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Anyone cut open a solid state military flasher unit?

Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 6:13 pm
by ashyers
Surprise, surprise, mine has gone intermittent!

I was wondering if anyone has chopped one up to see what's inside the potting compound. I'm likely going to a regular 24v flasher unit, but I was curious to know if somebody out there has done an autopsy on a dead unit. It fries me that I have owned and drive numerous old cars and have NEVER had to replace a flasher unit, but the new whiz bang military unit is a turd, not just a turd, but an expensive turd!

If you've chopped one post some photos :).

Thanks,

Andy

Re: Anyone cut open a solid state military flasher unit?

Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 9:43 pm
by PoW
The most I've done is remove the Bendix connector and mount it on a small metal box with a decent flasher in it.

They are all junk. Taxpayer money wasting junk. The control units aren't much better, either.

Fast-acting 10A fuses inline will sometimes prevent damage. Breakers aren't fast enough.

PoW

Re: Anyone cut open a solid state military flasher unit?

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 4:36 am
by NAM VET
If you mean the square metal box with the connectors on each side, mounted on the floor somewhere, I removed my non-functioning unit a year ago, and opened it up. Not rusty or corroded, just somewhere not working. Not sure what to do with it.

NV

Re: Anyone cut open a solid state military flasher unit?

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 4:56 am
by just me
I did an autopsy on one to see if i could fit a standard flasher in the housing. The castin doesn't allow it. It is a printed circuit potted to death with two types of epoxy.

Re: Anyone cut open a solid state military flasher unit?

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 5:57 am
by NAM VET
Yeah, mine is now a "replica" of a Military solid state flasher controller.

NV

Re: Anyone cut open a solid state military flasher unit?

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 7:36 am
by sturmtyger380
I cut mine apart as well. No room to fit a modern flasher in there. I did save the pin connector and soldered wires to them.

It came in handy as we were wiring turn signals on my buddies M37 and each time we hooked the new military flasher unit up the breaker would flip. So I crimped blade connectors to the wires on the connector and hooked up my civilian flasher and the signals worked fine. He still wanted a military flasher unit so he eventually found one that worked.

Re: Anyone cut open a solid state military flasher unit?

Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 7:37 pm
by PoW
NAM VET wrote:If you mean the square metal box with the connectors on each side, mounted on the floor somewhere, I removed my non-functioning unit a year ago, and opened it up. Not rusty or corroded, just somewhere not working. Not sure what to do with it.

NV
That is not the model we were talking about. Yours is a very early model with mechanical relays and thermal flashers, using two barrier strips on the top. Yours also has a specially designed lever switch that worked only with that early unit. They seldom survive today, sell it at your next rally. Someone will be glad to get it.

The later/current model is much smaller solid state job with a three pin connector. They are extremely prone to failure.

PoW