Enhancing the Cobra High Level Brake Lamp.

 Enhancing the Cobra High Level Brake Lamp.

By David Owens.

When I spotted this photo, posted on an internet topic, I noticed that the Cobra High Level Brake Lamp on the nearest Morgan  appears to have a Chrome Bezel in the lamp.

Cobra Lamp with Chrome Bezel

Checking through all of my Photos I thought that this brand new Roadster 100 see at the factory also had a Chrome Bezel? 

On closer inspection it is just the sun reflecting on the paintwork.

 

New Roadster 100 Seen at The Morgan Factory

Checking my own Cobra Lamp I initially thought that my Bezel must have fallen off?

No. It appears that no other Morgan Cobras have Chrome Bezels.

My Cobra & Lamp Before Modification.

I shared this Topic with our Register Membership and David Owens became very interested and immediately began a search for a replacement alternative Brake Lamp with a Chrome Bezel.

David, being more curious than me, decided to dismantle his own Cobra Lamp and discovered that hidden within the Plastic Lamp Casing is a Chrome Rim which is part of the exiting lamp.

The Following Report takes us through the Method David used, and I have also followed, to achieve a Chrome Bezel effect on our Cobra High Level Break Lamps.

The Modification Method

1. Remove the car's Baggage Rack and The Spare Wheel - Tool Required - 2 x 13mm spanners.

2. Disconnect the Cobra Lamp Units power cable at the junction block - Lift the securing tab and separate.

3. Remove the plastic screw protector (Missing on my car) and remove the nut securing the cable clip at the base of the light stem. - Tools Required - 8mm spanner.

4. Remove the four wood screws that hold the Cobra Stem on to the wood frame of the car. - Tools Required - Phillips screwdriver.

Four Woodscrews Attaching The Cobra to the Car.

Remove the Cobra unit to the bench onto a soft surface to protect the paintwork.

The Red Lamp Lense showing the Rubber Surround & Fibre Screw Retaining Washers

5. Remove the Red Light Lens Cover taking care not to lose the crew retaining washers - Tools Required - Philips screwdriver.

The Bulb and its Separate Bulb Holder with Two Securing Screws.

6. Remove the Bulb for safety and then Remove the Top & Bottom Bulb Holder screws - Tools Required - Philips Screwdriver. 

Move the Bulb Holder to one side exposing the Lamp to Cobra fixing Screw in the base of the lamp.

The Chromed Plastic Light Housing showing its Single Fixing Countersunk Bolt in the Base.

7. Unscrew the 6mm Screw ( Bolt on David's Car ) releasing the Light Housing from the Cobra Stem Casting - Tools Required - ( Alan Key on David's - Philips screwdriver on mine)

The Base of the Light Housing Seen Inside the Cobra Casting.

The Gap Between Light Holder & Cobra Housing.

8. Insert the blade of a Screwdriver between the Light Housing and the Cobra Housing and Very Gently Lever Upwards to remove the Light Housing. 

Be careful as the Light Housing is made of Chromed Plastic. 

It does not take a lot of gentle pressure to free off the Tapered Joint.

The Chromed Plastic Light Holder Temporarily Removed from The Cobra.

9. A Spacer needs to be inserted Between the Base of the Light Housing and The Cobra Housing to push forward the Light Housing and expose a ring of Chromed Plastic. 

The depth of Spacer will determine the width of the Chrome Ring. This spacer should be 10mm to be in line with the other rear lamps.

David originally used a Metal Spacer with a 6mm Hole drilled in the center but has since replaced this with a far better option being a Firm Rubber Spacer fabricated from a Demijohn Bung. 

David's Rubber Spacer Fabricated from a Demijohn Bung.

I have fabricated a spacer from Softer Cork but will also seek out a similar Firm Rubber material from which to make my own Spacer.

My Champagne Cork Supply.

Drilling the Hole in the Center of my Cork

Cutting the 10mm Spacer Depth.

9a. Because of the Extra Depth of the 10mm Spacer, the Original 15mm Tapered Bolt is now too short so a replacement 25mm Countersunk Stainless Steel Bolt is required. 

I happened to already have a couple of extra long Countersunk Bolts, so set about to reduce its length. 

The 8mm Nut from the Cable Clamp was a useful aid to this process.  

Setting the Nut at 25mm ready for cutting off the excess thread.

 When the nut is removed after cleaning the sawn end it will re cut the entry part of the sawn thread.

Cutting the Bolt.

Filing the Cut End with the Nut Still in Place.

