7x6 H6054 Conversion Housings

-Virgil-

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Be careful to know exactly what you're getting, because Hella makes the best option easily available in this size, but they also make some poor ones in this size. The one to get is this one, very specifically. That is the SAE version, and it is much more efficient and focused better than the UN ("ECE", "European", "E-code") version. The linked SAE lamp is also the only one in this size that is legitimately called "Vision Plus" by Hella. That name does not apply to the European versions.

You will want to upgrade the bulbs and maybe keep the ones that come with the lamps as emergency spares, if that.
 

Travler

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Be careful to know exactly what you're getting, because Hella makes the best option easily available in this size, but they also make some poor ones in this size. The one to get is this one, very specifically. That is the SAE version, and it is much more efficient and focused better than the UN ("ECE", "European", "E-code") version. The linked SAE lamp is also the only one in this size that is legitimately called "Vision Plus" by Hella. That name does not apply to the European versions.

You will want to upgrade the bulbs and maybe keep the ones that come with the lamps as emergency spares, if that.

Thanks I figured the bulbs are the cheapest version they could throw in the box. I already have some Phillips +130 X-tremeVision bulbs on hand.
 

Hamilton Felix

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Virgil, are those Vision Plus lights you recommend above much different from the large rectangular Hellas I bought maybe 10-15 years ago and put in my 1986 F250 a couple or three years back?

I recall you correctly advised me they had an unusually large elevation change between high and low beam. With the truck's lights being around 42" above the ground, and adjusted for a useful high beam, my low beam is pretty low. But it remains tolerable for oncoming traffic when I have a ton or so in the bed. I am currently running those Hellas with a relay harness and Philips Xtreme Vision H4 bulbs. For general use around the upper Skagit Valley, they seem to do pretty well. I'll eventually add some driving lights when I get around to it.
 

-Virgil-

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Virgil, are those Vision Plus lights you recommend above much different from the large rectangular Hellas I bought maybe 10-15 years ago

There's no way for me to know what you bought 10-15 years ago. Both the SAE ("Vision Plus") and the ECE versions were available back then.

I recall you correctly advised me they had an unusually large elevation change between high and low beam.

That's the ECE lamp that has that, so then no, not the same as the recommended SAE Vision Plus units.
 

Hamilton Felix

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Thanks. Yes, definitely a European Code low beam with horizontal cutoff to center then 15 degree right hand rise. I will keep these newer ones in my "wish list," in case I need another set of large rectangular lights. That truck is not worth big budget lights, but seeing and being seen is important. 👍
 

wrcsixeight

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I guess I should be regretting having not acquired the Cibie 200mm's when Stern still had them.
 

Hamilton Felix

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No kidding. I guess for one with the disposable income, J.W. Speaker is the way to go. But those who have to scratch a bit to afford Cibie or Marchal will be saddened. No time machines for going shopping back in the 80's or 90's. 🙄
 

Sasquatchian

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I bought a pair of those from Stern a few years ago but when his took SO long to show up I also found a pair of NOS from Germany on eBay. And before those I had both flavors of the Hella units, neither of which were in the same league as the Cibié's. They went with the truck when I basically gave it to my mechanic at the end of its useful life. At that point they might have been the best part of the truck. As good as they were in the day, they're no match for the new OEM LEDs on our Taco and Forester.
 

wrcsixeight

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I bought just one Hella vision plus, the one Virgil linked.

I had to use my jigsaw and hacksaw blade on the bucket to accommodate the round flat portion/ rubber cup. Took a whole 37.5 seconds to modify, so I took the opportunity to wirewheel it, treat it with Ospho, and repainted it.

On reinstallation, and when adjusting the aim to get it pointed in the general area of the silvania silverstar on the other side, the little plastic receptacles for adjustment stripped. I had wirewheeled the threads of the Adjuster screws in a futile attempt to prevent this, Oh well, but was able to get it parallel with drivers side beam, but too far to the right then that one stripped too.

Stand in front of the Sylvania silverstar, blocking its light, then doing the same to the Hella. Back and forth, then unplug one, then the other.

I'm just using the bulb it came with, for now.

I'll be ordering the second Hella V+ and some phillips extreme bulbs for them. I know its subjective, but there is lots more light on the ground ahead.

I went for a drive and the single Hella, even aimed too far to the right and likely a bit too low, seemed to nearly double the light on the road ahead. Then i hit a bump and the spring loaded bucket won the battle with the stripped plastic adjuster receptacles and down went the beam and I returned home.

If the Cibies are/were night and day better than the Hella V+'s sae/dot, then they must have made a complete mockery of regular sealed beams.

And my subjective short lived impression was with the Hella provided bulb. My bulbs do get within 0.3v of battery voltage, which I can control by spinning a dial.

