H-4's need HELP installing

JEB · 09-25-2002, 09:17 AM

OK - I'm driving down the road the other day and I hear SMASH CRASH. I get out and the H-4 on the drivers side is missing. It fell on the road and smashed, so there is an empty hole in the fender.

When I looked at the one that was still there - it was installed with a flat head screw - which obviously was wrong.

I order a new light from our host - along with new seals and screws for the other light.

I start to install the new light - fix some wiring - no big deal.

I am ready to put the whole thing back together - and I can't get the buckets to stay in the fender.

It seems like the top of the light should seat on a little flange at the top of the fender and the (outer) screw holds it at the bottom. If I tighten the screw - I can still pull out the top of the light. Is there something I am missing?

Why is there an inner screw that screws into the outer screw?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeb
'79 930

Argo · 09-25-2002, 09:34 AM

The top does fit over that lip and the bottom is held on by that screw. The outer screw that fits into the inner screw is for a trim ring that fits over the H4 assembly and can be painted to match the car. The H4 assembly is a real tight fit, especially with a new gasket. You just have to fit the lens over the lip on top and push down firmly until the screw hole on the bottom lines up correctly with the tab inside the bucket. Be careful with that screw; it strips easily and goes in at an odd angle to correctly fit into the tab. Screw it into the tab before you put the light assembly in place so you can get an idea of the correct angle. If it absolutely won't fit correctly, you may have to bend the tab just a little bit to get the correct angle. I'd check the other assembly for correct installation too; if one fell out the other might too.

Argo
88 Targa

car911 · 09-25-2002, 01:36 PM

Assuming your setup is the same as mine (84), Argo is correct.

The headlight/trim assembly is a very tight fit. You need to catch the top lip carefully so that it holds secure. Then you need to line up the bottom of the trim with the special hollow screw inside the lamp cavity so that you can secure the trim with the second screw that goes through the trim and into the hollow internal screw (hard to describe but obvious once you see it).

The real problem is that this is a fussy system, the internal screw sometimes doesn't line up (you end up bending the sheet metal tabs in the cavity to fit, etc). Also, over the years, the hollow internal screw gets stripped, owners lose the original screws, etc to they use improvised parts and you often end up inheriting a mess. You wonder why Porsche dd it this way in the first place.

What I ended up doing was removing the whole thing, redrilling, rethreading and retapping everything. Once you have everything set up properly, it will work fine.