Glad you made it home ok! Have fun this weekend-the weather should be great
for it! ;-)
Laura
Vita brevis est: rapide agite, vigore strigate!
----- Original Message -----
From: Barry Schwartz <bschwart@pacbell.net>
To: <triumphs@autox.team.net>
Cc: <spitfires@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2000 7:02 PM
Subject: Made it home - Rambling so use delete now if not interested!
>
> Listers -
> I managed to make it home alright without my alternator, and I had only a
> couple of scares. First off I thought that by unplugging the connector
> that supplied the field coil and the sense wires that the alternator
> wouldn't charge. WRONG. . .Normally this would work, but apparently there
> was enough residual magnetism in the coil to continue charging! As I
> pulled out of the lot and got a little ways down the street, again the amp
> meter pegged at over 30 amps. I didn't get probably a 1/4 mile before I
> had a spot to pull over, but that was too late. Acid bubbling out all
over
> (thankfully I have one of those plastic battery boxes). Some acid did get
> sprinkled on the engine, hood, etc so when I got home I neutralized it
with
> baking soda, and plenty of water. Not much else I could do at that point.
> Since everything got soaked, I gave the engine compartment and hood a good
> cleaning and rinsing which it needed anyway.
> Back on the side of the road, battery bubbling over. I disconnected the
> main battery line to the alternator, and continued on driving, drawing
> about ten amps now at cruising. Not too bad, that is until I got near the
> end of the trip. While on Mast blvd., a 5 mile section of residential (35
> mph HA!) street that has a stoplight (red for twenty minutes, green for
> five seconds naturally) every three feet. And of course, being in. . .
> well . . .where I live, It was quite warm at three in the afternoon and
the
> electric fans that I sort of forgot about kicked in when engine temp rose
> in the stop and stop traffic. Instant 30 amp draw! Thankfully, during
> these times the voltage didn't drop to the point of causing the fuel
> injection computer to shut down so I did manage to make it home.
Hopefully
> the battery isn't ruined by all the abuse as its is fairly new. While the
> plates weren't dry the level was down to the top of the plates from all
> that acid bubbling out. I added water, but wondered about the wisdom of
> that, as it would seem to just reduce the acid content since the *water*
> didn't evaporate out. Oh well. . . too late now, heck now is as good a
> time as any to replace the muffler with the new Borla and it's new 2-1/8
> inch system pipes plus replace that intermittent starter, and of course
the
> alternator (as If I didn't already have enough to do this weekend)!!!
Work
> sure gets in the way of everything I *NEED* to do!! Boy, I sure need to
> win the lottery, although I suppose buying a ticket would help :-)
> At least the GT will get a workout next week
>
> Barry Schwartz (San Diego) bschwart@pacbell.net
>
> 72 PI, V6 Spitfire (daily driver)
> 70 GT6+ (when I don't drive the Spit)
> 70 Spitfire (long term project)
>
>
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