replaced crappy tower light

[996scott]

It's not like i use the crappy flip up light a lot but when i do I hate the dang thing. I don't know if mine is defective but the tab you have to pull out to stand the light up is hard to get loose and then it falls off and it takes forever to get it back on the screw again. So I decided to buy one of these, http://www.amazon.com/Attwood-LED-WakeTower-Around-Light/dp/B00H88BJIE, and figure out a way to try and change it out. So the best way i was able to figure it out was to basically drill a hole down through the threads where you screw in the metal cap. I then drilled another hole in the back tower tube so i can run the wire to the front tube where the wires came out for the old light. I basically just make it look like how the wiring is for the tower speakers. I thought it would look better if I could some how grind down the top of the metal cap so it basically looked like a thick metal washer so i pulled out my grinder to went to town on it. I figured i wouldn't be using it any more anyway. So I flattened it out with the grinder and it looked pretty good for the most part. I was going to try and fish the wire from the back tube to the front tube but that was impossible to do. I just found some plastic plugs at Home Depot to plug the two holes from where the old light was screwed in to the cross bar. It probably took two hours to figure it all out and get it done but i could easily cut that in half now that i've done it once.

[996scott]

last few pictures. I screwed the light and the metal cap/washer to the metal part and not the plastic where the rope goes. That way the plastic can still spin freely.

[valleywine]

How does the washer and light secure to the tow pylon? Looks good.

[996scott]

So I had to drill 2 holes in the bottom of the plastic base of the light ( the existing holes were to wide), 2 holes through the washer, and then in the top of the metal tow pylon. It was a little tricky and took a little time to line it all up but it came out pretty good.

[gregski]

Were the original threads only cut part-way through the tow point? i.e. you needed to drill the hole deeper, not specifically wider?

[996scott]

At first I was able to go down the middle without tearing up the threads and I was able to put the two wires from the light through ok. But then when I soldered the wires and put shrink wrap on it I couldn't get the wires through. So I had to widen the hole which meant drilling out the threads.

[valleywine]

Copy that 996scott. Thanks.


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[brain_rinse]

Great modification - nice job!

[Fastest1]

I am unclear as to where the wiring is. It the text it appears you tried to fish the wire thru. Then it states you had an issue, plugged the holes and possibly tried an alternative.
Is that the wiring in the split loom conduit running parallel to the cross bar?
Why were you not able to fish the wire or a pull string thru? Snagging? Too many intersections? Did you try using a vacuum cleaner to suck a pull string thru the tubing? Usually requires tying a small mouse (wad of paper) on the end.

[996scott]

Sorry I wasn't very clear on that. My 1st intention was to have all the wires inside of tower and nothing outside. This would have required the wiring going down the metal dowel (not sure if that is what it is called) into the tower tube, then forward through the small flat connector ( where the old light was mounted) and then to the forward tube. I was going to use The small holes in the flat connector, that were there to mount the old light , to try and fish the wires through. The problem was that there is no opening between the tower tubes and the flat cross bar, so I just ran the wires from where they came out originally from the forward tube going to the rear tube and then up the inside of the dowel. I hope that makes more sense. There may be a better way to do it but this is what I ended up with.

[Fastest1]

Thanks so much for the reply. You explained it well enough, I was just verifying my next step. I do have some very long drill bits. I can probably drill from one side and get thru both sides of that flat cross bar.

[Garn]

996scott Question for you. When you drilled the two holes into the top of the pylon, did you have to thread them?

[996scott]

To tell you the truth i can't remember for sure but i really don't think so. I think i may have just drilled the hole and then used a self tapping screw.