Dear FOT,
I finally got around to going negative and installing an alternator on the
TR-3. I fired up the engine in the garage and turned down the throttle linkage
screw a little to keep it running, while I looked at the gages. All of a
sudden the engine started winding up and I tripped the kill switch. The engine
just kept right on roaring. In a panic I desperately screwed out the throttle
shaft screw and got the engine shut down.
I then installed a Racer Parts Wholesale kill switch that I have had for some
time. It has alternator cutoff poles. The arrangement that I have now is to
break the battery ground cable and to break the one wire alternator lead. I
have heard that a lot of racers using alternators do not hook up and
alternator shut down because it may blow out the alternator or the MSD.
My plans are to not use the kill switch to shut down the engine unless it is
Custard's Last Stand. If I am in the car, I can stall the engine. If the
engine is turning slowly, the ignition switch shuts it off. The biggest threat
is for some tech. inspector requiring me to demonstrate that the kill switch is
working. I guess that I could protect the MSD by throwing down two switches
to put the ignition into a conventional system, but the alternator could still
blow out.
Any input or ideas would be appreciated.
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