1966 Fleetwood Brougham rear tail light bulbs...imagine my suprise!!

[Mike Baillargeon #15848]

Replacing my 1966 Fleetwood Brougham rear tail light bulbs

I have some bulbs in the rear of the car that are burnt out.

No problem I go to the back of the car with my trusty Phillips head screw driver.......now I start to scratch my head.

I go to the shop manual to see how the heck do I get in there to replace these bulbs.

Book says remove the back bumper !!

I got the bumper off.........is there any thing I can do to make the routine maintenance of replacing bulbs easier in the future?

Mike     #15848

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

Welcome to the wonderful world of 1966 taillight changing! 

[Ralph Messina CLC 4937]

Mike,

Don't touch that bumper. Put the car on a lift and raise it so the bottom of the fender is at the height of your shoulder. Working from the back side of the light, reach up in the space where you see the rubber splash shield and take the speed nut off so that you can get under the rubber. Sneak your hand up behind the tail light and using the shortest Phillips screw driver you have loosen the two screw holding the bulb socket. They're bayonet mount so don't remove  the screws, twist the socket and remove it. There's enough wire that it will hang below the body to change the bulb.  Working with the car in the air so you can work without bending your elbow, is the trick. Working straight armed and I can change all three bulbs in five - ten minutes.

HTH

[Mike Baillargeon #15848]

Too late Ralph, I took the bumper off.

I was lying on back on a creeper and I looked up and there was no way I could get my hand up far enough to even get to the reverse light.

So I moved the car forward to the lift and proceeded to remove the bumper.

While it was off I changed "all" the bulbs... (I wondered if the bulbs I just bought are better than the 50 yr old ones I was taking out)... Then I also worked on getting the grounds better at bumper brackets and at the light fixtures.

Ralph, tomorrow I hope to put the bumper back on, and while it's on the lift I'll try that straight arm trick you mentioned.

I don't ever want to take this bumper off again........you should have seen me today, car on lift and I had a forklift covered in a blanket trying not to scratch everything just to get the bumper off.

Mike        #15848

[Jeff Rosansky CLC #28373]

That bumper wasn't heavy, was it? 

[Mike Baillargeon #15848]

Jeff,

It was big....wide....and I'm trying to hold on and work the ratchets.

And like Ralph said, I have everything up at eye level.

It wasn't pretty.

Mike   #15848

[cadillacmike68]

Replacing my 1966 Fleetwood Brougham rear tail light bulbs

I have some bulbs in the rear of the car that are burnt out.

No problem I go to the back of the car with my trusty Phillips head screw driver.......now I start to scratch my head.

I go to the shop manual to see how the heck do I get in there to replace these bulbs.

Book says remove the back bumper !!

I got the bumper off.........is there any thing I can do to make the routine maintenance of replacing bulbs easier in the future?

Mike     #15848

Get a 68!

[66 Eldo]

Mike,

Don't touch that bumper. Put the car on a lift and raise it so the bottom of the fender is at the height of your shoulder. Working from the back side of the light, reach up in the space where you see the rubber splash shield and take the speed nut off so that you can get under the rubber. Sneak your hand up behind the tail light and using the shortest Phillips screw driver you have loosen the two screw holding the bulb socket. They're bayonet mount so don't remove  the screws, twist the socket and remove it. There's enough wire that it will hang below the body to change the bulb.  Working with the car in the air so you can work without bending your elbow, is the trick. Working straight armed and I can change all three bulbs in five - ten minutes.

HTH

Ditto.

Even if you don't have a rack,  just jack the car up enough so you can extend your arm. The bumper doesn't need to come off. A GOOD stubby Phillips screwdriver is a must.