69 Charger Headlight Actuators - Go rebuilt or Reproduction? Maybe electric?

[Bobby41909]

About the only thing I didn't buy new during my resto was the headlight actuators because they worked.  Well now it looks like one of them took a crap.  Won't open or close.  A year or so ago when I was building it, I recall BEA and PG Classic had reproductions for sale but only the 68's are available on their website???  Maybe they were crap and they stopped making them...lol

I see Charger Specialities has rebuilts for $300 a pair. Anyone use them?  Do they do a good job?  They also have an electric conversion but I don't know much about that and they want a good buck for it.

Perhaps I should just get a working original and clean it up like I did the first time.  Anyone got an extra working one for sale?

Thanks in advance for all your help!

[bull]

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,14432.0.html

[HOTROD]

Some one on here had these !??

[MaximRecoil]

Some one on here had these !??

What is that thing called, where do you get it, and how does it work? It doesn't look big enough to create much (if any) of a vacuum on its own.

[Bobby41909]

Not sure why I need that.  Everything but the actuators is new and works great.  That items looks like it makes vacuum from an electric signal.

[MaximRecoil]

Not sure why I need that.  Everything but the actuators is new and works great.  That items looks like it makes vacuum from an electric signal.

I don't see how something as small as that can make its own vacuum (not much of a vacuum anyway). You need a motor-driven pump to do that. Even a Dustbuster is a good deal larger than that thing. I'm guessing it is an electric switch; i.e. you run a vacuum line from your manifold to the single port on top, then run lines from the two bottom ports to your headlight door actuators; and the vacuum can be electrically switched on and off.

If it works that way it would simplify things, and eliminate a lot of vacuum lines; plus it would bypass potentially troublesome components in the stock setup, i.e., the vacuum switch mounted on the inside of the instrument cluster; the "coffee can" reservoir (that might still be needed though), and the bulkhead vacuum connector in the firewall.

[RGA]

I have a box of those actuators. Let me know if you want one 

[MaximRecoil]

I have a box of those actuators. Let me know if you want one 

Are you talking about this thing:



?

If so, what are they for exactly?

[Bobby41909]

I have a box of those actuators. Let me know if you want one 

Are you talking about this thing:



?

If so, what are they for exactly?

That is not an actuator.  Actuators are the part that opens and closes the headlight doors.  They are controlled by vacuum.  Original ones are skittles bigger than a baseball and black.

[MaximRecoil]

That is not an actuator.  Actuators are the part that opens and closes the headlight doors.  They are controlled by vacuum.  Original ones are skittles bigger than a baseball and black.

I know, but I asked what he was referring to because of his use of the word "those" after a couple of posts about the pictured gizmo, and I'd be surprised if he had a box of actual original actuators.

[Troy]

That is not an actuator.  Actuators are the part that opens and closes the headlight doors.  They are controlled by vacuum.  Original ones are skittles bigger than a baseball and black.

I know, but I asked what he was referring to because of his use of the word "those" after a couple of posts about the pictured gizmo, and I'd be surprised if he had a box of actual original actuators.

Really? Why? I have more than 20 of them. I also have almost a dozen grills but that's a different story.

The gizmo pictured above is an electrically operated vacuum switch. It is useful to replace  plastic slider that the factory used - that always seems broken or leaky. It will not replace the headlight "pods".

Troy

[Bobby41909]

How much do you want for one or two good ones?

[MaximRecoil]

Really? Why? I have more than 20 of them.

Because '68 and '69 grilles are ridiculously expensive, and I wouldn't expect them to be parted out all that often.

I also have almost a dozen grills but that's a different story.

That's even more surprising. What's that stash of grilles worth? Somewhere between $12K and $20K (or more) depending on condition?

The gizmo pictured above is an electrically operated vacuum switch. It is useful to replace  plastic slider that the factory used - that always seems broken or leaky. It will not replace the headlight "pods".

Yeah, that's what I figured it was (as I speculated in a previous post above). So by using that, you could get rid of the factory vacuum switch that's connected to the headlight switch, along with the vacuum lines behind the dash and the bulkhead in the firewall (if you mounted it in the engine compartment). I assume you'd still need to use the "coffee can" reservoir?

My headlight doors open and close very slowly, if at all; and not fully either. I'm not really sure how to troubleshoot it. There is plenty of vacuum coming off the manifold fitting into the line that goes to the reservoir, but there is little to no vacuum on the lines that connect to the actuators. Nothing seems to be leaking significantly, because the engine idles normally (if you disconnect the line from the manifold vacuum fitting to get a full vacuum leak there the engine immediately goes to a much higher idle).

In any event, what is that electric vacuum switch called specifically (i.e., brand and model name) and where can you buy it?