Thanks for the answers, guys- here's my retorts;
Can't RTFM I don't have, and at 2:30am, just hours after this sad-sack hit my shop floor, TFM ain't here yet. I reely appreciate 'ya takin' the time to scan TFM for me though!
I think I can make the keystock trick work, provided I can get my big paw down in there...
Mebbie I can take a piece of metal and stab a welding-rod into it, and use the rod to hold it...
Re. removing the battery... well, I didn't hafta doo that, seein's how the battery (and the last inch-or-so of cables) is gone. Sounds like (from everyone's comments) that the battery should be under the seat, but THIS 127's battery is under the hood, between the pedestal and the gas tank.
Seems that besides the friction adjustment, the next biggest challenge will be how to get the family of dead mice out of the gas tank... the shop-vac took care of the nest materials, but the mice... they're... uh... 'petrified' into the bottom....
Lookin' forward to meetin' a bunch'a 'ya Tomorrow! If I seem a bit 'tired', it's probably 'cause my band has a late gig tonight, and I've got lots of gettin' ready to do for the show AND PD7!