[TR] Interesting drive home

[Randall]

Having the linkage pop apart can also be a sign of worn pivots.  They of
course wear the most just off of idle, so trying to adjust for wear can
cause the pivot to bind and make the idle rpm erratic.  You might want to
invest in new pivots.

Also worth checking that the pedal hits its stop without putting too much
strain on the linkage.  It's not designed to take all the force your right
foot can deliver!

> On the way to work this morning, the charging light 
> intermittently blinked on and off.

FWIW, when I had that problem a couple of years ago, I eventually traced it
to bad connections inside the control box.  Both relay coils have one lead
soldered to the brass sleeve that goes through the center of the coil.  The
sleeve is supposed to make contact with the steel center post to complete
the circuit to the control box frame (which isn't ground but instead is
connected to the 'D' terminal).  But for whatever reason, both sleeves were
making only intermittent contact.  Which in turn caused the box to sometimes
overcharge, and sometimes turn the light on.

> I've 
> already burned one of those new, lighter generators when I 
> ran it without charging the low battery first. 

A myth IMO, started by rebuilders looking for excuses why their rebuilt
units don't meet original specifications.  A generator has a current rating,
and it's the responsibility of the control box to ensure that it does not
exceed that rating.  (Otherwise, any DC generator will happily generate
enough current to destroy itself.)  While regulated to it's current rating,
a generator has to be a continuous duty device because it can take several
hours of operation at max output just to recover from one difficult winter
start.

BTW, that's one of the reasons an ammeter is important with a generator.  If
the control box somehow fails to regulate the current (misadjustment, stuck
contact, or that bad connection I mentioned above), you need to stop
immediately and either fix the problem or disconnect the generator until it
can be fixed.  By the time a voltmeter shows that the battery is
overcharged; the generator will likely be toast.

Also FWIW, if you position the starter lead so it comes off straight up, it
will block the throttle link from making contact.  I believe later cars were
actually supposed to have a rubber boot that fits over the exposed terminal,
which would also prevent a short.
http://trf.zeni.net/TR2-TR3GB/219.php

-- Randall