Using the Nut to Lift the Burr.

Finishing the Cut Using Emery Cloth.

My Cork Spacer Layout.

a) Light Holder

b) Bolt

c) Large Washer (to sit over the Small Extension on The Base of the Light Holder).

d) Cork Spacer.

e) Small Washer (to Bed into the Cork Spacer). 

Assembling the Pieces Ready for Fitting.

Ensure that the Light Housing is Re Inserted with the Cable Exit Visible as seen in this Photo

The Assembly Bolted back into The Cobra.

For Ease of Assembly hold the Light Fitting Vertically with your Finger holding the Bolt upright from Inside. 

This is so that the Washers & Spacer can't fall off of the Bolt. 

Lower the Cobra Housing onto the Bolt ready for Screwing together using, in my case, the Philips Screwdriver ensuring not to Overtighten and Break the Plastic Holder.  

10. Re Assemble the Bulb Holder into the Light Holder with the Two Screws ensuring that the Bulb Holder is in the Vertical location as the photo.

The 10mm Chrome Bezel Achieved.

As a personal enhancement I have covered the Cable in its slot using Black Gorilla Tape.

While the Spare Wheel is out, Here is a photo of the 'Y' Splitter I had made which fits into the Cobra Cable Joint.

This provides an extra powered side cable with identical Sockets needed to facilitate the attachment of my Suitcase Strap High Level Break Lamp Cable. 

Simple and Effective.

Also, When I replaced my two Lower Cobra Wood Screws I inserted this 3mm Perspex Spacer to slightly 'Lift' the Cobra Top allowing me to slide the Spare Wheel back in easily.

Before this, the jamming of the Spare Wheel under The Cobra strained and loosened the original screws. 

The Reassembled Cobra with My Spare Wheel Fitted.

The Vertical Location of the Spare Wheel is determined by the Centre Bolt.

Maybe, with my New & Tightened Top Screws, the Spacer Thickness needs to be Reduced to bring the Cobra into the Tyre once more?

Frank

........................................................................

Cleaning the Morgan Wheels

 Cleaning the Morgan Wheels

I had been putting off the annual 'Wheels Off' cleaning of the Roadster 100's Wire Wheels but yesterday I decided to begin by removing the front ones.

Having purchased my new Lionel Roberts Wheelwidget  Spinner Tool and a new Breaker Bar & Socket, I began. 

Lionel at:  wheelwidget@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. (+44) 7947 712427

Link to my Wheelwidget Blog Page

I did try to remove the Spinners a while ago with limited success. I had loosened three spinners then but the fourth Front Wheel would not budge, with the wheel spinning on the garage floor. With no assistant available yesterday to operate the brakes I resorted to the Mallet for the first movement of that one.

The Lionel Taylor Spanner and Breaker Bar.

The Close View.

My Spanner was one of the Early Prototypes, thus the missing metal near to the 'S'. 

It is made from High Grade Aircraft Aluminum.

The Offside Front Spinner in the 'Undo' position. 

 

And, In the Tightening Position. 

With the car up on its Axle Stands, as soon a both wheels were removed, it was obvious that I had long neglected checking the condition of my Main Spring and Bump Spring Gaiters.

Before I remove them it is worth saying that most owners, who use Gaiters, only use a set of the lower Bump Spring Gaiters designed and supplied by Morgan Owner, Dave Wellings.

Back in 2013, I posted this topic (Link Below) in my Blog which clearly indicated how both sets of Sliding Pillar Springs are subjected to Road Dirt Ingress shortening the life of the King Pins and the associated Bearing Bushes.

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/3562066813132360850/8545442149225743290

The Lower Bump Spring Gaiters featured in that posting are the same ones still on the car today and embarrassingly in need of renewing.

The Nearside Bump Spring Gaiter 

The Offside Bump Spring Gaiter 

Both are covered in excess grease, after 7 years of not being removed or replaced. The old used grease has seeped under the base and crept up the outside of the cover grabbing road dirt over the miles.

The Nearside Gaiter showing the build up of discarded used grease on the inside.

The Offside Gaiter with a similar build up of old grease.

Because the Car is on its Axle Stands at the moment the Bump Springs are at maximum compression.

Both Bump Springs can be seen here as I peel the Gaiters back from the springs.

After a quick wipe over. 

I need to wait until the car is off of the Jack again before I can give the spring and the surrounding area a good clean once it is fully opened. 

I also need the spring to be fully open before I can fit the new Gaiters

The fully open spring.

Now I need to make the new set of Gaiters.

