> From: "Mark Lennan" <mlennan@crankyrobots.com>
>
> I would like to switch out my stock (79B) sealed beam high/lows with a
set
> of higher output Halogens. Stock output is (I believe) 55w Low Beam /
60w High Beam.
> If I go with an 80w/100w system, will I need a relay ? As the relay
kits are $40+,
> and I'm already going to spend $100+ on the buckets/bulbs, I'm a
little hesitant to
> spend more on something I may not need. My bookkeeper (...wife...) is
urging me to
> not spend...
> Any advice/experience would help.
Mark-
I upgraded my MGB lights to Cibie' "E-code" 80/100w H4s recently. These
are significantly brighter that sealed beam halogens. They also have a
sharply defined lowbeam cutoff so you will not blind oncoming traffic.
In terms of usable light output, the fluting design of the headlight
lens is more important than running "overwattage" bulbs.
I added a pair of Hella relays and ran heavier gauge fused
wiring/grounds, all from British Wiring. The photo isn't the best, but
here's where I put them: http://home.att.net/~howersl/mg/relays.jpg
Some folks insist it is a bad idea to fuse the headlight circuit. I
wired the beams independently and have 10watt citylights inside the
headlight just in case. I would not run 80/100 watt H4 bulbs through my
25 yr old wiring/headlight switch. Besides not being able to supply
adequate current for the bulbs, you are likely to melt the headlight
switch. Just my opinion...
If you want an expert's advice, go here http://lighting.mbz.org or here
http://lighting.mbz.org/tech/relays/relays.html for automotive lighting.
--Scott
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