Well, finally someone sets me straight......I noticed the same thing
on my TR3 and questioned my local mechanic about this several years
ago. He told me that this was one of the 50 or so TR3s built
especially for Her Majesty's Secret Service, and the E terminal
connected to the passenger side ejection seat. However, on two
occasions the boys on the line at the factory installed the ejection
apparatus on the drivers side. Needless to say, when the wiper
switch was engaged in the proper manner, the charges fired, seriously
injuring the driver as he was projected up and through the steering
wheel.
Subsequently, according to my mechanic, all the 50 TR3s were
decommissioned, except for those that were sent to Guatemala in
exchange for hostages. I suppose he was lying when he told me that
lever shocks were illegal, and would cost $1200 each to replace off
the black market? Damn!
----- Original Message -----
From: Christopher Ball <cball@oct.on.ca>
To: 'Bill Taylor' <Tmade96@erols.com>; Triumphs
<Triumphs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2000 7:41 AM
Subject: RE: Tr3a Wipers
>
>
> > My confusion lies in the fact that my
> > Lucas wiper motor has three terminals, labeled "1", "2" & "E".
Which two
> > are used and why are there three?
> Bill Taylor
>
>
> Now Bill, you've uncovered one of the least know features of the
> TR3A, dropped when the 3B came out, and never to return again. It's
> mentioned in my first edition factory service book and then quietly
dropped
> from even that publication. These wiper motors are now quite rare
and
> trading amongst the cognoscenti goes on in the darkest corners of
the hobby.
>
>
> You have the "two way exhaust valve" equipped wiper motor my friend,
> and don't trade it for any amount of money. It's not really a valve
and it
> does both exhaust and intake, but in typical British fashion it
holds this
> enigmatic name.
>
> I won't get too technical, but basically the factory used this easy
> to access port as the input device for the smoke in your wiring
harness.
> Since electrically problems were more common back then it providing
the
> mechanics with an easy way of replacing the smoke after major
component
> failures. It also, as the name implies, acted something like a zener
diode
> and exhausted surplus smoke in the event of overcharging and voltage
> regulator misfunctions.
>
> Older TR3s can often be seen to emit small quantities of smoke after
> a long run with no lights on, and the members of the inner circle
just nod
> at each other knowingly.
>
> Is this a fascinating hobby or what, eh?!
> >
>
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