1956 Special - correct flasher relay ?

[Maikl]

Hi everybody,

I am a bit lost on my turn signal relay...
Currently, there is a SIGNAL STAT R432 mounted which works correctly but is getting weak in terms of delay before starting to blink.
So, I decided to replace it, but found it is not that easy an task to find a correct replacement. What I currently have tried are the following which produce the indicated problems:
- BUSS 550: Blinks fine, but the indicator lights do not work.
- TUNGSOL P273D: All relevant lights come on, but stay on - no blinking !

I assume, there are differences between these relays although they are all 3-prong-types (with prongs marked 'X', 'L' and 'P') but I did not find any information aywhere on the correct type of relay to be used (work shop manual just states "TUNGSOL").
Which would be a correct relay to look for for a 1956 Special/which one is mounted in your cars ?

Your information on any correctly working relay in your car is highly appreciated.

Maikl

[Maikl]

Hmmm...
Nobody here who has a working turn signal system on his 56 and can tell me what flasher type is working for him ???

[tberd62]

I'll be home later in the week and will check for you.
Joe

[Maikl]

Thanks a lot, Joe !

Looking forward to hear from you !

You have the Synchromesh manual transmission in your 56 ? There were only like 6% of all Buicks equipped with that one in 1956 !!!

Michael

[tberd62]

I read somewhere that only 3% of the production came with a manual transmission. It is really a very quick car. I always wonder how much more fun it would be with the Century 4 barrel on it

[johnnyb56]

Hi Maikl,
My 1956 Buick uses a TUNGSOL P273D relay and it works well. My parts
car also has one of these in it. So, I assume it's the correct one. I wonder
if the one you tried was defective?

- John
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1956 Buick Special, Model 41
1962 GMC 3500, 305 V-6
1966 Chrysler New Yorker
1976 Plymouth Volare

[Maikl]

Hi John,

thanks for the information !
As a matter of fact, TUNGSOL P273D is the correct one and the one I tried must have been defective !
Found a NOS relay TUNGSOL P273D on a German vintage car meeting yesterday of which the seller did not know where it could belong, which affected the price insofar that I got it for a symbolic 1 Euro (= US$ 1.44)

Well, what can I say ? Works perfectly !!!

Thanks for looking in your cars, though, I appreciate that !

Mike

[johnnyb56]

Glad to hear it works! I figured I could help you with that because driving without turn signals is no fun- especially at night. You got a good price on that relay, and you're lucky to have found one in Germany.

It must be difficult to find parts there sometimes. I have relatives who live in Sachsen near Chemnitz, and they are restoring a P60 Trabant and a 1955 DeSoto. They have all kinds of trouble finding parts for the Desoto... I've had to find parts for it here in the US and send them there. That gets expensive!

Good luck with your Buick Maikl, and have fun!
- John
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1956 Buick Special, Model 41
1962 GMC 3500, 305 V-6
1966 Chrysler New Yorker
1976 Plymouth Volare

[Maikl]

Hi John,

had not been around for a while obviously...
Thanks again for checking on the flasher relay last year.

I know the problems with DeSoto parts - they are not even easy to come by in the US ! Everything that is not interchangeable with Chrysler is a pain (esp.trim...) Friend of mine owns a 1958 Fireflite. Coming back to his car from a restaurant one day he found a BMW had smashed right into the rear of his parked DeSoto, kicking the old lady over the sidewalk into a wall...
Can you imagine the pains to get a hold of all the parts (...and the costs for shipment ?). Luckily, we found a guy in Sweden who had a trunk-lid and was even happy to drop it off in Hamburg/Germany on his way to a meeting in Austria...

Well, enough of this horrors - have to go back into the garage, searching for a couple of tiny parts that jumped all over the place when I opened the headlight switch...

Maikl