It's always amazing how a going-into-the-3rd-year restoration experience
becomes encapsuled in one small battle. In this instance, I had fought trying
to disassemble the gas pedal linkage. Looking at a parts break-out picture, I
saw that the pedal itself and a small length of shaft were connected to the
full length of shaft by an intermediary connector held in place by two pins.
Dutifully I took out the pins, applied a little heat, a little pentrating oil,
a little heat, and voila, the shaft appeared to move out of the intermediary
connector. Because of its shape, it seemed it was supposed to be tapped
toward the pedal.
Wrong. It moved only to the curve in the shaft, then wouldn't budge. The two
shafts didn't separate.
What I found out was, the gas pedal and the long shaft is all one piece, and
it is not supposed to separate. The parts break out pictures in the catalogs
are wrong. The intermediate connecter actually slides the entire length of
the shaft to slip off the end, in the opposite direction I was trying to move
it.
So, now all is apart, has been wire brushed on the bench grinder, is soaking
in a Simple Green solution, and is in great shape for restoration, just when I
had begun to think it was never going to happen.
...And that's the case with the restoration of this TR3A. Overall, it often
seems stuck, like it's never going to happen, but eventually something finally
makes its way to the tub of Simple Green, and it's all simply Simple after
that.
Terry Smith
TR3A TS 58667 (Body off, but the front half at the body guy's. Frame,
suspension, engine, tranny, all restored and back together. Guages nearly
done, heater done, wiper motor done, ...getting there!)
New Hampshire
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