 pm

seems to me that those lights usually have 2 flat posts that have screws for mounting ground wire and hot wire from the switch. thou is possible it grounds thru the mount?

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Stan Disbrow
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Re: 420C Seal Beam Light Wiring

Post by Stan Disbrow » Sun Dec 10, 2017 7:49 pm

Hi,

Are you looking at the rear light with two wires? If so, the second wire goes to a tail lamp bulb which shined thru a ruby circle in the back side of the sealed beam to provide a red tail light when the switch is in the D(im) position. Those style sealed beam bulbs are long gone, so it is likely you have a normal bulb in there. And a bunch of rust which used to be the tail lamp socket.

The front and rear white lights ground via a spring tab. So, only one wire for those connections. But, of course, those ground tabs might also be long gone and now it has an added ground wire.....

Also, the early 420 lights were made-up units, not sealed beams (they came later). As in, reflectors with sockets in the center for a bulb, then a gasket, then a cover lens. And, the early rear lamps had two bulbs, one red one white, for the red tail lamp or white work light to the rear.

The crawlers sported the same dual color rear lamps, but the red tail lamp was really meant for wheel tractors running on the road after dark.

Stan
There's No Such Thing As A Cheap Crawler!

Useta Have: '58 JD 420c 5-roller w/62 inside blade
Useta Have: '78 JD350C w/6310 outside blade
Useta Have: '68 JD350, '51 Terratrac GT-25
Have: 1950 M, 2005 x495, 2008 5103 (now known as 5045D)

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bookman51
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Re: 420C Seal Beam Light Wiring

Post by bookman51 » Sun Dec 10, 2017 11:10 pm

This is for the front light. On this crawler the front lights are mounted on the top of the grill guard. It is a series III 420C. My guess is that it was originally an industrial yellow and then painted agricultural green. It has the grill guard, full belly pan, front bumper, reverser, industrial yellow blade, and there appears yellow under the green on at least parts of the crawler. I suppose the second wire could be a ground.

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Stan Disbrow
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Re: 420C Seal Beam Light Wiring

Post by Stan Disbrow » Mon Dec 11, 2017 5:01 am

Hi,

Yes, it is probably an added ground wire. I also have a Phase 3 with grille guard and each front light has only one wire. That goes to a screw in an insulator on the light case. Inside, the single wire goes to one lamp terminal. Ground is via the case.

Stan
There's No Such Thing As A Cheap Crawler!

Useta Have: '58 JD 420c 5-roller w/62 inside blade
Useta Have: '78 JD350C w/6310 outside blade
Useta Have: '68 JD350, '51 Terratrac GT-25
Have: 1950 M, 2005 x495, 2008 5103 (now known as 5045D)

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Re: 420C Seal Beam Light Wiring

Post by hydrogeo » Tue Dec 12, 2017 2:47 pm

I've spent some time searching for 6V LEDs to no avail. I've got a cheapo 24" LED light bar and a couple of spots on another piece of equipment they make night into day. Wish I could figure out how to get one on the 40c without all kinds of conversion nonsense.

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Lavoy
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Re: 420C Seal Beam Light Wiring

Post by Lavoy » Tue Dec 12, 2017 3:50 pm

If the back of the housing is kind of round instead of more of a tear drop shape, it is a tail light housing that someone has made into a headlight.
Lavoy
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bookman51
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Re: 420C Seal Beam Light Wiring

Post by bookman51 » Tue Dec 12, 2017 6:20 pm

Lavoy, Yes, you are right. The back of the housing is rounded rather than tear dropped shape. So it is a rear light someone put on the grill. This leads to a couple more questions. What does a new grill light cost? And, I see from some pictures that the rear light is mounted on the left fender. Other pictures has it behind the seat. I think it would be in the way on the fender, but what does it take to mount it to the rear of the seat. What does a wiring harness for rear lights run? You can e-mail me at ebony51@frontiernet.net It is a 1958 series III (serial 133412) Thanks Larry

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Stan Disbrow
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Re: 420C Seal Beam Light Wiring

Post by Stan Disbrow » Tue Dec 12, 2017 8:25 pm

Hi,

The rear light goes on the left fender, and mine hasn't ever been in the way. And, I ought to have thought about the rear one being on the front on yours...(smacking myself on my forehead)

Stan
There's No Such Thing As A Cheap Crawler!

