[Healeys] Replacement of Turn Signal Relay.

[Michael Salter]

You are absolutely correct josef.
This is my trick. Remove the left front wheel and find the weld-nut for
that screw.
Carefully grind off the end of the screw to the level of the weld-nut then,
very carefully, starting with a 1/16" dbit, drill out the 10/32 screw
without damaging the weld-nut too much.
This will release the top of the relay. Run a 10/32 tap through the
weld-nut then take out the 2 lower screws and tackle the 8 terminal screws.
Back in the day the relays weren't that expensive and we used to just
replace them when they were thought to be faulty however, I gathered up the
removed ones in a bin.
Last week, after the problems that I had with my second cheapo repo, I
pulled 5 of them out of the bin and checked them.
The biggest problem was getting the slot cheese head terminal screws out
without breaking them but a little carefully applied heat solved that.
Once I removed the covers and cleaned up the 8 terminals I was amazed that
every one, after a couple of very minor adjustments, could be made to work
perfectly.
Not one of the coils, the component that I had always suspected was the
most likely point of failure, had any sort of problem.
I now have 5 fully functional turn signal relays that I'm in the process of
refinishing.
Getting that top screw in will still be difficult but it can be done before
refitting the cover.

M



On Sun, Mar 22, 2026 at 7:48 AM josef-eckert at t-online.de <
josef-eckert at t-online.de> wrote:

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> Michael,
> Since it's almost the same topic, but what bothers me much more is
> replacing the relays on the 6-cylinder Austin-Healeys.
> The top screw that holds the relay is inaccessible with a screwdriver when
> the cold air duct is installed. The same goes for
> the upper cable clamps. Is there a trick to removing the faulty turn
> signal relay and installing a replacement without removing
> the cold air duct and potentially damaging or crumpling it?
> Thank you for any helpful suggestions.
>
>
> Josef Eckert
> Königswinter/Germany
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> -----Original-Nachricht-----
>
> Betreff: Re: [Healeys] Replacement Turn Signal Relay.
>
> Datum: 2026-03-22T12:33:37+0100
>
> Von: "simon.lachlan--- via Healeys" <healeys at autox.team.net>
>
> An: "Michael Salter" <michaelsalter at gmail.com>, "healeys at autox.team.net" <
> healeys at autox.team.net>
>
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>
> Regarding these contraptions, there is a third way. I've mentioned it to M
> before....one can gut the old relay and rebuild its internals with new,
> modern, relays. I've done two or three. The first because my original had
> gone into terminal decay and the others because I'd bought clapped out
> originals at a boot fair. Anyhow, the first one's been in the car for some
> years now and works fine. The others are in one of the "boxes of useful
> things I may need one day". I've done the same to overdrive relays. By the
> way, I don't claim to be the first person to have done this!!
> Simon
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Healeys <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> on behalf of Michael
> Salter <michaelsalter at gmail.com>
> *Sent:* 20 March 2026 16:23
> *To:* healeys at autox.team.net <healeys at autox.team.net>
> *Subject:* [Healeys] Replacement Turn Signal Relay.
>
> All Big Healeys prior to the later Phase 2 BJ8 use a Lusas 33117 relay for
> the turn signals. This relay connects the appropriate lamps to the turn
> signal flasher unit, overriding the brake light switch on turns.
> These Lucas relays were a very primitive (by today's standards) but very
> robust unit and could withstand a short circuit as often happens with the
> glass lens type 594 turn/side/brake lamps used on these models at least
> until the fuse blew.
> Within these lamps it is very easy to produce a short to ground.
> Over the last few years replacements for these relays have been
> provided, under the Lucas name and the same 33117 part number, which have
> been completely redesigned and incorporate 2 modern G2R-1-E relays.
> I have purchased 2 of these modern style relays and both have failed
> because the  G2R-1-E relay relays don't seem to be anywhere near as robust
> as the originals and fail before the 35 amp fuse can protect them.
> So, a word of caution, if you are using one of these (improved) cheapo
> repo turn signal relays, be very careful to avoid short circuits in the
> turn/brake/side lamps.
> The attached pics are of the original type and the circuit board from the
> "improved" replacement.
>
> M
> [image: image.png]
> [image: image.png]
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