Reel light location

[Rocket Surgeon]

Most reel lights are seen on earlier vehicles, and they are on the inner side of right fender. I have seen three on Vortec era trucks, all on the firewall.

The later style have mild difference; they have a different hole flange on the side opposite of the light. I've got some to work on...

Also, at least one of those had both the reel light AND a separate hood light... I grabbed the light and wiring to study later.... It was a jumper harness with both a male and female connector on the end. You could, on that vehicle, have hooked the hood light directly to the underhood harness and bypassed the reel light. I do not know if it is original or not, yet.

I cannot verify what I have found yet...
Is there an RPO Code for underhood lights?

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

There was a 97 Suburban in the UK listed on ebay and it has a reel light on the firewall as per your photo.

Must have been an option then! I think I am making it a factory style upgrade on both trucks though....once we're done with this super cold stuff (hopefully by Monday, I want to enjoy one of my days off, with a 4 day weekend!).

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Most reel lights are seen on earlier vehicles, and they are on the inner side of right fender. I have seen three on Vortec era trucks, all on the firewall.

The later style have mild difference; they have a different hole flange on the side opposite of the light. I've got some to work on...

Also, at least one of those had both the reel light AND a separate hood light... I grabbed the light and wiring to study later.... It was a jumper harness with both a male and female connector on the end. You could, on that vehicle, have hooked the hood light directly to the underhood harness and bypassed the reel light. I do not know if it is original or not, yet.

I cannot verify what I have found yet...
Is there an RPO Code for underhood lights?

Can you post pictures of that light and harness? The ones I have, just have 2 long wires that go over to the firewall and then into the main underhood harness. Some have a fuse holder, some don't.

 

[Joe Dirte]

I found a reel light at the JY, mounted to the firewall of a ... truck I forget the specs on. My '98 has dimples on the firewall in the same spot which line up with the holes in the light, but I haven't found the plug for it yet.

Think it plugs into the under hood light. I'd have to double check the one I have layin in garage.

 

[Caman96]

Most reel lights are seen on earlier vehicles, and they are on the inner side of right fender. I have seen three on Vortec era trucks, all on the firewall.

The later style have mild difference; they have a different hole flange on the side opposite of the light. I've got some to work on...

Also, at least one of those had both the reel light AND a separate hood light... I grabbed the light and wiring to study later.... It was a jumper harness with both a male and female connector on the end. You could, on that vehicle, have hooked the hood light directly to the underhood harness and bypassed the reel light. I do not know if it is original or not, yet.

I cannot verify what I have found yet...
Is there an RPO Code for underhood lights?

I guess I’m #4, I got both on my 96 K1500. My former 98 K1500 and a friend’s 96 also had/have both. All Vortec’s.

 

[Rocket Surgeon]

Can you post pictures of that light and harness? The ones I have, just have 2 long wires that go over to the firewall and then into the main underhood harness. Some have a fuse holder, some don't.

I can, later. I was wondering if it was homemade, I intended to analyse the joint or construction.

I have seen one with an inline fuse, but I think it was the earlier type that is on the fender and goes to the bolted eyelet type hot stud pack.

I guess I’m #4, I got both on my 96 K1500. My former 98 K1500 and a friend’s 96 also had/have both. All Vortec’s.

Curious. Not enough remained for me to determine for certain on two of the three newer styles I saw, but nothing made me think they had a hood light too... I think I grabbed at least one of the reel light harnesses if present... but likely the hoods may have been gone and wiring might have been hacked. Can't tell from here right now.

The [complete one I observed and grabbed] newer style firewall mounted reel lights attached with a dedicated harness. It has dual weather proof Metri-pack two prong connector... male pinned plug on light assembly size with female pin plug on harness side.
The dual light truck Harness I acquired has a two female and one male Metri-pack connecter on an independent wire harness. A male and female are at one end, connecting the under-hood harness to the hood light. Maybe one to two feet of wire then travels through a small size corrugated black plastic tube to the second female connector, which attaches to the reel light on the firewall. It would be very easy to replicate the dedicated dual light harness from salvaged parts if needed. If the light and harness were absent the hood light would be hooked directly to the under-hood harness seamlessly.



I will have to look at my project pile and at more j/y stuff... and get pics... when the precipitating white atmospheric disturbance has passed.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Sounds great, I'm not messing with any truck stuff after tomorrow morning myself. No snow/ice predicted for this area of Texas but it's still gonna be plenty cold.....
All my assortment of reel lights are off the early trucks, and have very basic wiring harness compared to what you're talking about. I figured I would wire them into the underhood light wiring harness if I can isolate it on the firewall, since that's hot even with the ignition off(since the reel light has an on/off switch on it). Also gotta get to the home improvement center to see about magnet replacements, and I will see what the local hardware store in my hometown has. Like to support local business when I can, and they have a lot of different and unusual things.

 

[Rocket Surgeon]

I'll have something, pics etc, eventually. If you can solder, you can make your own harness from bits and parts.

The magnets suck. Basic black flexible rubbery magnets that fall off. Rare earth magnets would work better, but glue them on the back of the light, or can they be installed inside the light more discretely?

Gonna hafta drive the Jolly Green Giant to work to make sure I can get in and out... WINTER IS COMING!

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

I'll have something, pics etc, eventually. If you can solder, you can make your own harness from bits and parts.

The magnets suck. Basic black flexible rubbery magnets that fall off. Rare earth magnets would work better, but glue them on the back of the light, or can they be installed inside the light more discretely?

Gonna hafta drive the Jolly Green Giant to work to make sure I can get in and out... WINTER IS COMING!

The ones I'm thinking about using, if I can get them, are round, about the size of a 50¢ coin; I got them several years ago and used them in my ammo box toolbox for holding things on the inside walls. Worked for that, so I think they'd work with the light. We'll see what the True Value has....next week! By middle of next week supposed to be 60s- 70s again here, and be spring like next weekend!

 

[Erik the Awful]

I have a few rare earth magnets scavenged from computer hard drives. They're way too strong to use on anything that might get stuck on a painted surface.