Useta Have: '58 JD 420c 5-roller w/62 inside blade
Useta Have: '78 JD350C w/6310 outside blade
Useta Have: '68 JD350, '51 Terratrac GT-25
Have: 1950 M, 2005 x495, 2008 5103 (now known as 5045D)

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Re: 420C Seal Beam Light Wiring

Post by Lavoy » Wed Dec 13, 2017 8:34 am

New headlights are in the $50 range. Tail light on dozers is on the fender, loaders on the seat. There are a couple different brackets depending on application for loaders.
Tail light harness is $30, tail light itself is $50.
Lavoy
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Owner and moderator www.jdcrawlers.com

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bookman51
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Re: 420C Seal Beam Light Wiring

Post by bookman51 » Wed Dec 13, 2017 10:37 am

Lavoy and Stan, To probably add to the changes, the now identified tail light has a sealed beam. My guess that was done later and what I am seeing as a lose wire in the casing was the wire for the red light. I need to check and see if seal beam does work. If it does, I probably will not modify it back. I need to check and see if there is hole in the left fender for the light too. Lavoy, I will contact you about in a PM regarding a new head light. Thanks to everyone for helping to clear up the mysteries. The original owners of the crawler (my grandfather and my uncle) are both gone. The questions I would ask them about the crawler if they were here!!

Thanks Larry

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bookman51
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Re: 420C Seal Beam Light Wiring

Post by bookman51 » Wed Dec 13, 2017 11:25 am

And just when I think I have it figured out (thanks to the help here), the mystery deepens. The base of the light is .5 and there is no available hole to the rear of the left fender for which the base of the light will fit through. In checking with my parts books, there is an L shaped piece (21: M 1406 T) and a clamp (20: M 1482 T), both of which I do not have. Now one bracket (AT 10882) is described as when used with deluxe seat and 90 loader). I have neither the deluxe seat (and do not think it ever had it) nor the loader. So I assume I need that clamp and L shaped bracket (M 1406 T) to mount the light on the rear fenders.

Then, in checking the inside of the light, the second wire goes simply to the light frame, so I assume it is a ground and used when the light had a bulb rather than the sealed beam it has now. If the sealed beam works, I probably will (and should) ignore the 2nd wire.

So, a few steps forward and a few back, which is par for me.

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bookman51
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Re: 420C Seal Beam Light Wiring

Post by bookman51 » Sun Dec 17, 2017 9:33 am

To add to the thread, there is an "L" shaped bracket that is used to mount the light on the left rear fender. Anybody know the dimensions of the bracket. Lavoy tells me it is pretty pricy. I found a hole that a 7/16" bolt goes through. I figure I could heat up a bolt and bend it in an "L" shape and then cut off the head that would work. Thanks in advance.

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bookman51
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Re: 420C Seal Beam Light Wiring

Post by bookman51 » Sun Dec 17, 2017 7:29 pm

Does the rear light mount in the far rear hole on the left fender (3/8") or in the front the hole a few inches in front of it (7/16") hole? Thanks

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Stan Disbrow
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Re: 420C Seal Beam Light Wiring

Post by Stan Disbrow » Mon Dec 18, 2017 8:26 am

Hi,

There is a bracket under the rear edge of the fender, which holds the fender onto the machine with two carriage bolts.

The lamp has a stud on it which goes thru a single hole along the outside edge of the fender. That is part of the lamp housing, I think. There is no separate lamp bracket on my 58 420c phase 3 crawler with 62 dozer, just that stud. This would go into the 7/16 hole you are referring to. The outside fender mounting hole is rearward of the lamp mounting hole.

BTW, the front lamps also have studs the same as the rear one does.

Stan
There's No Such Thing As A Cheap Crawler!

Useta Have: '58 JD 420c 5-roller w/62 inside blade
Useta Have: '78 JD350C w/6310 outside blade
Useta Have: '68 JD350, '51 Terratrac GT-25
Have: 1950 M, 2005 x495, 2008 5103 (now known as 5045D)

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