Quickie Question Re.: Pilot Light Replacement

[Brett Miller]

I followed the recent string regarding sources for CD36 pilot light replacements with interest. At the time, the subject was purely academic (for me at least), but as luck would have it, my pilot light has now gone out. Although I know where to find a replacement, it's not entirely clear to me how to pull the bulb (being a fairly dim bulb myself). It looks like the red plastic cover should slide right out, but I'm hesitant to force it. I thought I'd get the opinion of the experts before I break something (and I could not find the issue addressed in the archive).

[I also recognize that the foregoing is an invitation to others to pose perhaps a more germane query regarding the number of cape dory owners it takes to unscrew a light bulb. I hope the answer is just one, but . . . .]

Thanks again.

Brett



bimesq@yahoo.com

[Ken Coit]

Brett,

With the Radio Shack lamp, the plastic housing is held in place by a hex nut behind the panel. Some lamp manufacturers make a lamp that will push in from the front and latch, so they are not readily pulled out. My method was to cut the AC power at every opportunity, the breaker on the pier, the cable connector at the pier, and the cable connection at the boat, and then remove the screws from the corners of the AC panel and pull it away from the bulkhead.

The bus bars are held on to the back of the panel with double-sided sticky rubber mounting strips, so you may, after all these years, need to be ready to deal with their failure. Shoe goo?

At this point you can see how the lamp is mounted and deal with it. Interestingly, the Radio Shack version has a plastic housing into which the neon and current-limiting resistor slide. It is possible to use the old housing, but mine was cracked at the locking slot, so I replaced it.

Short form of the answer? You need to look at the back before you can decide whether the lamp will pull out. You can try it gently and see. The leads are not overly long, so even if you get the lamp out there may not be enough room to solder them to a new lamp assembly.

Keep on sailing,

Ken

I followed the recent string regarding sources for CD36 pilot light replacements with interest. At the time, the subject was purely academic (for me at least), but as luck would have it, my pilot light has now gone out. Although I know where to find a replacement, it's not entirely clear to me how to pull the bulb (being a fairly dim bulb myself). It looks like the red plastic cover should slide right out, but I'm hesitant to force it. I thought I'd get the opinion of the experts before I break something (and I could not find the issue addressed in the archive).

[I also recognize that the foregoing is an invitation to others to pose perhaps a more germane query regarding the number of cape dory owners it takes to unscrew a light bulb. I hope the answer is just one, but . . . .]

Thanks again.

Brett

parfait@nc.rr.com

[Bill]

Brett

I replaced my this fall. It had a "washer" screw on the back. Just unscrew it and pull it out. The new one has two little plastic ears that pop into place and prevent the light from coming back out. Simply depress the ears and remove the light if it is that type. I would think it would be one of these two, but I've been wrong before.

Happy Holidays

Bill
S/V Rhapsody (the Original)
CD25D #148

I followed the recent string regarding sources for CD36 pilot light replacements with interest. At the time, the subject was purely academic (for me at least), but as luck would have it, my pilot light has now gone out. Although I know where to find a replacement, it's not entirely clear to me how to pull the bulb (being a fairly dim bulb myself). It looks like the red plastic cover should slide right out, but I'm hesitant to force it. I thought I'd get the opinion of the experts before I break something (and I could not find the issue addressed in the archive).

[I also recognize that the foregoing is an invitation to others to pose perhaps a more germane query regarding the number of cape dory owners it takes to unscrew a light bulb. I hope the answer is just one, but . . . .]

Thanks again.

Brett

cd25d@rhapsodysails.com

[Murray Glue]

Brett,

It takes two, in fact. One to hold the light bulb, and another to single hand around the globe...sorry, couldnt resist it.

Murray Glue
CD30 Dayspring
Nelson
New Zealand



murray@offshoretechnical.com