Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

On my '55 400, the red high beam indicator at the top of the speedometer is lit whenever the instrument lights are on. Toggling between high and low beam just increases and decreases the instrument cluster illumination.

I'm guessing there's supposed to be some sort of paper tube snugly surrounding the high beam lamp, which is missing. Am I correct? If so, any tips on how to fashion one the correct diameter and length to fit into the instrument cluster?

Yes, there is a little cardboard tube. It is 13/16" OD and 7/8" long. It has an opaque film in the middle of the tube which is broken in the photo. The picture is from a '56 Clipper speedometer.

Attach file:

---

  HighBeamTube.jpg (51.75 KB)

Interesting, though I don't understand the purpose of the opaque film. The tube is larger than I assumed. It doesn't slip over the bulb but is somehow affixed to the cover.

The speedometer has been removed and repaired in the past as it was seized up. The tube may have been lost at that time though I wasn't the one that did the work so can't say.

The purpose of the "opaque" film is for diffusing and slightly dimming the bulb. Without it the light shining through will be bright and can be very distracting. If the red plastic is completely transparent you will also see the the glowing filament in the bulb quite clearly.

You can buy white styrene diffuser sheet at Amazon or many hobby shops. Try to keep it around .010 or less in thickness. I could only find .012 when doing my 47 and it is just a tiny bit too thick so dims the light more than I would like.

To 56 Clippers, it looks as if the one in the photo had heat from the bulb destroy that piece. If so the red filter will probably also be burned and will illuminate with a dark brown spot in the middle. You can also buy a sheet of clear red PVC material in the same thickness to replace that piece.

For anyone else interested, here are colors I picked up at the hobby store and are what is needed for most years with the lights in the speedometer face. Only the red is needed for 55-6 since the turn signal arrows are in the dash and made of molded plastic or glass. For the turn signal indicator in earlier years, if you can find amber sheet that would be closer to stock than the orange but if unavailable, with the diffuser orange is a satisfactory substitute.

Attach file:

---

  colors001.jpg (94.41 KB)

The high beam indicator is red in my case, not white, so doesn't appear to be dependent on the film but the film would attenuate the brightness. It's not glaringly bright as is, but is illuminated all the time due to the apparent lack of the tube. Seems a resistor would serve the same purpose or better yet a different low wattage lamp were one available.

Quote:

Correct. There is a separate piece of colored plastic under the white material nearer the front of the speedometer to provide the red color. The white piece is only to diffuse the light and more importantly diminish the possibility of seeing the bright glowing filament wire. Some bulbs extend far into the hole and the glass bulb almost presses against the plastic. Heat destroys the material which is most likely what happened to the one in the photo.

The tube is held in place by three tabs on the back cover.

The red color for the indicator is created by material attached to the back of the speedometer face.

The white material in the middle of the tube is very thin and reminiscent of a latex balloon. It is as if it were painted onto the inside of the tube. It looks more like it was broken than failed from heat. I picked up this speedometer for parts and it looks like it was previously apart as the odometer has been reset.

I do not remember what my speedometer looked like back of the high beam indicator when I sent it out to be rebuilt.

Attach file:

---

  SpeedoBack.jpg (48.11 KB)


  Speedo.jpg (53.70 KB)

Since the high beam indicator lamp does not need to be dimmable, I wonder if one of the #57 LED lamps would fit, perhaps in red. They would put out less heat.

The trouble would be polarity on the '55, but not the '56. The ones that have the electronics to not be polarity sensitive are much harder to come by.

Example:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0911V4J8Y/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza

You would definitely not want a #57 size bulb! Their base is .5" diameter and they are used for exterior lamps. Get the proper bulb size from your owner's manual and go from there but note that you may need to add additional filters to get it down to a reasonable brightness.

Quote:

The #57 has a BA9S base, which is a 9mm miniature bayonet -- in SAE 0.35", or 0.41" inclusive of the pins. I pulled the lamp from the socket and that's what is printed on it, 57.

I found an LED lamp with this base that is not polarity sensitive, but does not come in red. Both are 1" end-to-end. A buck apiece.
https://www.amazon.com/Serundo-Auto-3030Chips-Interior-Instrument/dp/B07W8G835M

It's going to be even brighter, but less heat.