1969 Z50 - Hole on headlight bucket to big for rubber plug

85CTrider

85CTrider

Member
The back hole on the headlight bucket is to big for the rubber plug that is supposed to go in there. I bought the plug but the small teeth around the inside of the hole have been eroded off.. the plug just falls out and seems to small for the hole.. what do you guys do to keep that plug in?
glue it in? make a backing for it? right now i have used some caulking to hold it in but its not a super tight fit.
any thoughts?
 
6

69ST

Well-Known Member
No, trim adhesive is contact cement...on steroids. You apply it sparingly to the surfaces to be bonded, only. (Any slop is going to make one helluva mess and it will damage paint, so be careful.) Then allow it airdry for a minute or three. Once it's more or less dry to the touch, press the two pieces together and voila! they're bonded and not coming apart without a lot of force.
 
85CTrider

85CTrider

Member
you mean something like apoxy? is that what most people do with those plugs? is it common that they dont fit due to those teeth being worn off?
 
6

69ST

Well-Known Member
No!!! Epoxy will dry rock-hard and not stick to rubber. Automotive weatherstrip adhesive is what you want...the stuff used to bond door & trunk gaskets.

As for the tabs getting "worn", what's going to wear steel? Hint, rubber is the softer material, way too soft to polish steel, let alone cause the kind of metal erosion you're describing. And it's not a moving part(!). Someone went to town "modifying" the HL shell...with all the finesse of :butcher:
 
Texan

Texan

Active Member
Does somebody know roughly what the diameter of the hole should be. I'm having the same issue as the OP. My Z50AK1 diameter is about 5/8". I bought a replacement from CHP, but it is too small and doesn't hold/stay in place at all. It measures at 1/2" in the middle of the plug. I thought they sent me the wrong one, but maybe like the OP said, the teeth are worn down on mine? Not too sure what good bucket hole or its teeth should look like.
 
kirrbby

kirrbby

Well-Known Member
The CHP website used to say that their plug would fit a little loose, and might need a "dab of silicone".
You should just use the adhesive that racerx recommended above. Stick it, and leave it.

We don't call it, the useless hole, and, the useless hole plug, for nothing. It's very unlikely you'll ever need to remove it.
 
Texan

Texan

Active Member
kirrbby said:
The CHP website used to say that their plug would fit a little loose, and might need a "dab of silicone".
You should just use the adhesive that racerx recommended above. Stick it, and leave it.

We don't call it, the useless hole, and, the useless hole plug, for nothing. It's very unlikely you'll ever need to remove it.
Click to expand...

Thanks Kirbby. Their website doesn't mention the loose fit. It's really not a loose fit, it just doesn't fit at all, as in it will just fall off. I'm not gonna bother CHP with a $2.50 part. I'm gonna look around for better fit plug, if not, I will just glue this one on.
 
6

69ST

Well-Known Member
If the paint on your HL shell is really nice (or brand new), you could cut an oversized piece of rubber for the unseen, reverse, side, then glue it to the plug. Or...maybe find a thick, rubber, O-ring to glue to the plug, from the inside. That way, you have no paint contact...if it matters to you.
 
Tripod

Tripod

Well-Known Member
Texan said:
Thanks Kirbby. Their website doesn't mention the loose fit. It's really not a loose fit, it just doesn't fit at all, as in it will just fall off. I'm not gonna bother CHP with a $2.50 part. I'm gonna look around for better fit plug, if not, I will just glue this one on.
Click to expand...

I dont bother with CHP at all now. Dont forget that the headlight bucket doesnt fit between the ears either.:cautious:
 
Gary

Gary

Well-Known Member
I remember CHP saying they were a loose fit and needed to be glued in. When one of the forum members who works at a dealer posted up a couple of nos ones I couldn't snag one up fast enough....
 
Texan

Texan

Active Member
racerx said:
If the paint on your HL shell is really nice (or brand new), you could cut an oversized piece of rubber for the unseen, reverse, side, then glue it to the plug. Or...maybe find a thick, rubber, O-ring to glue to the plug, from the inside. That way, you have no paint contact...if it matters to you.
Click to expand...

Great idea about the O-Ring. Found one in a O-ring assortment kit I have, I believe it is a R10, R11 or R12 size, they were jumbled up and I didn't measure it. No glue required, it slipped right on the middle OD of the plug and now the plug fits perfectly, nice and snug! (y)

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