Pop Up Headlight question, One headlight won't go up anymore, will if knob is spun a few times Options

[marksteinhilber]

Working on a Zambezi green '75 we've had for five years. Both headlight motors had been working OK until driver's side headlight occasionally would not go up about a year ago. If knob was spun a few revolutions counterclockwise (while looking forward), headlight would go up. Headlight would also go down when switch was turned off. Once this was done a few times, headlight would function properly for the rest of the day. Problem has gotten worse over the last few months. Now, driver side headlight must be encouraged using the knob every time. I have cleaned the relay contacts as well as cleaned all the ground connections by the headlight motor to no avail. This car is very clean and original with no rust or dirt by the headlight motors.

The problem may be a bad round relay right there by the motor as described in Wayne Dempsy's tech article at Pelican Parts. Could be an easy fix, but it might also be a bad contact on the cam contact position switch inside the motor gearbox. I think I'm ruling out a brush problem on the motor, ruling out a bad s12 fuse as other headlight works and this one works when persuaded or going down, and ruling out a bad headlight switch for same reason. It might also be a bad connection on one of the three wire connectors supplying always on or switched control power? I'm hoping someone can tell me which it might likely be based on the symptom described. Hopefully it is simply a bad relay. Perhaps swapping the relays from the passenger side and the driver side will put the problem on the right and prove a bad relay...This may be the fastest test!!!

There also seem to be adjustment set screws for the motor and gearbox shafts that aren't talked about. What do they do? I see two different set screws on the cam gearbox that align with the motor axis, and the other aligns with the center axis of the output bellcrank shaft. Perhaps I need to clean the contacts inside at the cam?

I have a spare set of good headlight motors, but the connections appear to be regular spade connectors rather than the three part clear, "brick," red white green connector and I don't want to swap motors if I don't need to. How does one make the three wire connector separate and how does one move the three wire connector "brick" to a good spare motor? Are there regular spade terminals hidden inside?

Anyone else solved this symptom? Knowledgeable please help?