550 LTD rear blinker issues and odd blinking

I have an 82 550 LTD with stock rear blinkers. I have new stems and new rubber grommets in there, but the darn things still sag and droop. I believe the blinker housing needs to be isolated from the frame, but is there something else that can be done? Could I wire them differently and hard mount them? I want to retain the stock blinkers, but hate the sagging (one of them likes to try and rotate too some...looks like hell).

Also, when I engage the left blinker, it blinks. When I engage the right one, it pauses (and you think to yourself "whats going on...?") then illuminates and starts blinking. Wrong bulb? Its done it for years and its nice and bright, just doesn't kick in right away...

Try another relay. Pics of the signals?
Steve

If they're sagging and/or rotating it sounds like maybe a piece is missing or not installed correctly. Do you have all the pieces as shown in the diagram below? Ed

Thanks for the replies.
I believe the parts are all there, but MAYBE part #25 isn't. I remember installing them and having trouble getting the nut on tight because I didn't want to use a tool to hold the stalk in place and marl it up, so I held it with my hand on the housing part.

Here are a few pics...

Ya might wanna check that the mounting tabs on the frame weren't tweaked in the past.

If anything is missing or bent, then they will sag. The metal collars have to be perfect --- they can get damaged in a tip-over or crash.

The odd blinking may be the bulb or it could be the turn signal flasher. The old flasher may not work right with modern bulbs. The auto parts store may have an electronic flasher that can be swapped in place of the old one.

If by tabs you mean the part attached to the frame - they are true and straight.

I don't think I'm missing anything, but I can check. When I got the bike they were really bad. I replaced the parts (the grommets were shot and the collar on the blinker side was bent from a tip over). Although it improved, they still droop.

As far as the flasher - I need to dig up a wiring diagram. I have a flasher by the airbox under the seat - I replaced it once, but I think it may be the hazard flasher and the blinker flasher must be somewhere else? And if it was the flasher, why would it work on the left just fine but not the right? Only thing I can think of is the right hand bulbs are somehow different, or the right hand circuit has higher resistance, so it takes longer to energize and trip the flasher? Lets hope its the bulbs or flasher...I really don't feel up to chasing wire around

I would swap the bulbs around. put the right side bulbs on the left side, left bulbs on the right, then see what happens.

[quote="apbling" post=714860
As far as the flasher ...(SNIP) ... Only thing I can think of is the right hand bulbs are somehow different, or the right hand circuit has higher resistance, so it takes longer to energize and trip the flasher? Lets hope its the bulbs or flasher...I really don't feel up to chasing wire around [/quote]

I think you found it. Most often the problem will be traced to a poor or intermittent ground. The flasher is a simple device but if the circuit is not complete or intermittent... no Bueno.

Check the outboard ends of front and rear signal lamps wherever the ground is made to frame/body and clean those areas up with a little elbow grease and 95% of the time you'll solve "weird" flasher problems.

A lot of times the ground is made by attaching to the frame when it is meant to go through the loom. If one signal ground is shorted to the frame, it will act differently than the others. Damaged insulator rubbers are usually the culprit.
Steve