Here is a copy of the original Gaiter Design 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjh89U3qTN4

As I also said, in my previous blog, the excellent video here shows how the gap between the top of the bump spring extends during driving by approximately 1 inch. 

I decided to make the new set of gaiters 1/2 inch longer than the old ones.

 

I made my gaiters using materials from an old Computer Laptop Bag. Here is the white paper pattern extended at the top edge. 

Above are the cut pieces - Two pieces from the stiff outer fabric and two pieces of simulated leather from the lining. 

The recycled Velcro strip I have is too wide. 

I normally use 1/2 inch wide, Non Adhesive, Velcro Strip but this one is 3/4 inch wide so I will cut it in half along the center.

'Non Adhesive' is important as any adhesive on the Velcro will just clog the sewing needle causing thread snapping.

Here the two cut parts are sewn together.

The inner and outer view.

When the gaiters are fitted onto the car it is essential that the wrap over of the closed edges faces to the rear to prevent ingress of water and road dirt. Therefore, because of the Asymmetrical shape, it is essential to make both a Left and Right Wrap Gaiters.  

The Hook Strip sewn on, to face outward.

The Loop Strip sewn on, to face inwards.

The completed Gaiter ready for fitting.

The Completed Pair.

The Offside Gaiter above with the Near Side Gaiter below. 

At this point, it is worth saying that just making the Gaiter longer  did not work this time and they would not fit under the Sliding Pillar Lug. I reduced the length back to the original length and will have a re think how to make a flexible version later.

The new Near Side Gaiter in place with the wrap over just visible to the left of the photo.

I will check on its progress after a few journeys to ensure that it has not moved and that the Velcro has held closed..

The Upper Spring Gaiters have been on the car from new in 2009 and have never been removed.

I decided to take them off and see how they have faired with all of those hundreds of compressions.

With the spring extended they look too short but they spend most of their lives compressed.

One very crumpled Gaiter indicating that the concertina effect does work.

One very clean Spring and contents.

The principle of my Gaiter Design is to allow the Gaiter to flex between the blocks of Velcro as the spring undergoes its thousands of compressions. 

The 'Waist Strap' aims to ensure that it is compressed from each end and does not end up leaving a gap at the top only. It does seem to work reasonably well.

I made this set of Gaiters some years ago for another Roadster owner of a Series One Car. 

It turned out that his upper springs were 'Fatter' than our Series Two Springs so I needed to re measure Girth & Length and remake his set. 

I never needed to use them myself so here they are ready for their moment glory.

As they say 'Measure Twice & Cut Once'

To aid the Flexing I have only used a single ply of the Waterproofed Computer Bag fabric.

Because they are 'Square' there is no need to make Left & Right. They just need to be turned in the correct direction when fitting for the overlap to be to the rear to keep the road dirt out.

Here is the new Offside Gaiter fitted with the overlap facing to the rear.

The gap at the base will close up once the car is taken off of the jack and the full weight is sitting on its springs.

Now its back to the Wheel Cleaning.

Meguiar's 'Mirror Bright' is the chosen Wheel Cleaner which liquifies dirt and brake dust in seconds.

This decision was influenced by R100 Owner Gerald who's cleaned wheel here shone brightly in the sun.

The product is sprayed over the whole wheel area, including the tyre walls, left for about 5 minutes to work and then washed off with, in my case, Turtle Wax Wash and then dried and polished with a soft clean cloth working between the spokes with the index finger as usual.

I am very pleased with the result above.

I now look forward to getting on with the rear wheels. 

Well, Here they are. I am so impressed with the Mirror Bright that it is well worth taking the wheels off to do a proper job.

The Offside Rear Wheel inner edge,  washed off with Turtle Wax Wash and dried & polished with soft cloths.

 

The Nearside Rear Wheel finshed.

The product line up.

While the wheels are off here is a quick check on the condition of the Dave Wellings designed rear wheel Chip Guards.

A Blurred Check on the cleanness new battery that I fitted at the Morgan Factory on the Friday of the Run for the Hills Weekend in August 2017.

The base of the R. Nick Taylor Tool Tray, the rear of drive shaft and the quite close but safe Handbrake Cable Cover.

The Offside Brake Drum

The Nearside Brake Drum. Both were given a quick blow over with Matt Black spray paint before re fitting the wheels.

 

Job Done.

Then, now that my new supply of Autoglym High Definition Wax has arrived, I can also finish polishing the Body and then get on with cleaning and treating the leather before cleaning the glass.

Frank