The Silverstar is of course...'whiter' when looking at the lights, but the brief drive before hitting the bump any light color difference on the road was unnoticed.

Anyway, I got one to sort of commit to the process of upgrade, and some more work came through, so I'll be ordering the other one and Phillips Extreme +130 bulbs too.

I'd like to eliminate the plastic adjustment screw receptacles for something that will not strip so easily. A real nut JBwelded to the support structure perhaps. I Don't have access to a welder anymore.

I think the bucket transfers enough heat to the adjuster screw which then degrades the plastic receptacle so it then easily strips.

Hardly an insurmountable issue, but it is a major annoyance, which would be worse If I were mid road trip.

I did notice the three adjustment protuberances are located far differently on the Sylvania sealed beams compared to the Hella's.
 

-Virgil-

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I had to use my jigsaw and hacksaw blade on the bucket to accommodate the round flat portion/ rubber cup.

OK, so that sounds like you're working on an older-model vehicle, maybe a US-brand vehicle...

I took the opportunity to wirewheel it, treat it with Ospho, and repainted it

...and this, along with your broken/stripped adjustors, sounds like it's a high-miles vehicle that's seen a lot of salty winters and a lot of hot/cold temperature fluctuation over the years. (Today I learned there's a thing called Ospho -- thanks for that, I'm going to look into it!)

when adjusting the aim to get it pointed in the general area of the silvania silverstar on the other side

I can understand using this as an initial "just get by" technique so the lamp is pointed more or less forward, but it's still random aim. You're still going to aim the lamps correctly once you've fixed the aim adjustors, right?

the little plastic receptacles for adjustment stripped.

Depending on what kind of car this is, you can probably get new replacements from Dorman.

If the Cibies are/were night and day better than the Hella V+'s sae/dot, then they must have made a complete mockery of regular sealed beams.

I don't think it would be realistic to say the Cibies are vastly better than the Hella Vision Plus. There are differences here and there in their respective beams, but I would put them approximately on a par with each other.

My bulbs do get within 0.3v of battery voltage, which I can control by spinning a dial.

You have a relay-and-harness install on this vehicle? Tell us more about that spin-dial.

I'd like to eliminate the plastic adjustment screw receptacles for something that will not strip so easily

They're plastic for a reason. Those are interference threads. They're supposed to be hard to turn, so that you can make an adjustment and have it stay "put". Metal-to-metal adjustors have been done over the years, but they tend to go out of adjustment much faster. Stick with the factory type parts. Eventually over the years the plastic gets brittle, then it breaks, yes, but we're talking about something you might have to worry about what, every...how old is this car? There's no need to re-engineer stuff here, just replace the broken parts.

I did notice the three adjustment protuberances are located far differently on the Sylvania sealed beams compared to the Hella's.

You could probably find a mechanical aimer (Ebay, etc) but it's easier and at least as good to just aim them as per the VOL specs at that aiming link. (also read the "old American types" section).
 

wrcsixeight

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Your vehicular deductions are sound, but the salt is of oceanic origin, rather than northern winters.


Ospho is my favorite rust treatment/ converter/ bare metal prep product, one can buy it in Ace hardware.


Using it with 99 cent store scrubbie sponges, or Ideally, scotch brite scrubbie sponges, and one can get rusty metal quite clean, degreased, rust free and promote maximum adhesion, of Paint/ epoxy, especially if they apply and scrub, then wait until rust turns black, then the next day, repeats the process.


One can also apply it, wait for the brown rust to turn black then scrape, wire brush, sand, chisel the black iron phophate, back to brown iron oxide below, apply more ospho with a scrubbie, wait for it to turn black, repeat, and eventually get down to bare pitted steel with enough applications It's weirdly cathartic.
While Naval Jelly supposedly does the same thing, I Much prefer the Ospho. It is very thin, spreads easily and penetrates rust deeply and seems to be an excellent cleaner as well, degreasing as well as etching and prepping for maximum adhesion. It lifts paint/primer, only when there is rust under the paint, at least in my experience, and this is desirable, to me.
---


My Vehicle has the ability to power a 12 amp tablesaw through a large pure sine wave inverter, via battery power alone, but I have decided I'd rather have lots of charging capability, opposed to huge amounts of Heavy battery capacity. I also refuse to carry a generator, mostly due to space concerns, but I despise the noise and don't want to advertise a Van full of tools, needing a generator. a 2500 watt inverter is tiny compared to a 2500 watt generator.


I manually control the voltage my alternator(s) is/are told to seek, in order to properly and as quickly as possible, recharge Thin PLate Pure lead AGM battery(s) which can accept HUGE amperages when well depleted, and seem way better off when they get them.


