M101A2 Lights

[koyotekvn]

Well I have just finished rewiring my trailer lights and all is well. I found all the intel on another thread, all went slick as s...imple even for me! I made up a wiring harness that fits my civvy ford explosion/ expedition keeping the military one intact so when I get a MV with motor the trailer harness will go back on the trailer and be compatible slick as s...imple even for me.
My thanks to those that posted that intel.
However...along the way I found that I have two different tail light assemblies on each side of my M101A2, Kasel,1993 model. It has the inverted teardrop / plastic housing / Regular /BO tail light units. The interiors are configured differently. I am guessing that the Curbside is the original equipment as it has an all bulb style arrangment. The Roadside is a more recent replacement as it has a combination of bulb style for the regular lighting and electronic / led for the BO lights. I would like to have them match on both sides (just me being anal).
But I have a couple of ??
Can those electronic units be replaced, or do you have to replace the entire unit if a portion of the electronic lighting fails?
Are the electronic units more fail proof? Compared to bulbs.
IMHO I would think that the bulb units would be easier to repair on the side of the road and get going again. Looking for input and suggestions on these things I am an FNG at this still.

Also I found that curbside unit is missing the gasket/ O ring between the lenscover and the bulb housing unit. Is there an off the shelf gasket/ O ring part number that a fella can go the local parts house and buy or does another member have one of those that can be bought or traded for?

 

[Darwin T]

Led as suspose to last 50+ times longer and are sealed units that are suspose to be water proof. the bulb ones can get rusty at the sockets if moisture gets in and hard bumps can kill the bulbs. i am going to all LED's on my trucks and trailers. But that is just me. also the LED's are brighter and easier to see at night.

 

[KsM715]

Are the BO LED's little red rectangles? Those will come out of the housing just like the bulbs. Infact the backside of the LED board is attached to a regular bulb socket. Do the lens housings look the same on both curbside and roadside housings? I mean if you looked at them from the rear with out knowing one had LED's can you tell a diff. in them? You can look up the BO bulb numbers and just replace the LED lights with bulbs.

 

[koyotekvn]

Thanks for the reply Jeff. Yes... the housings are identical in appearance in/out side except for the rectangular red leds and the yellow cluster leds. So if I understand you correctly. The led units on the roadside are using the standard bulb sockets that I can see in the curbside housing with bulbs in place. Yes?
Ok...How do I remove the leds if I was wanting to replace them if they fail. They seem to be firmly in place and no wiggle room to turn them as you would do to replace a bulb. I don't want to damage the unit, so I haven't tried to remove them ( not broken yet so waiting for good instructions ). Do they just push in to the socket or is some removal required to get the leds out?
By the way any ideas about the missing O ring that seals the housings?
Thanks Kevin

 

[KsM715]

Ive got some taken apart out in the shelter. I'll get some pics.

Edit: here's what I found. I'm not sure how I got them out. They are still a push and twist type socket but there is no room to twist them. If you have a skinny phillips screw driver (#1 perhaps) you can slide by the LED board and unscrew the mounting screws and pull the whole socket mount out. One interesting thing I discovered: I had 2 lights handy, both look almost the same. If you look at the pics, one has regular "cats eyes" in the BO portion, the other just has a solid red and solid white lenses. One is 2007 manufacture date and the other 1991, one has LED's in the BO's and the other has reg. filiament bulbs. Can you guess which one has which bulb set up?

 

[koyotekvn]

Jeff, I'm going to guess that the left one with the cat eyes is the unit that has bulbs in the BO lights. Just because the one that is on mine on the curbside has cateyes and has bulbs.
The one on the right with the red and white BO lenses probably has the LEDs. I would also speculate that the right hand unit also has glass lenses.
My M units light housings have the screws only around the perimeter of the lens face. I don't have screws on the face on the lens cover as do the ones you have pictured. I am guessing that the lenses on both of those can be replaced. Mine you would have to replace the entire lens face cover.
As for the LEDs the amber cluster appears to be the same as the one in my roadside unit, but the red LED in mine only has two rectangle LEDs instead of four as you have pictured.
I am guessing that the different types of LEDs and bulb arrangments in years so close together is the govm't was experimenting with things as usual.
Let me know how my guesses faired and Thanks for the tips on removal. I will try them tomorrow after work. Kevin

 

[KsM715]

Both are plastic lenses. Yes the lenses can be replaced seperately. These housingas are aluminum. The light on the left with the cats eyes have LED's and the right has bulbs. Surprised me too. Just from the looks,you would think the other way around.