What is this little clip on bulb socket? I lost it

[Paisano]

92' Ford Ranger XLT with 2.9 V6. This pigtail connector socket pictured below, is for the front turn signal/parking lamp. I crimp soldered in that connector last year.
Just the other day, I was replacing the bulb and I lost the little retaining clip. You can see it in the photo.

Is that clip for holding the bulb in? You can't get those anywhere. Can I improvise something in place of the clip?

 

[Jazzer]

I believe I’d try to bend one up from the spring steel shaft of a marker flag, the kind utility companies use. You could use the other side clip as a guide.

-Jazzer

 

[Paisano]

What is the clip for? It doesn't seem to make contact with the bulb.

The marker flag shaft option seems a bit expensive. What about a paper clip? I already bent one to shape. But I don't know if it will work

 

[Jazzer]

Paper clips aren’t spring steel, and bend out of shape easily.

I’ve seen marker flags at hardware stores for less than a buck.

-Jazzer

 

[19Walt93]

92' Ford Ranger XLT with 2.9 V6. This pigtail connector socket pictured below, is for the front turn signal/parking lamp. I crimp soldered in that connector last year.
Just the other day, I was replacing the bulb and I lost the little retaining clip. You can see it in the photo.

Is that clip for holding the bulb in? You can't get those anywhere. Can I improvise something in place of the clip?



View attachment 82958

You're right that it holds the bulb in, it's worth buying another connector if you can't find or fabricate a clip.

 

[Paisano]

Ok. I'll check out Ace Hardware or one of the big box stores for the marker flag or the spring steel.

 

[Paisano]

I bought some music wire to try and fix this because it qualifies as spring steel. But it is very difficult to bend the wire into the correct shape. I gave up on this.
So I ended using some leftover insulated wire. And I cut a couple more grooves into the plastic socket housing to give the wire more to latch onto.
Then I pulled it tight and twisted off the ends. I pulled on the bulb with some force and the wire held it in tight. This worked. Galvanized wire should work also
Don't mess with trying to duplicate that original clip. It's not worth the trouble

 

[Kruegon]

Is that an aftermarket connector or factory? If it's factory, just snag one from a junk yard. I spend a lot of time at Pull-a-Part getting little tid-bits like this to restore my girl.

 

[Paisano]

Sorry. I didn't see this last reply from earlier this year. It was an aftermarket connector. But I improvised a fix and it's all done.