TPPL AGM's want to be brought upto 14.7 @ 77f when less than fully charged, held at 13.6v when they are. I modified an External adjustable voltage regulator with wires to my dashboard 10 turn bourns potentiometer. Voltmeters with sense leads right on the battery terminals, and Ammeters and battery and alternator temperature sensors allow me to achieve Ideal recharging by turning the dial. There's obviously more to it than this, ....but not in this thread.


I could relatively easily rig up a way to independently feed headlamps different voltage than battery/system voltage with a Boost or buck/boost converter, Via devices I already have, but the 13.6v to 14.7v range I choose for ideal battery charging, is more than adequate for the headlamps.


With a ten turn potentiometer and almost 6 full turns between 13.6 and 14.7 volts, I cannot really raise or lower voltage quickly, so seeing the brightness change from 13.6 to 14.7v is not really profoundly different from behind the wheel when changing voltage, as ones eyes adjust more rapidly. Believe me I've been tempted to stick my phone in various locations with Lux App going and change voltage and record some data, but in the end I am not all That curious. and the measurement device not that precise.


Years ago I made my own wiring harness for the headlamps using Sheathed Tinned Ancor 12-3, electing to run the grounds on that third wire to a ground buss on firewall near relays instead of body next to headlamps, as body grounds always seem to become troublesome and resistive all too quickly. I don't( anymore) skimp on copper, or terminations, or the tools to make them properly.
Having done so in the past, it saves no money and just wastes time, usually at the worst time possible to waste time.


If the battery(s) are well depleted the alternator(s) might not be able to quickly achieve and hold 14.7v at the battery terminals, at lower rpms, and it can be easy to overheat them maxing them out when parked, or really anytime below 25mph.


I will achieve proper headlamp Aim. The Load I carry changes, and can vary greatly. I will adjust headlamp aim accordingly, My fuel tank is 35 gallons and behind rear axle. A happy medium, is just my starting point. I count screwdriver rotation in 30 degree increments, and will go wider or narrower up or down depending on load or whether I am in long distance highway mode or mountain windey roads. The older GE nighthawks which failed, had a more obvious hotspot than the replacement silverstars, and were easier to tune for the conditions and good practice.


Pretty sure they are dorman plastic adjustment receptacles, 6 to 8 years old. I've ordered more, but re-engineering things for better function and durability is a past time of mine. Can't stop it. I could make a way denser insert drill and tap it, which would grab lots of adjustment screw , but have just ordered more Dormans, as I am currently quite busy with finish carpentry and rewiring/cabling charging systems on a large boat.
Such such a project is for when I am not so busy, and I'm likely to skip it entirely, unless the new ones strip instantly.


The other Hella V+, is ordered, as are Phillips extreme +130's ,12342XVS2+,
, and the dorman-like adjusters. I don't expect to drive much, if at all, after dark for a while, so the one headlamp with stripped adjuster, aiming way too low, is not an immediate concern.
 

wrcsixeight

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The other Hella V+ arrived.

I had a close look at the GE branded bulb, and can see the filaments are off center and the low beam shield more so. I can also rotate the bulb a few degrees when it is in the housing, the tangs not quite being wide enough.


I got new adjusters installed, and drove to a dark flat relatively level parking lot. All the parking spaces 6 rows deep, have amazingly parallel lines, all in line with each other across the whole lot. I parked dead center and straight.

I adjusted them so each hotspot was touching parking spots lines about 4 rows ahead.
When the Xtreme +130s, arrive I will do a proper adjustment.

The beam pattern reminds me of the older GE Nighthawk sealed beams 6054s, but there is ample light below the brighter hotspot too.

Seems like there is a lot more light on the road and the center and side lines are lit up brighter, further away

The High beams are downright impressive, I'll baselessly claim 2x as much throw as the Sylvania Silverstars and any other sealed beam I have ever had in there over the years.

With the blue band surrounding the high beam filament of the xtreme +130's, I guess I'll lose some of that output, but even better focus?

I knew I should have done this upgrade long ago.
I knew is I was not going to waste any more money on sealed beams and estimated the silverstars were at half life and did not want to be caught out in a small town on a road trip and be forced to buy whats available, again.

Eagerly awaiting the Xtreme +130's.
 

wrcsixeight

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Xtreme +130s are installed and hellas aimed properly, and I've had a few nighttime drives from twisty dark roads to interstates to well lit backroads.

Lots of foreground light. Short nosed older american Van so I can see very close in front of vehicle over the hood and there is tons of light there. Great for 25mph or under. Good reach compared to GE and sylvania's, but there is a ton of light close to vehicle that i wish were reaching further when @ 45mph plus. I rarely exceed 65/70, but drive x country 2x a year and often 6 or 8 hours after dark @ 65 mph and would like that foreground light farther ahead than it is, without glaring oncoming drivers of course.

compared to the GE, Made in Hungary 50440U E1 207 Hungary C bulbs provided with the hellas, the Phillips extreme +130 are of course 'whiter' on both both low and high beam, and the high beam on the GE's, seemed more impressive. I'm surprised at how white they are on low beam when I see a reflection of the lamps in a store window.

