69 350 scrambler headlight bucket mounting question

[Ducati350ontario]

Hi guys, finally getting my project ready for final paint.

Something that I'm not happy with is my headlight bucket/ mounting ears or collars. As the bike runs the bucket doesn't want to stay in the proper position , ... the vibrations cause it drift out of its beam alignment.

The bucket bolt holes have the "hatched, or series of groves" on its shoulders to allow the bucket to "bite" into another mating surface, but my mounting collars or ears don't have the same groves. When I look online some parts diagrams just show bolts going into the headlight bucket with nothing acting as a spacer or intermediate mounting surface.

When I got the bike someone had put two small aluminum spaces on either side of the bucket which does seem to make everything look more square and properly aligned.

My question is, ... is this a common problem or am I missing the proper mating surface for the bucket to "bite" into.


Any ideas or aftermarket part i can use to replace the current bucket hole mounts? my bucket mounting notches aren't in very good shape which my be part of the problem. I assume after paint these little notches will be even more useless.

thanks
jeff

[Duccout]

Interesting.....I know that my 750 Sport had serrations on the headlight bucket that bit into the brackets and stopped it moving. I wonder if some nylon or hard rubber washers between the two surfaces would do it?

[Ducati350ontario]

I've tried a couple of rubber washers which helped a little but didn't totally fix the issue. My first though was the mounting brackets should have had the same serrations...


hummmm

[blethermaskite]

So what you do is take an adhesive paper rubbing of the serrations on the headlight bucket, then transfer the rubbed paper to the inside of the head light brackets, take a dremel or a die grinder fitted with a small 30mm dia x 1.5 mm abrasive cutting wheel and follow the rubbing marks to make a matching serration on the inside of the head light brackets......I have done exactly this and it worked 100%.
Cheers,
George

[Ducati350ontario]

Thanks George, I'll give it a try..... sounds easy enough.

-jeff

[Bob_Matthews]

That's a neat little trick George, my footrest hangers on the frame have worn out (rounded off) so might have a go this weekend.

[Ducati350ontario]

Thought I'd follow up with what I did incase it helps someone else.

I used a sharp file to sharpen up the old serrations on the headlight bucket.

headlight bucket.jpg

I ordered some headlight bucket spacers online, ... but didn't think they would totally fix my issue since they only have a single sharp ridge on one face meant to dig into the serrations but nothing for the other side the mates up to the headlight mounting ears. (on left in pic)

InkedSpacers for scrambler headlight bucket_LI.jpg

So I made these which have the raised serration on the headlight side, ... but also a raised shoulder to fit into the slot under the face of the bolt on the other side.

new spacers.jpg

Had to breakdown and buy a lathe

[Jordan]

With an "all metal" mechanical fix you could lose the ability to finely adjust the headlight beam's vertical position.
I think the plastic washer suggestion is a good one to try. Serrations and hole slots can bite into it, and can be cheaply made and changed out as required.
I'm gonna do that now with a troublesome bike headlight I have.
Wonderful idea to buy a lathe.

[themoudie]

Large black rubber tap washers or else cut some washers out from 3mm (or appropriate thickness) Viton rubber sheet, readily available from eBay sellers in small quantities.

Good health, Bill