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[SportsterRider]

After about 30 years in re-hab my TR3 is about done. I've done all my own work including sewing new upholstery and replacing the leather on the cockpit trim, stripped the body and re-painted. Now I'm stymied by something I never expected - installing the headlight rims. It appears that the clips on the rims don't attach to anything on the buckets. I can see where the clip on the bottom of the rim is supposed to be held by the spring clips on the bucket, but they don't reach. The top rim clip looks like it's supposed to clip behind the top adjusting screw but the inside diameter of the rim is too small to fit over the bucket. Shouldn't there be some kind of ears on the bucket to hold the rim in place? I've even got a new rim and bucket from Moss but its having the same problem. And how do those funny rubber dust rings attach? Do they just band around the headlamp and flex forward to seal against the rim?

[TR3driver]

Are you sure you've got matching pieces?  59 would be a TR3A and they used different headlights than the TR3 did.  There were also at least two different versions during the TR3A run, although they should take the same rims. 

The top of the rim does  not clip to the adjusting screw, that tab is only a guide.  Instead, there should be a turned lip on the bucket itself that the rolled edge of the rim fits over.  The bucket can't be screwed too hard to the sheet metal, or the gasket will swell up and block the rim from fitting down behind the lip.

At the bottom, I have always found it necessary to stick something (the "wrong" end of the removal tool works well) through between the rim and headlight retainer, to push the tab into the clip.  Otherwise, the tab bends instead of going through the clip.  When the rim is properly in place, it should be tight against the gasket all round.

Another possibility is parts that are made wrong.  Last time I bought 3A rims, the first pair I received had the bottom tab riveted to the wrong (drain) hole.  TRF confirmed that the entire batch were made wrong, and found some good ones promptly.

Sorry, can't help with the dust excluders.  They are supposed to just slide over the headlight retainer, and then have the trim ring installed over them.  But none of the 3As that I've owned or parted out has ever had them installed, and I couldn't figure out the new ones I bought.  So I've just gone on leaving them out, with no apparent ill effect.  The bulbs are sealed anyway, so any dust that did get past the trim ring would just be messy, not interfere with headlight operation.

[charley fitch]

I have  always hated messing with the headlamp trim rings.  Even when you think they might fit they are still most difficult.  I recall  on very few cars that I was able to install the dust excluder gaskets, just because of the very tight fit.  They do however just slide over the chrome trim ring that holds the headlamp in. The missing 1/2" of the gasket goes where you find the lower clip. Once in place I had great difficulty getting the outer trim ring in place, so I just left them off when that happened.

On one car the bucket was screwed to tight to the front fender (like Randall has described) and I had to make the space for the rim to fit over the bucket and in front of the fender at the top.
Charley Fitch 

[george_dotty24]

I've got a 60 TR3A with what sound like opposite headlight issues.  First, there was a slotted machine screw holding both chrome rings on with no way to get a screw driver close to the head so I used needle nose to remove them.  Once they were off the screws were held in by speed clips slid over a "C" shaped retainer at the bottom of the headlight bucket.

Then after replacing both lights I've got about a 1/4" gap between the chrome trim rings and the fender which the old dust excluder covered somehow.  Unfortunately they fell apart when I took the trim ring off.  There is no logical way these things should fit.

The dust excluders have "back" printed on one side and I assume that mean they face toward the back of the car.  Short of duct taping them in place I can't see how they go on.

I think the headlight buckets (aftermarket) are from an earlier or later car, if it would help anyone in the future I've got pictures.

[TR3driver]

At least the trim rings are wrong for your 3A.  The slotted screws were only used on "small mouth" cars where the headlights also stick out from the front apron enough to make the screw easily accessible.  (There were a few early 3As that used a machine screw in from the side, but only a few, and those trim rings have been NLA for a long time.)

And the dust excluders are not exposed at all, so that is not the explanation for the gap.  I've never tried mixing up the rings, so a photo would certainly help.

[george_dotty24]

These are before and after pictures.  As you can see the slotted screw is on the bottom of the head light assembly.  With the ring removed you can see the speed clip used to secure it, I'm thinking if I slide the speed clip back on the "C" shaped retainer the trim ring might fit against the gasket on the body. It worked once, it should work again with a little creativity.  I've bought hex head bolts to replace the slotted screw for easier removal.  A fix for now until I can figure out what I really have.
I'm having difficulty attaching pictures because of file size.  I'll keep working.

[TR3driver]

I'm having difficulty attaching pictures because of file size.  I'll keep working.

Having learned how to do it, I find it much easier to upload my photos to Photobucket and then use links in the forums/lists.

I wrote this for a different forum, but the same process will work here:
http://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/ubbthreads.php/topics/833469/Re_TR4A_Weatherstrip_Question#Post833469

[george_dotty24]

Sorry, the photo files were too big to attach. I did get the trim rings to "snap" over the bucket housing with a little persuasion and they fit pretty well considering. The hex head machine screw was hard to get started but does work.  On to other projects.