Can anyone offer some suggestions on how to update/replace the bulb socket on my '41 Chevy license plate bulb? I had one that worked for a bit, but seems to be loosing ground. Any year / make suggestions for a grounded bulb socket?
Maybe you could take a picture of the socket, and how it mounts, so we can see what you're dealing with? not all of us still have our 41 Chevy, and memory isn't as good as it used to be.
May be worth polishing the inside of the socket with scotchbite etc. Worse comes to worse, solder a spare wire on to the socket to ground that way if the inside is clean and its a socket to bracket issue.
I have repaired things like this by epoxying a late- model plastic socket in there, and then running an earth wire to a part inside the light fitting, or under one of the mounting screws.
What size is the original bulb? If its a bayoned bulb it could be a weak spring on the center contact. Fixing this could solve your priblem Also LED bulbs take less current so are not susceptible to poor contact condition.
Looking at this Ebay add eBay item number:186093062583 I'm thinking that I would remove the cover and see if taking the socket out of the bracket is viable and just flat ass clean the thing up. Remember that that light has a challenge to get to a good ground by it's location. Then add in possible corrosion in the housing, multiple layers of paint insulating the bracket from a solid ground and what ever paint or what not is insulating the trunk lid from the body electrically. Simply meaning that when you have a bad ground you have to figure out exactly where the "bad" is unless you have already isolated it to the socket and bracket. I did some checking and neither Chevs of the 40's or the Filling station show a socket.
I never have any luck with soldering it seems like a black art to me, I do everything you’re supposed to do and the solder just falls onto the floor!!
If its like the picture you might be able to service it with a pigtail. Standard Igntion #s23 / Autozone 201 / Napa LS6226 for single wire. If the base is the same a two wire pigtail is Standard # S24 / Autozone 200 / Napa LS6228.
Soldering is pretty easy if you understand how it works...including only soldering metals that can be soldered, getting the parts hot enough, clean enough, and using the right flux for the job. This light socket is made of brass, which solders well. If the part is steel, and zinc plated, you'd want to remove the plating first, and then make sure the flux is adequate, and you have a way to get it to the proper temp (not too hot, not too cold, a soldering gun should work)
Also, search for vintage dashboard / map lights for autos. I had one in my '49 Chevy truck... NOS 30s 40s 50s 6V BLACK DASH MAP LAMP LIGHT W/ WIRE LEAD MOPAR FOMOCO GM | eBay
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