> A most excellent point made by Randall and others here as I have
> as point of
> reference what I assume is the wiring diagram for a TR2 on page 32 of my
> Royal Red "Service Instruction Manual" Third Edition (Sixth Printing)
> Publication Par No. 502602 to be tediously exact. I have found
> this diagram
> to be correct so far but now that I think of it I just noticed
> that it does
> not show the seperate rear turn signal indicator lights that my
> TR3A TS50550 has.
Other discrepancies : windshield wipers, dash lights & control, brake
lights, heater (not shown on the diagram but the connection instructions
don't work for a TR3A), in-line fuse. And of course the RHD vs LHD that I
mentioned before. May be others, I'm not quite awake yet. ISTR Dan Masters
had some later diagrams posted on a web site somewhere, but I don't have the
link handy. Anyone else got it ?
Also, I've got a scanned copy of the diagram for TS39781LO from "Practical
Hints" 4th ed that I can send you. It still doesn't show the dash light
control you should have (earlier cars had a simple switch), but the other
things are right.
> I have a feeling that it maybe
> the real story was that it finally gave up the ghost after being
> abused for
> who knows how long by the DCO (Darn Current Owner, me) by working with a
> regulator doing no real regulation
Very likely. The current regulation is necessary to keep the generator from
putting out too much current, and burning itself up. I learned this the
hard way with my first TR3A.
> Don't tell anyone but who knows how long I drove that car once in
> a long while
> during the day, without lights, without an electric pump, without the
> regulator working running directly off the battery,
I've racked up several months of daily driving without a working generator
myself. Charge the battery every night, sometimes I had to charge it again
to get home from work. Did you know it's possible for one person to
push-start a TR3 on level ground? BTDT
Even with headlights and heater, you should be able to get an hour or two
from a healthy fully-charged battery, depending on how hard to start the
engine was.
> I still don't really understand though how the wires being
> corroded, oxidized,
> less conductive or whatever would not make the generators job tougher.
I don't usually like the water analogy, but in this case it works. Compare
the corroded wires to a clogged water pipe or a partially closed tap ... the
city water supply doesn't work any harder, you just get less water. Since
the generator is supplying less current, it isn't working as hard.
> The regulator and generator cost me
> almost as much and
> I don't want to admit how much more the alternator cost for my
> 1990 300ZX that I bought a year ago.
An LBC conundrum, parts for our antique cars are actually cheaper than
equivalent parts for modern cars. Something to think about when we start
grousing about prices ...
Good luck with the harness replacement.
Randall
|