Dave :
The ammeter jumping wildly about may be the first sign of an impending
regulator failure, or a bad connection somewhere ... or simply normal
behavior under certain circumstances.
The regulator contacts act as a switch, switching the generator between full
on, and only lightly on. Normally this happens too rapidly to see, but
under certain conditions it slows down (or stops entirely). When it hits
just the right frequency, the ammeter needle resonates, and jumps about
wildly. Typically this happens just above idle, but it can happen almost
anywhere (depending on battery state of charge and load) up to about 1500
rpm.
One step you can take is to clean the regulator contacts as outlined in the
shop manual. Also check all the connections in the charging circuit
(especially the grounds to the body) to be sure they are clean and tight.
Friend of mine chased this problem for some time on her TR250, eventually
found that there was paint and rust between the battery ground cable and the
body. Beyond that, I wouldn't worry about it (except perhaps to stock a
spare control box) until the problem gets noticeably worse.
Randall
> Anyone know how to tell if you have a bad voltage
> regulator on an early TR4? Does the ammeter jump
> wildly up and down - relatively within the normal
> operating range...?
>
> Battery is charging and lights, etc. all work fine...
>
> Continuing to debug the electrical system on CT0675 -
> '61...
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