Anybody figure out how to safely remove that pesky blue coating short of laser ablation ;)?

/Edit\ I removed it with a sharp razor blade held firmly, at 90 degrees. 70% IPA on a q-tip as a lubricant and perhaps it also slightly softens the blue coating. Practice the motion on a hardwood dowell or an old bulb. Don't rock the blade from 89 degrees to 89 degrees while stopped. lift off the surface if using the blade bidirectionally.

Takes about 5 to 10 minutes per bulb to get it all.

All hail blue Q tips, and clear halogen bulbs, and holy high beam batman!

\/ End Edit /\



It's much more pleasant to drive than with either the older GE Nighthawks and the newer silverstars, but I think I'd prefer the foreground lighting be redirected to reach farther ahead at 45 mph+, but Oh well.

I think the High beams, seem to be a Smidge too high, but perhaps its just because they reach so much farther than the sylvanias/nighthawks ever did. Not easy to really test/judge the high beams in these parts without specifically going out to do so, when roads are more empty.
 
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wrcsixeight

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I bought my Philips H4 X-tremeVisions +130 on E bay, as I got irritated at Amazon, since I do not have a Prime membership anymore.

I think they are counterfeit.

The packaging they came in looks nothing like the picture Shown on Phillips site. Mine is a square coffin like packaging with the corners clipped where the Phillip's site and every other online vendor, shows a round packaging.

as far as the bulb itself, it looks, to my untrained eye, the same as what the sites show.




Their improvement over the GE bulbs that the Hellas came with, is hardly extreme, noticeable, but hardly an extreme improvement, mostly just whiter, and when I Aimed them I noticed the beam pattern on left and right on the wall was not exactly the same shape.

Any chance they changed the box/enclosure design, and mine are just old?

I suspect not, with the limited improvement compared to the GE bulbs the Hellas came with.
Their filaments are not smaller diameter than the GE's, just shorter cylinders.
 

-Virgil-

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There's a variety of different packaging -- boxes, clamshells, card pack, etc. What is the entire part number of the bulbs you bought? It would start with 12342.

(That said, Ebay can be dodgy...)
 

wrcsixeight

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12342XV+E2 - code: 35637328

says 2019 on the packaging's sticker.

Googling that first line ^ , the first hit ...downloac p4c....reveals the same box packaging as I received. I don't want to break rules and post a link or hotlink, and refused to be burned by another photo hosting website..

I've leaned towards e bay for most recent online purchases, as they almost always ship and arrive quickly via usps.

Having not renewed Prime, Amazon seems to wait at least a week, or more, before even shipping my orders, and one has to purchase a certain amount before they get the free shipping.

The Phillips website authorized retailers link, takes one to Amazon UK but, on the US page some of the hits reveal the same seller as I used on Ebay, for a few bucks more.

Been contemplating bulbs without blue banding even if the Phillips prove genuine.
Flosser 60/55 or perhaps 100/55

I know my harness and plugs can support 100 watt highs.
Assuming the Hella V+ housings can too.
 

-Virgil-

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Been contemplating bulbs without blue banding even if the Phillips prove genuine.
Flosser 60/55 or perhaps 100/55

Flosser makes some good H4 bulbs, but none of them are equal to the Philips XV. And (all) 100/55w bulbs have standard, not boosted performance from their low beams. As you can see from this data, going from a boosted (such as XV) to a standard low beam would be a giant loss in low beam performance.
 

wrcsixeight

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I can easily test wattage drawn at various voltages, but would collecting this data, get me any closer to knowing if my H4s Xv130s are counterfeit?


the 100/90 phillips in your test moved the area of max intensity down and to the left on high beam. Do you surmise this occurs with other higher wattage bulbs too?

Driving a dark stretch in a canyon tonight, I again feel the GE high beams were more effective than the XV+130s, the latter seem to light up the canyon walls more than the edges of the road far ahead, whereas the GEs highs seemed to reach farther and a bit lower. I did not stop and swap, and memory is fallable, and all the other seems/feels like opinion that comes along with it

You mentioned earlier that the GE bulbs provided with the HV+ could be saved for emergency spares, if that. The potentially counterfeit XV's, to my subjective eyes, do not seem all that much better on lows and seem less effective on the highs

A pair of Flosser 525543s 100/55 are en route, hastily ordered before your last post.

Perhaps this 18$ was better spent towards Phillips racing vision +150's, if I could be sure to get authentic, and not counterfeit.
 
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